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“I’m Bored!” - Why That’s Not a Bad Thing (Even on School Holidays) School holidays are meant to be fun, but often they come with that dreaded phrase: “I’m bored.” For many parents, this can trigger a scramble to plan activities, book experiences, or fill every minute with something exciting. But what if boredom isn’t something to fix? What if it’s something valuable - even good - for your child’s development? Research from child develo …

As parents, our deepest instinct is to protect our children - their safety, their sense of calm, their belief that the world is good and kind. So when something awful happens - something that shakes us to the core - it’s natural to want to shield them completely. To turn off the news, to hold them tight, and to wish it all away. But kids are perceptive. They overhear hushed conversations. They see our faces change. They pick up on fear, even if we try to hide it. And that’s why it&rs …

When I first became a parent, I thought I was signing up for things like cuddles, bedtime stories, and adorable fridge art. What I didn’t realise was that I was also unknowingly enrolling in a boot camp to become a highly-trained, multi-skilled, emotionally-regulated ninja with the patience of a saint (and the coffee addiction of a raccoon at 3am). Because when you’re parenting neurodivergent kids, you don’t just become a parent. You become a walking Swiss Army knife of unexpec …

Let’s be honest: most schools weren’t exactly built with neurodivergent kids in mind. Fluorescent lights, noisy classrooms, rigid schedules, and an unwritten rule that you must sit still and make eye contact to be a “good student.” But… what if things were different?What if neurodivergent kids got to write the rules? Here’s what I imagine that magical, inclusive, gloriously chaotic school would look like: Trampoline Hallways Are MandatoryWalking is boring. B …

Let’s talk about something that gets a lot of praise… but not always for the right reasons. You know the one:"Your child is so well-behaved!”"She’s so quiet and polite.""He’s no trouble at all." And don’t get me wrong - I get why people say it. We’ve been taught that “good behaviour” is the gold standard. That sitting still, following rules, and keeping quiet is the ultimate parenting goal. That if our child is calm and compliant, we must be …

You Can’t See It, But It’s There This week is Invisible Disabilities Week, and I wanted to take a moment to shine a light on something that doesn’t always look like it needs one. Because in my family, we live with invisible disabilities every single day. Autism. ADHD. OCD. Anxiety. Depression. They are as real as any broken leg or hearing aid - but unlike a cast or a cane, you don’t always see them. And that’s exactly the problem. People often assume that because a …

Each October, Australia shines a spotlight on carers - those quiet heroes who give without asking much back. National Carers Week reminds us there are over 3 million Australians providing unpaid care. But what about the carer who also needs care? The neurodivergent parent of neurodivergent children? That’s my world. And in this week of recognition, I want to share what it’s like - messy, exhausting, heartbreaking - and also fiercely loving. The weight of dual responsibility As a neur …

Because sometimes it's not just the kids falling apart... Let’s be honest - co-regulation sounds beautiful in theory. You're calm, they're calm. You model breathing, they mirror it. You offer a soft, steady presence that helps their nervous system settle. But what happens when you’re not calm? When you’re running on two hours sleep, your brain’s firing in twelve directions, you forgot about the appointment in a hour, and your child is mid-meltdown? Welcome to the real wor …

If you've ever felt completely drained just from doing everyday things - like getting dressed, making breakfast, or answering a few emails - you might already understand The Spoon Theory... even if you didn’t know it had a name. And if you're raising a neurodivergent child or you are neurodivergent yourself, this simple metaphor might help explain why some days feel impossibly hard, even when nothing dramatic has happened. Let’s break it down - gently, honestly, and with zero judgeme …

As a neurodivergent mum of three autistic teens, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to bridge the gap between how my kids experience the world and how the world expects them to be. And somewhere along that journey, I came across the concept of the Double Empathy Problem and honestly, it helped everything make a little more sense. It gave me language for something I’d felt for years but couldn’t quite explain. So today, I want to gently unpack it with you, because it’s a conc …