On The Hard Days
Raising an out-of-the-box kid can feel isolating. You wonder, Am I crazy? What am I doing wrong? The doubt, guilt, and exhaustion are overwhelming—and finding another mom who truly gets it feels impossible. That’s why the On The Hard Days podcast exists. Host Megan Champion knows the struggle firsthand and is on a mission to bring connection and support to moms raising neurodivergent kids. Each week, a brave mom shares her raw, honest story so you can feel seen, heard, and validated. Whether your child has a diagnosis or not, if you feel alone in your motherhood, this podcast is for you. Subscribe now and follow Megan on Instagram @on.the.hard.days for daily encouragement & info about her community resource, Mothers Together —DMs are always open!
- Update frequency
- every 4 days
- Average duration
- 47 minutes
- Episodes
- 213
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Ep. 73 Mom Marjorie Ludwig on the Gifted/Autism Overlap and the Difficulties in Meeting Academic Needs
About This Episode: This is one of those episodes where, if you're raising a neurodivergent child, you'll be constantly nodding your head in awe as you listen. It's SO relatable. Mom Marjorie shares …
Ep. 72 Mom Jill Matsumoto on Viewing Giftedness Through the Lens of Neurodivergence
About This Episode: Mom Jill's child reminded me SO much of my own. Yet I love how Jill holds space for him to just be who he is! This conversation was a wonderful reminder to love our kids for who t…
Ep. 71 Mom Barbara on the Struggle to Find Answers for Your Child in Uncommon Diagnoses
About This Episode: Mom Barbara is raising a neurodivergent child whose story was VERY much like my own. However, where she lives, answers on certain diagnoses are hard to come by, making the journey…
Ep. 70 Mom Melissa Ayres on Feelings of Inadequacy and Being Constantly In Tune to the Needs of Our Children
About This Episode: Mom Melissa is such a rockstar of a mother, yet she doesn't often believe it. With the never-ending needs of her children, Melissa explains vulnerably how she constantly feels lik…
Ep. 69 Mom Marisa Humbracht on Holding Space and Giving Grace to Neurodivergent Kids Through Goal Setting and Family Values
About This Episode: Mom Marisa is an inspiration. Her kids range in age from preschool to adulthood, including foster children and. The way that she shows her out-of-the-box children to love and valu…
Ep. 68 Mom Avril Brown on Doing the Work of Internal Healing in Order to Love Our Neurodivergent Kids Unconditionally
About This Episode: Okay, my friends - if you've never listened to an episode of On The Hard Days before - THIS episode is a great place to start. I have never personally felt more seen and heard tha…
Ep. 67 Mom Laura Petix on Accepting Our Anxiety Around Our Kids' Big Emotions
About This Episode: What a validating conversation I had with Laura, aka The OT Butterfly. She and I view parenting our neurodiverse kids in a similar light, and I truly loved hearing about her minds…
Ep. 66 Mom Ellenia Lyons on Bringing Awareness to Severe Mental Health Struggles in Children Through Honesty and Advocacy
*Trigger Warning* Mention of Child's Suicide Attempts
About This Episode: Wow - this mom, Ellenia Lyons, is a powerhouse. She and her family have had to endure a lot of trauma and struggles - includin…
Ep. 65 Mom Sharon Gordon on Being a Steady Ship in Our Kids' Stormy Seas
About This Episode: What an episode to kick off a new year! Oh MY this conversation with mom Sharon Gordon is freaking amazing. SHE is amazing and inspired me many different times. We zigzagged on di…
Ep. 64 The One Thing That Changed Me as a Mom in 2021
About This Episode: I can't believe this is the last episode of 2021! What a ride. In this episode, I'm reflecting on the changes I've made as a mother and sharing a few tips with YOU!
MORE:
-Want to b…
Ep. 63 Top 5 Most Popular Episodes of 2021 - Who Were the Guests?
About This Episode: I can't believe we're at this point! These are the Top 5 most downloaded episodes this year - and honestly, they're some of my favorites. If you haven't listened to them all - you…
Ep. 62 Moms Blakeley, Laura, and Ashley on Finally Finding Needed Support (in Mothers Together)
Oh MAN this is a special episode! Blakeley, Laura, and Ashley are all raising neurodiverse children. They are also all in Mothers Together (in 3 different support groups!) - and they joined me live o…
Ep. 61 Mom Salka Sanden on How Accepting and Understanding Your Child is Easier When You Are Neurodivergent, Too
About This Episode: This week I'm talking with Salka, an amazing mother in Sweden. She and her son were diagnosed at the same time with Autism, and I was amazed at her level of comfort in understandi…
Ep.60 Mom Megan Carranza on Finding Joy and Acceptance, Despite the Grief, After Autism Diagnosis
About This Episode: This week I'm talking with Megan, who is raising a non-verbal child with Autism. One of my biggest takeaways was how, despite the grief, she found joy and positivity in the diagno…
Ep.59 Mom Wassima Ben Salah on the Cultural Pressures of Raising a Gifted Child
About This Episode: This conversation with Wassima was unlike any I've had before. As a Turkish citizen, she is open and candid about the challenges she faces in raising her son. "Lack of support" re…
Ep.58 Mom Stacy Spensley on Seeing a Faulty System Rather Than a Faulty Neurodiverse Child
About This Episode: Oh man, this episode is AMAZING. Stacy drops so many nuggets of wisdom, it was almost hard to keep up. Yes, it's a long one, but it's worth every minute of your time. Take the who…
Ep.57 Mom Jody Warshawsky on Facing the Unknown in Raising a Neurodivergent Child
About This Episode: Jody has gone through a long list of emotions in raising her daughter, who has Autism and a seizure disorder. She's changed her motherhood mindset recently around how to parent he…
Ep.56 Mom Maria Fuller on Loving Yourself as a Mother Enough to Accept and Advocate for Your Neurodiverse Child
About This Episode: Maria is a powerhouse mom of neurodivergent children. Her inner strength and the clarity in her voice was inspiring - especially when she talked about education! Make sure you lis…
Ep.55 Mom Jennifer Dunn on How Finding the Right Team for Your Special Needs Child is Crucially Important
About This Episode: Jennifer Dunn is the amazing mother of a child with severe Autism. She's vocal about advocating for her child and chatted with me about the hardships of raising her kid. Above all…
Ep.54 Mom Patricia Sung on Understanding ADHD in Neurodiverse Kids and Their Parents
About This Episode: Patricia Sung is just the person I needed to talk to. She has ADHD and understands its nuances to a fault. She has her own podcast, Motherhood in ADHD, and is a featured guest spe…