Meet Ellen Seidman, the mom of three behind the blog Love That Max, which is “a blog about kids with disabilities who kick butt.” She is one of the parenting influencers we love in the New York metro area!
Seidman, a magazine editor, is a mom of a 3-year-old and two teens—one of whom, Max, has cerebral palsy. When Max turned 5, she turned the sometimes harrowing, sometimes thrilling experience of raising him into a blog called Love That Max, designed to inform, inspire, and help other parents—and help people see the ability in disability. “The blog is turning 11 years old this year, but writing it never gets old. I love being able to spread hope, share the joys, and launch productive discussions about the challenges of parenting a child with disabilities. I'm grateful for all the connections I've made through the blog and the community.” In her other hours, she fancies herself a professional napper and loves road trips, documentaries, iced coffee, fireflies, and most of the Internet.
Why follow Love That Max? It's a brutally honest take from the mom of a child special needs who speaks to all parents struggling with similar issues.
Instagram | @love_that_max
Facebook | @lovethatmax
Twitter | @LoveThatMax
What’s your favorite place in the New York City area to bring your kids?
The Liberty Science Center is always a wonder between its exploration areas, planetarium, and revolving exhibits. I was there the other month to check out Art Made With LEGO Bricks, complete with a giant ladybug, a model of a city, and a giant tree made entirely out of LEGO pieces. It totally wowed this kid of all ages!
What is the best thing about raising kids in the NYC area?
You never run out of activities—there is always some program to attend, some new place to explore, something to do. I grew up in Brooklyn and my parents often brought us into Manhattan to enjoy everything from ballets at Lincoln Center to visits to Ellis Island. They made me a great explorer, and I try to pass that on to my kids.
What are your favorite books or movies on parenting?
The Parent Trap—the original! Messy family situations that aren't mine are so enjoyable.
What’s the best parenting advice you ever received?
I'll just share my favorite perspective-giving quote. It's from Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project: “The days are long, the years are short.” How true is that? My days may be a whirlwind, the kids' whining makes me want to commit hara-kiri, but someday when they're old, I am so going to miss this time in their lives and mine. Gotta savor it.
