A Little About Us
I am Sandy. I am author, entrepreneur and digital content creator. I have two children: a sweet little boy called Lennox and the precious little girl in the picture, Mara. Mara was prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome when I was 11 weeks pregnant. Her diagnosis came as a shock, but it only took me 4 days to get back on my feet and take charge of the situation to make sure that my little girl would have all the resources and support she may need.
I spent my entire pregnancy learning about neuroplasticity and how we can improve the physical and cognitive abilities of our babies. Since Mara’s birth, I have spent countless hours implementing a routine that includes daily physical, cognitive, visual, and tactile stimulation. I keep getting surprised by how much we can assist our children and equip them to conquer anything they want if they receive proper early stimulation.
My motto as a mother, and more specifically as a special needs mom, is “information is power”. That is why I decided to create this website. I know that every single child can reach their maximum potential if we, as parents, have access to the right information.
about us
How We Got Started
After repeated requests from many of my loyal @Instagram followers for more information about what we were doing to help Mara in her development, @MaraTheWondergirl Instagram was born. It was a great way for us to share Mara’s progress, her infectious smile, and her huge personality. It was also a great way to connect with other mamas who had questions and were seeking advice.
Little by little, the “How did you do _____?” questions grew. And it was becoming increasingly clear that one-on-one messages did not allow me to serve the needs of our growing community in the way I wanted. We knew that the impact could be bigger and that we could reach more families. And so, MaraTheWondergirl.com was born. It is an important next step to provide a new home for all of us. Thank you for being a part of it.
Glad You Have Joined Us On Our Adventure
Top Posts
One of the things I want my kids to remember about their childhood is how much I loved playing with them. One thing I do with Lennox daily is role play. If you could watch me at home, you would rarely find me speaking in my own tone.
Feelings are what add color to life. They also tell us all of the important information that we need. Feelings tell us when our surroundings are threatening, when we need to be cautious, when something feels “off” or “not right.” They tell us when we really want something, what our needs are and whether they are being met. Feelings also show what we really care about and who we love.
When Lennox was about one and a half, I bumped into a lady that complimented him for how verbal he was. I told her that I spoke to him all the time and he seemed to really be passionate about language. She then told me about a book called “How to Teach Your Baby to Read”. I asked her about the author and put all the info as a note in my phone.
The book is FASCINATING. I highly encouraged you to read the book, but here are a few points summarizing what the program is all about.
This post was originally posted by Dr. Becky Kennedy on her Instagram account, and we thought many of our readers would benefit from learning about this. How many times, as a parent, have you thought that your child was “fake crying”? Well, keep reading, because we may be very wrong about how we are interpreting what our child is doing during those episodes.
Children with Down syndrome are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse. Here is why.
During my pregnancy with Mara, I found myself having to educate doctors about they way to deliver certain messages they believed I needed to hear to prepare to have a baby with Down syndrome. “You must know that 40% of babies with Down syndrome are born with a heart defect” was the first warning I was given about the apparently terrifying life that was awaiting for me. Right there and then, with my little baby still in my belly, I decided to change the conversation.
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