Daughterhood Updates
Caregiving During the Holidays is Not a Hallmark Movie
On Christmas day, 2021, I took my parents’ dog for a walk by myself. My Dad’s nausea was bad that day and my mom’s grief was worse. My own children and husband were 800 miles away. All around me happy families seemed to be strolling along, multiple generations...
The Myth of Self-Care in Caregiving
Every time you turn on your computer, there’s some story or advice about the importance of self-care, especially for women. We read about how we need to get more sleep, which has the effect of keeping us up all night worrying about the bad things that will happen if...
I Can Buy Green Bananas
I received the gift of renewed connection with my dad about six years ago. My dad had wrenched his shoulder when he fell out of the attic. Don’t ask. The doctor sent him to physical therapy first, but surgery was ultimately required to repair it. I was loosely...
Caregiver Guilt: 10 Powerful Ways to Reframe, Heal and Find Peace
Caregiver guilt has hung around me for years. I have numerous things I feel guilty about, and I can add new reasons every day. I may have broken a promise, lost my temper in frustration, spoken unkindly, made a mistake, or even worse, felt like I neglected my loved...
Your Parents’ Health Data Is Out There – Here’s What You Need to Know
The healthcare system was not built for daughters. It was built for the patient, but you’re the one carrying the binder into the ER, spending afternoons on hold, and logging into portals as your parent because there’s no other way. If any of that sounds familiar, this...
Daughterhood 10th Anniversary Letter
Ten years ago, while writing an article about family caregiving, I found myself comparing caring for aging parents to caring for children. That’s when it struck me: caregiving for a parent is such a profound, singular life experience that it deserves its own name. And...
The Support I Wish I Had When Caring for My Mom with Dementia is Finally Available and Here’s How to Get it
Looking back on my 12 year dementia caregiving journey, I often wonder how it could have been different had I had support. The memories of being awake at 2 a.m. with no idea of what to do next, still shake me to my core. Sure, there are hotlines to call for support,...
Daughterhood – Embracing the Future Together
I got a letter from the IRS! Not a bad letter, a good one! After almost a year of preparing and applying, Daughterhood received its 501 c 3, tax-exempt status. This marks an exciting and important turning point in the evolution of our work at Daughterhood. What...
It’s Not Your Fault
The emails come into our inbox. “Please help,” is usually how they start. What so often follows is the same story with only slightly different details. A 90-something parent, living on social security, has fallen, gone to the hospital and now needs rehabilitation to...
3 Strategies to Overcome the Most Stressful Part of Daughterhood
There is almost nothing in life more stressful than feeling like you are 100 percent responsible for a situation over which you have zero control. This is happening a lot these days in my house because somehow, somewhere, my daughter has grown into a teenager and I’ve...