Acknowledging Your Hard Work & New Resources for the Year Ahead

Hey everyone,

As we head into Labor Day weekend, it's a perfect time to acknowledge the incredible hard work that you, as parents and caregivers, put in every single day. The work you do to advocate for your children is a labor of love, and it's a job that never truly ends. This week's newsletter is dedicated to making that work a little easier and more effective, with some new resources to help you through the school year.

Podcast Updates:

Out Now!

Episode #134 was released on Sunday! This episode features a wonderful conversation with Kristin Lombardi and Christine Drew, authors of Spectrum of Independence. We talked about how parents can help their children become more independent and prepared for life after school.

Webpage: https://waterprairie.com/2025/08/24/independence/​

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Coming this Friday: Communication is Key!

The wait is over! Episode #135: 5 School Communication Secrets That Change Everything

Last week’s episode has had some delays due to some editing issues I ran into, but it will be out this Friday. In this solo episode, I'm sharing my top tips for building a strong and collaborative relationship with your child's teachers and IEP team. This is a must-listen as you kick off the new school year.

To help you put these secrets into action, I've created a free download. Be sure to check the show notes for a link to the "10 Powerful Questions to Ask Your Child's Teacher This School Year" PDF.

Helpful Resources & Tips

Reading for Parents:

Navigating the transition to middle school can be a challenge for any student, especially those with learning differences. Here's a helpful article that explores some of those common challenges: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/middle-school-challenges-learning-differences​

Supporting the Water Prairie Community

Your support helps us continue to create these valuable resources. We’ve recently updated the Water Prairie Buy Me A Coffee site with two membership options to help you get more involved and help us keep going.

• SUPPORTER Tier ($10/month): This tier helps cover essential podcast costs like editing software and hosting fees.
• ADVOCATE Tier ($25/month): This tier includes a monthly activity packet for your children starting in September, as well as access to monthly live stream events with me and special guests.

You can learn more and sign up here: https://buymeacoffee.com/waterprairie​

A final reminder: Our Etsy shop discount code SUMMER25 expires at the end of August, so this is your last chance to use it to get 15% off!

You Are Your Child's Best Advocate

Advocating for child is a journey, and you don’t have to do it alone. The work you put in today will have a lasting impact on your child's future.

If you feel you could use more support in navigating the IEP process with confidence, I offer IEP coaching to help you become your child’s most effective advocate.

Wishing you a restful and well-deserved Labor Day weekend.

Warmly,

Tonya