When we sat down for this conversation, we fully intended to dive into the tricky choices we have to make when deciding if/how to share about our kids β on social media or a podcast, in writing or conversation. And while we do spend some time trying to parse out that particular challenge, the conversation that unfolded quickly became much deeper. Because a conversation about representing another human is also a conversation about storytelling, perspective, autonomy, and relationship boundaries. And so we ask β
π What if we don't see things the same way that our kids/parents do?
π What happens when family members have conflicting true stories of shared experiences?
π· How do we document our kids' childhoods without bringing an audience into their experiences.
π―ββοΈ How do I untangle where my story ends and yours begins?
π§βπ§βπ§ How do we learn to tell our own stories when we've deeply absorbed a family narrative?
πͺ’ How do I hold onto a sense of myself when parenting/caregiving consumes so much of me?
π£ And why even share about our kids at all?
In the episode, we mention...
Rebekah's recent Substack essay, " Dear Son of a Disabled Mother,"
Caitlin's collaborative artwork with Charlie, including the "Am I a Real Mom?" piece.
We would love to keep the conversation going on our Patreon. Have you found a way of representing your young people (online or anywhere else) that honors both your experience and theirs? Do you have tensions within family systems that hold multiple, differing true stories? What do you find especially sticky about the questions being asked in this episode?
Find us on instagram @sitting_pretty β¨ @caitlinhasfeels
