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Why is School Avoidance back? When the PDA Burnout Cycle starts again on Mother’s Day
This one is personal. It started with Mother’s Day. My son came home from football and I knew — before the day was out — that something had shifted. He didn’t go to school the next day. Or the day after. In this week’s post I’m writing about the PDA burnout cycle — why our… Continue reading
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Am I a Christian?
My son asked me something on Saturday morning that I wasn’t quite expecting. He wanted to know if he was a Christian. What followed was one of the most fascinating conversations we’ve ever had — including the discovery that he prays every single day at exactly 20:18. Because he was born in 2018. Continue reading
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PDA Teeth Brushing- Is it a Vampire Tooth?
This one’s for the parents of neurodivergent kids who battle the toothbrush like it’s a wild animal. PDA teeth brushing is one of those battles that nobody warns you about. Sensory sensitivities coupled with the demand of the brushing and having to do it twice a day is nothing short of a military operation!! This… Continue reading
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Does my sister love her friends more than her family?
“Does my sister love her friends more than her family?” My 7-year-old son asked me this question recently, and it made me realise he wasn’t really asking about his sister at all. He was trying to understand something much bigger — how love works, and whether it can exist for more than one person at… Continue reading
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Why Is Everybody Obsessed With Jokes?
When my son asked, “Why is everybody obsessed with jokes?” I realised he had a point. In a world full of sarcasm and hidden meanings, he communicates with total honesty. But one dad joke — about someone being “Justin time” — stuck. Because when humour connects to something predictable, structured and safe, like time, he… Continue reading
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NHS Autism Assessment Wait Times: 18 Months and What Nobody Tells You
We joined the waiting list for my son’s combined autism and ADHD assessment over 18 months ago. What followed was a period of anxiety, judgement, co-parenting conflict, and a system that keeps moving the goalposts. This is the honest account I wish someone had written for me — for every parent out there waiting, hoping,… Continue reading
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Are there actually dead people in the ground?
A tired parent reflects on a child’s blunt question about death, cemeteries, and how children understand dying — with exhaustion, honesty, and dark humour. Continue reading
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What’s on your mind?
When my son asked me, “What’s on your mind, Mam?”, I said apples. But the truth was, my mind was full — of pressure, balance, and the quiet fear of adding just a little bit too much. This post is about what changed when football stopped, what surfaced in its place, and how close coping… Continue reading
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Why does the day feel like it lasts for hours but night only feels like an hour?
After one of our worst nights in a long time, my son asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks. This post reflects on sleep, safety, neurodivergence, and how two people can live the same hours but experience them entirely differently. Continue reading
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Can you massage my legs?
A personal reflection on sensory seeking, involuntary movement, and deep pressure — and what it’s like parenting a child whose body needs to move to regulate. Continue reading
The Questions of My Child
Parenting a PDA child can be challenging. Find advice, tips, and personal experiences to support your journey every step of the way.