This is another one of those “very special Brady episodes,” in that I’m bringing my husband Derin onto the show for a super honest, super vulnerable conversation between the two of us about our journey as a couple navigating parenting a differently-wired child.

I’ve been wanting to do this episode for quite a while, and in fact I get a lot of requests for an episode covering this very topic. I’ll be honest—Derin was a little nervous to sit in the hot seat, but I’m really happy with how this episode turned out because I know that figuring how to be a good partner while raising an atypical kid can be incredibly challenging, especially because both people are going through their own individual process in figuring it out. But at the same time, it’s so important for the child and for the survival of the family that partners find a way to work with each other instead of against, and unfortunately, the latter can so often be the default when we’re feeling tired or stressed or overwhelmed.

Also—if after listening to this episode you have further questions or topics you’d like us to tackle regarding our co-parenting journey, please leave a comment below. I’m “pretty” sure I’ll be able to convince Derin to come back on again, and I’d love to keep this conversation going and also make sure we’re sharing the kinds of insights that might be truly helpful to you and your family.

 

About Derin: Derin Basden is TiLT Parenting founder Debbie Reber’s husband and 12-year-old Asher’s dad. He works as the Senior Director for Global Program Management for Philips. In his “spare” time he develops popular mods for Minecraft, runs half-marathons, and spends time with his family.

 

THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • What it was like from Derin’s perspective to be the “less-involved” parent when it came to advocacy and getting support for Asher
  • How Debbie and Derin dealt with communication (and other) challenges to become more united, collaborative co-parents
  • The benefits and challenges of raising a child who shares similar traits and tendencies
  • How Derin changed his parenting style to better support and embrace who Asher is
  • What Derin struggled with most in coming to accept having a differently-wired child

 

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