-
What Colour is Calm?
What does calm actually feel like for a PDA child? A heartfelt look at anxiety, meltdowns, and the reality of PDA emotional regulation in everyday life. Continue reading
-
Grandma, can you please just stop talking?
Parenting a PDA child taught me that sometimes the most powerful communication strategy is saying nothing at all. Discover why silence, presence, and reducing demands helps children with PDA regulate and feel safe. Learn practical ways to support without overwhelming—through quiet connection instead of words Continue reading
-
What’s your mileage?
The mileage on my car became more than just a number. This is a quiet reflection on my son’s love of numbers, and how something so simple can bring comfort, connection, and joy. Continue reading
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
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.