The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine 2nd Issue | Page 12

Julie Cole of Mabel’s Labels
Tell us about your family.
I have six children between the ages of 5 and 14.
My eldest child is my son with autism. After he
was born, I was quick to have three girls, which
ended up being the best thing for him. His little
sisters taught him a lot about being social! My
last two children are busy little boys. It’s a fun
and busy family. My eldest son plays ice hockey,
is about to get his Black Belt in taekwondo. All
my kids are into sports and music so I spend a lot
of time carpooling!

Share with us the diagnosis of your child
with special needs. How did you find
out?
My eldest child was diagnosed with autism when
he was three-years-old. We were seeing some
behaviors that concerned us and his language
was late to develop. The rest of the children
are neuro-typical, but I feel like what I learned
raising my son has helped me to do a better job
of raising all of them.

What is the most rewarding thing about
being the mother of a child with special
needs?
Every success, milestone, achievement is exciting
but times 100! When my other kids learned new
skills, I was happy, but with my son – I would
practically throw a ticker tape parade! I feel like
on my death bed, I will say he is my life’s greatest
achievement.

What advice can you offer to other
mothers who are looking to start a
business or charity?
I think that it’s important to understand the
impact it will have on your family. I would make
sure that your husband/partner is supportive of
your initiative. Without family support, it will be
very difficult to fulfill this dream.

What was the biggest struggle you
encountered when starting your
business?

“

I don’t get a
whole lot of
sleep and there
are no trips to
the spa for this
mama, but I’m
OK with that.

“

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