Laura Hurd | The Grit and Grace Project

To the Woman Who Cleaned up After My Autistic Son

We never know when a meltdown will happen. We know that certain environments don’t sit well with my five-year-old autistic son. Open spaces cause him extreme anxiety. New places make him want to flee. But we can’t stay cooped up in our home forever—especially for a trip to speech therapy. Yes, we have become quite familiar with the waiting room of our son’s speech therapist. I must say that she has a well-equipped one. There is every type of busy toy you could think of: coloring books, train sets, magnets, a framed metal board, and all kinds of sensory playthings. Even so, my son has bad days. To look at him, you would never assume he has extra special needs. There is […]

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3 Healthy Hand Sanitizer Options You Need to Try

By Laura Hurd / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

It’s flu season, and you know what that means? Germs—everywhere! So, what is the best way to keep those flu and cold viruses at bay? As we become more aware of what we are putting into our bodies, we must also consider what we put on our skin. It’s always a good idea to try healthier, effective alternatives. Hand sanitizer is a quick and easy way to get instant germ protection in the absence of water. The popularity of this convenient method has made its way into hospital rooms, clinics, and emergency waiting areas across the nation. Even though I fully support anti-germ awareness in this form, I have found that there are other, non-toxic ways to get the same protection while saving

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A Letter to My Preteen Son, I See You Finding Your Way

By Laura Hurd / Faith

I can’t say for sure when it started because I feel like it has been more of a creeping progression. This year I have felt more sidelined as your mom than ever. You are learning about your body, your personality, and your friends. I understand that it’s a lot for you to take in. You are pulling away from adolescence and gradually determining your mindset. Basically, you are growing up. Most of the time I am so proud of you for how you react to situations. You have even stood strong in your faith in circumstances that have left me doubtful. However, to assume that you wouldn’t be tempted in any way along the journey of your youth was a dumb thought.

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What Is Autism? This Is How Experts (Parents) Define It

By Laura Hurd / Life & Culture

Our son is five years old. He has autism spectrum disorder. The Mayo Clinic defines autism as “a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. This is why many with autism find comfort communicating online, even though that sometimes comes with its own dangers. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term ‘spectrum’ in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.” When I read this, it drove home the fact that even a professional look at autism does not fully encompass everything that I have come to know about it. The definition can become even more blurred when

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Want to Get Your Child Interested in Books? Try This.

By Laura Hurd / Motherhood

Since the birth of my first son 11 years ago, I have been keenly aware of the benefits of reading to a child. I knew that I wanted to implement reading aloud as part of our everyday routine because the statistics prove that even when newborns are exposed to oral language, it helps them with many different skills later in life. When our youngest son was diagnosed with autism at two years of age, I was already experiencing the reality of having a child that flat out refused to listen to a story of any kind. I would attempt to read to him from many different angles. I would go as far as joining him inside his netted indoor trampoline as he

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This Is What My Teen Learns From Chores

By Laura Hurd / Motherhood

Now that we live in the days of social media where opinions are flourishing and instantly streamed on our news feed, it’s easy to get distracted by what everyone else is doing. I have to continually remind myself that what is good for the goose doesn’t even fit into my daily schedule and family dynamic. (Read my full article on comparing your mothering skills to what you see on social media here!) However, having drawn from my childhood experiences and what I have seen work for my own teen, there are some core lessons that will benefit everyone. These are traits that can easily be instilled through the application of a simple daily chore routine. So, why is it so important for

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Hope for the Woman Struggling With Chronic Pain

By Laura Hurd / Faith

For the past 10 years, I have suffered from a painful autoimmune disease. It causes inflammation and pain in my joints and has often been the cause of distress within my spirit. Though I’m well acquainted with physical pain, I am no stranger to various types of heartache due to many trials I’ve endured. The first one that I remember was losing my best friend at the age of 16. She had a seizure in the middle of the night and was found unconscious the next morning. Just two years later, my dad took his own life shortly after the passing of my grandmother, for whom he was the primary caregiver. In the midst of all of this, my mom and stepdad

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Stop Comparing Your Mothering to What You See on Social Media

By Laura Hurd / Motherhood

I have seen it too many times online, and in every instance, it breaks my heart. Daily, mothers are tempted by social media posts that lead them to believe that what they are doing isn’t enough. They take to the airwaves of Facebook and Instagram to proclaim their defense on the parenting choices they have made. It makes me want to wave a virtual flag of empathy: “You do you, Mama!” I have to admit, I have been there. I have a five-year-old boy that has autism. In the early stages of his diagnosis, I was navigating uncharted waters. I was afraid of being judged by other parents on how I was approaching our new special needs world and I constantly felt

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5 Ways You Can Help Special Needs Families

By Laura Hurd / Motherhood

Are you looking for a way to care for a special needs family in your life? Congratulations. Because you already have the desire to assist that family, you have all the qualifications needed to relieve the unseen burdens that go along with caregiving. It really doesn’t require a lot of time or money. Parents to children with special needs do not need much from you to help them thrive. But they do need help. Even if they are not asking for it, these families carry an unseen mental load that can often be alleviated by a caring friend. Here are 5 ways that you can step in and care for special needs families: 1. Call Oftentimes special needs parents are so caught

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Avril Lavigne’s Powerful Song Is the New Battle Cry for People in Pain

By Laura Hurd / Life & Culture

All of my childhood I heard my mother tell my pediatrician that I was “healthy as a horse.” When I was able to fully understand what she meant and when I started seeing doctors on my own, I adopted the same mindset. I felt like I was invincible—immune to any unexpected disease or disorder. After hearing that coined phrase over and over, it became part of my identity. At the time, I didn’t understand the full weight of those words. I didn’t realize just how much pride I carried around on my steadfast shoulders until one morning when I was hit full-force with the reality of my mortality. My Story I was 23 years old when I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

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These 5 Simple Fall Recipes Are Easy and Sure to Please

These 5 Hearty Fall Recipes Are Easy and Sure to Please

By Laura Hurd / Life & Culture

In the South, there are three things we take very seriously: sweet tea, our Southern drawl, and food. Southerners have a special way of bringing new meaning to comfort food, but there are some recipes that simply speak for themselves. As we head into the months that bring us bonfires and painted trees, I always find myself craving rich and hearty meals that fully satisfy. Here are 5 fall recipes that will not only meet the needs of your busy schedule but will leave you and your family with a satisfied tummy and a smile: 1. Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup Any recipe that begins with slow cooker and ends with soup is sure to be a hit. This potato soup

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This Is How Two Women at GM are Crushing Stereotypes

By Laura Hurd / Work & Money

On September 1, Dhivya Suryadevara will take over as General Motors’ very first female Chief Financial Officer in the company’s 110-year history. She will supersede Chuck Stevens whom has been with the company since 1978 and has held the current CFO position since 2010. Not only will she hold a position never before seen by a woman there, but she follows CEO Mary Barra onto a short list of dual female CEO/CFO’s within the corporate world (the other being the Hershey company). A Woman of International and Domestic Grit Dhivya Suryadevara is not lacking in her experience with GM. Arriving at the North American Fortune 500 company in 2005, she was soon recognized as Forbes top 40 under 40 in 2015—a major

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Fortnite: How to Strike a Balance with Your Kids

By Laura Hurd / Motherhood

Fornite’s growing popularity has forced parents to address the trending role of online gaming. Fornite is a free, online survival game that can be streamed on multiple gaming platforms such as PS4 or Xbox. There is no blood or gore found within gameplay. However, there are guns, grenades, and an ax used for gathering materials for fort building. Although this is the first time my 10-year-old has requested to be a part of an online game, he is no stranger to electronics. This day and age, moms and dads no longer get to choose if their child will own some form of electronic device; the question has become when. Because school systems have started integrating the use of tablets and Google accounts,

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How to Reach Your Preteen When They’re Pushing You Away

By Laura Hurd / Motherhood

No matter where you’re at on the journey of parenting your preteen, we can all agree that it is hard. From navigating a new school to dealing with attitudes that have left me perplexed, the preteen years have offered many unexpected twists and turns. However, now that my ten-year-old is almost through his fifth-grade year, I have realized that even though there have been many changes, some of the ways I parent him have stayed the same. I’m learning that our kids will test their boundaries, but there are ways to stay connected to them even when they seem so far away… 1. Ask your preteen where they sit. Ever since elementary school, I got into the habit of casually asking my son

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3 Reasons To Give Your Man For Your Netflix Binge

By Laura Hurd / Life & Culture

I’m going to go ahead and assume that since you’re reading this, you too are guilty of a Netflix binge.   With so many great shows it has to offer, many people find themselves rescheduling plans with friends just to stay home in their PJs with their new BFF, Netflix. But what about your man?   Sometimes our will for holding out on watching just one more episode simply isn’t strong enough.  The Netflix bug bites and we find ourselves cuddled up with popcorn, drinks, and Michael Scott.   I feel your pain.  Sometimes there are just no words to explain as to why season three of you and your guy’s favorite series mysteriously turned into season four. Thankfully, there is a way out of

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Why I Decided to Pick up My Son for the Last Time

By Laura Hurd / Faith

“…There is a last time for everything. There will come a time when you will feed your baby for the very last time. They will fall asleep on you after a long day And it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child. One day you will carry them on your hip then set them down,   And never pick them up that way again…” —Author Unknown Every mom hears of how their child’s youth will slip through their fingers in no time. They are often told of how they are to cherish every moment with their babes because those days will soon be but a memory. A wrinkle in time. A Different Child Because I am a mother

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