Sue’s Spew was started by me, Sue Porter, during Covid, while I was the Head of a small independent high school in the Bay Area. The Spew was my way of keeping in touch with the school community while we were in lockdown, and after a while it became a vehicle for me to blow off steam, speak my mind, and - most importantly - hear from the members of Spew Nation, parents and students alike.
I’m no longer the Head of a school but I still deal with teenagers and parents in my private psychotherapy and coaching practice, and dang it if I didn’t think of the good folks of Spew Nation the other day when I received the following emails from two moms in quick succession.
What the f*** am I doing??? wrote the first mom as she was trying to get her slugabed child up one morning. I had asked her to keep track of her interactions with her son so we could figure out how to motivate him for school. Nothing seemed to be working.
F***************ck! She noted for emphasis. Now what???
Within the hour I received another email from another mom, who was also at her wit’s end.
Here’s how she signed off:
Really losing it here!
My first impulse was to get these moms together.
Holy s***! I wanted to say. You folks should be friends!
But I can’t do that as a therapist.
What I can do is Spew about it, and so here I am. Back in the saddle and ready to help parents feel better about themselves.
That’s right, parents, you deserve to feel good. You work hard all day long, telling your ungrateful teenagers to pick up their crap while making them meals, doing their laundry (and maybe even doing their homework), and for what? Nothing.
You get nada in return.
And how do I know this?
Because I work with kids like yours all day long, and they are self-absorbed, self-involved, TikTok addicted, and grumpy. (And adorable.)
So the Spew is back, and it’s my way of helping you, Spew Nation parents, realize that you are doing your best even when your kid is acting their worst. You deserve support and a community where you can turn when you feel like you’re the only parent losing your mind.
My plan is to Spew one or two times a week and to create a conversation about parenting, staying sane, and supporting each other in the process.
Okay, so now it’s your turn.
Shoot me an email and let me know how you’re doing, and please share your latest parenting nightmare or triumph, or tell me anything else that’s on your overburdened and under-appreciated parent mind.
In the words of a client I saw just this morning:
Life. It’s just a lot.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Sue, Founder
Spew Nation
sues.spew@gmail.com