Life with Lola x Mom

Welcome to Life with Lola x Mom, where real life, motherhood, learning, laughter, and a little bit of chaos all come together!

I’m Dr. Emily Rivers—an occupational therapy assistant, college educator, single mom, and partner-in-crime to my daughter, Lola.

Our story began with a leap of faith as I moved from Tennessee to Texas to begin my career. Approximately a year or so later, I found out I was having a beautiful baby girl. Though all of my family remained in Tennessee, it was just me, Lola, and her dad in Texas. However, life took an unexpected turn, and I became a single mom when Lola was just three months old. What I didn’t know then was how much this little girl would teach me about patience, perspective, resilience, and the beauty of embracing life as it comes.

With a background in occupational therapy, I thought I understood neurodiversity from a clinical perspective. Motherhood gave me an entirely different perspective. Raising a vibrant child who is neurodivergent (ADHD) has challenged me to grow beyond what I learned in a classroom and appreciate the importance of meeting children where they are. "Yet, I always say, an apple doesn't fall to far from a tree." We just didn't have the knowledge to identify my needs growing up as a child but I see it all in my Lola girl.

Here, we share the good days, the not-so-good days, everyday adventures, conversations, learning opportunities, fashion, motherhood, and everything in between. We believe in celebrating progress, encouraging independence, asking questions, thinking critically, and allowing children to show up as their authentic selves.

And now, we’re adding AUTHORS to our story!

We’re excited to introduce our first published mother-daughter children’s book:

FIVE MORE MINUTES, MOM

Inspired by real-life moments between Mom and Lola, this story brings everyday misunderstandings, funny conversations, big feelings, and meaningful life lessons to the pages. It’s a reminder that communication matters, listening matters.

Our hope is to encourage families to laugh together, learn together, and create meaningful conversations long after the last page.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just found us, we’re glad you’re here!

Follow our journey:

Facebook: Emily Rivers

Instagram: @Life_with_Lola_x_mom

Life with Lola x Mom — Real life. Real learning. Real love. One story at a time.