Ep. 274: What Parenting Really Takes: Insight from a Disabled Mom’s Journey

Parenting Great Kids with Dr. Meg Meeker

Dr. Meg Meeker

Kids & Family, Education, Parenting, Self-improvement

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does it mean to parent when the world isn't built for you? Jessica Slice, author of Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World, joins Dr. Meg Meeker to share her powerful story of raising a child with a disability. Jessica discusses the myths around "perfect parenting," the societal barriers disabled parents face, and how true connection matters far more than physical perfection. In this episode, we discuss: Jessica’s journey to disability – and motherhood – and how she reclaimed her narrative. The unique challenges and joys of parenting with a disability. The critical role of community support and adaptive problem-solving. How unrealistic societal standards impact all parents, not just disabled ones. The importance of teaching children about disability with honesty and compassion. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 – Introduction: The unique challenges of parenting 00:21 – Meet Jessica Slice: Advocate, author, and mother 01:34 – Jessica's personal journey into disability and motherhood 03:12 – Parenting with a disability: Challenges and strengths 04:31 – Adopting and raising a newborn as a disabled parent 08:34 – How community and creative problem-solving make parenting possible 16:08 – Facing (and fighting) accessibility barriers in everyday life 24:04 – Why community support matters more than perfection 26:25 – Teaching kids empathy and understanding about disability 28:51 – Final reflections and words of encouragement Our Guest: Jessica Slice is a disabled author, speaker, and essayist whose upcoming memoir Unfit Parent has been shortlisted for the J. Anthony Lukas Prize. She’s the co-author of several books, including Dateable and We Belong (with the late Judy Heumann), and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, and more. A sought-after podcast guest, Jessica holds degrees from Davidson College and Columbia University and lives in Toronto with her family. Resources & Links: Learn more about Jessica Slice’s book Unfit Parent → https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Slice/author/B0D96Q4KB5 Work with Dr. Meg Meeker → https://meekerparenting.com/ Our Sponsors Amazfit Active 2 – 10% off AI coaching at amazfit.com/DRMEG Hungryroot – 40% off + a free item in every box at hungryroot.com/drmeg (code DRMEG) Acorns – Start investing with spare change: acorns.com/drmeg Heat Holders® – 15% off cozy winter wear at heatholders.com (code DRMEG) Acorns Early – Teach your kids about money: acornsearly.com/drmeg WHO SMARTED? – A podcast that makes kids laugh while they learn. Search “WHO SMARTED?” wherever you get your podcasts. KiwiCo – $15 off your Summer Adventure Series at kiwico.com/DRMEG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Let me tell you something. Spring might be on the calendar, but here in Michigan, we're not out of the woods yet. I've been living in my born Myra sneakers, and they've made this season so much more bearable, supportive, soft, and stylish. They're everything I need right now. But I've also been browsing Bourne's springline,
0:22.7	and oh my, there are some gorgeous styles. I've got my eye on the Shiloh and the Remy Sandals.
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0:52.3	So go to bornshoes.com and use my code, Dr. Meg, to get 15% off full-priced shoes
0:59.9	plus free ground shipping.
1:02.4	That's Dr. Meg at checkout just for a limited time and only for you, our PGK listeners.
1:13.0	On today's episode of Bing Great Kids, the standards we hold ourselves to and the
1:20.1	standard that our children actually need are wildly different. But I think disability has taught
1:25.9	me that that's that sort of a standard imposed by other people.
1:30.9	And the thing my daughter actually needs is a mom who's well regulated and who can be with her.
1:37.8	Welcome to parenting great kids.
1:40.4	Here's your host, Dr. Meg Meeker.
1:43.8	Parenting is hard enough. But what if some of the biggest challenges aren't inevitable?
1:49.5	What if they're built into the world around us?
1:52.9	Well, today we're joined by Jessica Slice, author of Unfit Parent, a disabled mother challenges
2:00.2	an inaccessible world. Through her work in the New York
2:04.2	Times and the Washington Post, Jessica challenges society's rigid ideas of, quote, good parenting
2:11.5	and the barriers both visible and invisible that make it even harder. Jessica, thanks so much for joining me today.
2:20.9	Thank you so much for having me. I'm thrilled to be here. Great book, Unfit Parent. And we're going to be
	...

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