Join hosts, Lauren Fenton and Rina Teslica, both mothers to daughters with special needs as they and their guests share unique parenting stories and chat about the things they've learnt and are still learning. Prepare to sometimes laugh, sometimes cry, but hopefully leave with a shot of optimism in your arm!
The goal of the F**king Normal podcast is to extend the conversation and build a supportive community for other parents. We don't have the answers but want to create a safe space to share stories as we venture through parenting disabled children together.
Note: The F**king normal podcast is a parents perspective. We are not talking on behalf of disabled children or adults. We can't and we would never presume to. That's not our experience. We want to learn to parent and advocate better and this show is about our experience as parents.
For more information and transcripts for each episode go to our website at www.fkingnormalpodcast.com
The F**king Normal Team
Hosts & Editing: Lauren Fenton, Rina Teslica
Production team: Genevieve Porritt, Victoria Wason
Artwork: Sharon King-Chai
Music: Æ Mak - Listen on Spotify
Wider creative team: Mary Forrest, Clare Wright, Gemma Sherlock, Helen Gamble-Shields, Kathleen Javalla, Caroline MacPake, Evangelia Vasiliadou.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join hosts, Lauren Fenton and Rina Teslica, both mothers to daughters with special needs as they and their guests share unique parenting stories and chat about the things they've learnt and are still learning. Prepare to sometimes laugh, sometimes cry, but hopefully leave with a shot of optimism in your arm!
The goal of the F**king Normal podcast is to extend the conversation and build a supportive community for other parents. We don't have the answers but want to create a safe space to share stories as we venture through parenting disabled children together.
Note: The F**king normal podcast is a parents perspective. We are not talking on behalf of disabled children or adults. We can't and we would never presume to. That's not our experience. We want to learn to parent and advocate better and this show is about our experience as parents.
For more information and transcripts for each episode go to our website at www.fkingnormalpodcast.com
The F**king Normal Team
Hosts & Editing: Lauren Fenton, Rina Teslica
Production team: Genevieve Porritt, Victoria Wason
Artwork: Sharon King-Chai
Music: Æ Mak - Listen on Spotify
Wider creative team: Mary Forrest, Clare Wright, Gemma Sherlock, Helen Gamble-Shields, Kathleen Javalla, Caroline MacPake, Evangelia Vasiliadou.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, Rina and Lauren talk with New Yorker and lawyer, Rachel Pears about her experience as a 'sandwich carer'. The “sandwich generation” is defined as those who are caring for both elderly parents and their own dependent children. Rachel, an only child living in London, describes the challenges of caring for her 8 year old daughter Amelia who has a rare genetic condition, at the same time as becoming designated carer for both her parents in New York. As Rachel puts it, she felt like she was competing in the caring olympics, but without any time for training! Rachel eventually faced burnout and had to take time out and relook at how she juggled and prioritised everyone’s needs, including her own, differently. It is a heart-warming and beautiful discussion, which covers the pain of dementia and value of being in the moment, to finding your own village and enjoying a cheesy New York pizza!
Content Warnings
Grief and parental loss
Dementia
Parkinson's
Cancer
Diagnosis
Guest Biography
Rachel lives in London with her husband, Peter, their daughter, Amelia, and their two cats, Rosie and Brother Cat (both affectionately named by Amelia). Amelia has a rare genetic condition. Rachel is the Head of Responsible Business and in-house Employment Counsel at a commercial law firm. She regularly speaks and writes on a variety of DEI topics, drawing on her professional expertise as well as her personal experience as a carer. In 2019, she joined the Insurance Families Network, an Inclusion@Lloyds partner network, as Neurodiversity Champion and co-founded a network for people working in the insurance market who have a caring responsibility for a neurodivergent child. Rachel also sits on the Development Board of SeeAbility (The Royal School for the Blind), a charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and sight loss.
Rachel was a 'Champion of the Year' Finalist at the Inspirational Women of the Year Awards 2019 and was shortlisted for the 'Unsung Hero' award at the 2021 Make a Different Awards. She was shortlisted for Responsible Business Leader of the Year in the 2023 Women and Diversity in Law Awards and is currently shortlisted for DEI in a Specialist Role in the 2024 Women and Diversity in Law Awards and Outstanding in DE&I at the Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards 2024.
When she's not working in her paid or unpaid roles, Rachel enjoys hiking, reading, binging questionable tv series' and building Lego.
Resources
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/
https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.