Parenting Autism with Heart: Routine, Connection, and Resilience with Meaghan Murphy

Motherhood—especially when parenting autism—demands presence, flexibility, and a willingness to be honest about what’s hard. In this episode, Sarah Kernion and Meaghan Murphy, editor of Women's Day and a 25+yr vet in the media industry, explore the emotional terrain of motherhood, focusing on vulnerability, routine, and the unexpected ways joy shows up in everyday life. Through shared caregiver stories, they reflect on how structure can create space for joy, why routines support emotional regulation, and how letting go of autopilot allows mothers to reconnect with themselves. The conversation acknowledges the unique challenges caregivers face while affirming that struggle is not a competition—hardship is personal, and all experiences deserve validation. This episode is about resilience without performative positivity. It’s about humor as survival, self-care as necessity, and connection as the thread that helps mothers—especially those parenting autism—keep going with intention and grace. Meaghan is the Editor of Women's Day Magazine and author of Your Fully Charged Life.  All her work can be found here: https://meaghanbmurphy.com/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Interviewing Megan Murphy(00:01:09) - Mothers of profoundly autistic children talk(00:03:52) - Your 'Vulnerability' in '(00:07:27) - On Carving Out Your Joy(00:12:41) - Sarah and Megan on Their Personal(00:16:08) - What is the #1 gift your family of origin gave you?(00:21:03) - "This Is What I Was Like As A Parent"(00:22:35) - Meg on Her Cancer Challenge