The Big Greek Smackdown

Ep 12 - My Story: "Your son might have a little bit of autism"

August 02, 2023 Liz Athanasiadis Season 1 Episode 12
Ep 12 - My Story: "Your son might have a little bit of autism"
The Big Greek Smackdown
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The Big Greek Smackdown
Ep 12 - My Story: "Your son might have a little bit of autism"
Aug 02, 2023 Season 1 Episode 12
Liz Athanasiadis

This episode is deeply personal and close to my heart.

I want to share an experience that impacted my life as a mother and a woman. 
When my son was almost 3 years old, a speech therapist mentioned that he might have a "little bit of autism." Those words hit me hard and I struggled to fully grasp their meaning at the time. I hadn't done any work on myself and I felt like I wasn't enough of a mother for him.

In my mind, I associated being a good mother with having a "normal" child who followed norms, played soccer and fit in.

My son played with girls and didn't enjoy soccer and I believed that I had failed him.
This experience served as a turning point for me.

 It made me realise that I needed to look inward and trust myself as a mother. I needed to understand that my worth as a parent wasn't tied to whether my child conformed to cultural expectations.

I learned to trust my intuition. I focused on supporting him in becoming the best version of himself.

My relationship with my son transformed. I discovered that accepting him for who he was allowed him to thrive in his own way. I let go of the pressure to fit him into a box and instead embraced his authenticity.

I hope my story and journey supports someone who needs to hear this.

Show Notes

This episode is deeply personal and close to my heart.

I want to share an experience that impacted my life as a mother and a woman. 
When my son was almost 3 years old, a speech therapist mentioned that he might have a "little bit of autism." Those words hit me hard and I struggled to fully grasp their meaning at the time. I hadn't done any work on myself and I felt like I wasn't enough of a mother for him.

In my mind, I associated being a good mother with having a "normal" child who followed norms, played soccer and fit in.

My son played with girls and didn't enjoy soccer and I believed that I had failed him.
This experience served as a turning point for me.

 It made me realise that I needed to look inward and trust myself as a mother. I needed to understand that my worth as a parent wasn't tied to whether my child conformed to cultural expectations.

I learned to trust my intuition. I focused on supporting him in becoming the best version of himself.

My relationship with my son transformed. I discovered that accepting him for who he was allowed him to thrive in his own way. I let go of the pressure to fit him into a box and instead embraced his authenticity.

I hope my story and journey supports someone who needs to hear this.