The most iconic family in TV history is arguably the Bradys. The baby of the "Bunch," Cindy, spent most of her time tattling on her older sibs and chatting with Kitty Karry-All, but today Susan Olsen spends her time writing, producing, raising her 13-year-old son, and rescuing kittens. 40 years after "The Brady Bunch" premiered and won over America, Susan has released a new book, "Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour," a song and dance show that Susan calls "spectacularly bad." On this episode of "Spotlight to Nightlight," host Ali Landry talks to Susan about her life as a Brady and what she's learned about herself since her son's diagnosis with Asperger's Syndrome.
Ali's Take
There were so many interesting things Susan and I talked about in our interview. Not only did I get to hear some great stories from her "Brady Bunch" days, but some new ones from her experiences as a single mom. Immediately, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to ask about those perfect "Cindy" curls. My little girl's hair is finally growing a little longer and I struggle with her every morning just to get a brush through it. I needed to know: how did "Cindy" get those perfect pigtails every day? Little did I know. The only one who could make those perfect curls was her own mother! She said that she slept in rollers every night and had to learn how to sleep on her back at age 7 in order to keep those rollers in her (almost waist-length) hair overnight. After some serious sculpting and lots of hair spray, the "Cindy" curls were ready to go. Wow!
On a more serious note, what really affected me was when we talked about a mother's instinct. Susan really followed hers when her son's pediatrician initially told her that Michael did not have Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. That answer didn't feel right, so Susan sought out additional opinions until they were able to figure out his diagnosis. She followed her gut instinct. I know that no one knows my child better than I do. I'm sure most moms feel the same way. For me, I really look to our pediatrician for guidance and help when it comes to Estela's health (after all, he IS the one with the medical degree), but after hearing Susan's story it gave me so much more confidence to really follow my instincts when it comes to my child and to not be intimidated by my pediatrician's credentials. If I feel there is something to be concerned about, I will speak up and do some research on my own. Thank you so much for sharing that, Susan!