All Children Are Hard and Easy with Jess Quarello

Explicit content warning

02/21/22 • 35 min

Neurodivergent or neurotypical, all children present their own unique challenges. This week’s guest Jess Quarello, born in Sweden and raised in North Carolina, talks about the differences and similarities in her two daughters. Her second daughter was born with Down’s Syndrome propelled her into a life of advocacy and community. Because we talk about everything here, we discuss social assumptions and ignorance around children with disabilities and their parents, gory childbirth, and hemorrhoids. Jess began her career in Musical Theater before transitioning to modeling and fashion. She now lives in Hoboken, NJ with her husband and two daughters. You can learn more about Jess at www.jessquarello.com and www.extraluckymoms.com and follow her and her community on IG and Tik Tok. Stay in touch with Alissa and all things taboo topics and staying the course in this crazy marathon of life by joining her newsletter at www.alissaalter.com Oh! And please note if you hear any heavy panting or outbursts in the background, they are courtesy of Walter Alter. Alissa's deliciously cranky French Bulldog. Check out the shownotes here

Previous Episode

Why Am I Scared to Shine?

Picture this: Your dream comes true, you’ve been chosen to stand center stage for the dance recital. You know all the steps, your costume fits great, you are the shortest kid in class, and now you are exactly where you were born to be. Center stage. After the teacher writes down the formation for next week when inevitably half the class forgets their spots – not you, of course. You turn to your friends and they cross their arms and turn their backs. They’re mad at you for being placed center stage. Has this ever happened to you? A situation where your success cost you love? It may not have been your dance recital, but most of us have experienced something similar. Women have been conditioned to compete against each other in every area of life and all it’s doing is hurting us. Keeping us down. Keeping us separated from each other because they know we are stronger together. Let’s leave fear behind, stop being scared to shine, and start being strong together. Learn more about Alissa, what she does, and why she does it over at www.alissa-alter.com and follow her on IG @alissaalter. Her first book Unstuck: From Understudy To The Study Of Your Undercarriage is available on Amazon Kindle and the Kindle app.

Next Episode

Marriage After Baby: I'm A Mom, But I'm Not YOUR Mom

There’s this assumption that after we give birth, we spontaneously download a complete, updated guide on everything motherhood/parenting/baby. Suddenly everyone asks us to feel our foreheads, what type of jacket we need, and what’s for dinner. I don't know about you, but this made me furious. The automatic status of lead or default parent. Like I suddenly knew everything even though we were both new parents. This episode is based on my interpretation of these events. My experiences as a new, hormonal mom. Objectively speaking, my husband was incredible. That doesn’t change the societal pressure, standards, or expectations put on women when they give birth. Learn more about Alissa, what she does, and why she does it at www.alissaalter.com and follow her on IG: @alissaalter