Heatwave with Kids: ways to handle to heatwave.

As I write this it is currently 26c in my part of Suffolk. I can feel the change in the air, the way everything already feels slower and more hard work. Which means the news that we will be in the 38c for us Monday is concerning. Heatwaves can be great for sun lovers but…

Review: World of Play play session for young children, Suffolk.

Today we went to the newly opened World of Play, Ixworth in Suffolk. It’s set in a beautiful building with wooden beams and lovely little features that make it feel more like a home than a play centre. It caters for children 7 and under offering a unique opportunity for completely immersive play. I took…

7 Books to Support Emotional Well-Being for Children 5 and over.

Emotions are a hard thing to control when you’re a child. They can often be overwhelming and children’s behaviour may change because of it. It’s not just about recognising what their feeling, there’s always understanding why they feel that way and what they can do to balance themselves again. For those with neurodiversity (for example…

A&E: Advice for Visiting with a Child Who is Autistic.

Going to A&E can be a daunting experience for any child. It’s generally a place you go when hurt or unwell so they’re not in the best frame of mind anyway, but add to that the sensory aspect, the change in routine, the unknown factors and it can be particularly challenging for those who are Autistic or any form of neurodiversity.

Advice For Taking an Autistic Child for a Blood Test.

Recently our GP recommended that we get our 6 year old son a blood test. When I heard ‘blood test’ it made my heart jump. In my head I flashed through several issues and then I set up a plan…

A Spooky Visit to the Ascarium (Sea Life Centre, Great Yarmouth)

(Gifted Ad) This year Halloween, like most other events, has been affected by the Coronavirus. However, The Sea Life Centre has come up with a fun, family event for the season…Ascarium (“dum – dum – dahhhhh”). From the 10th October till the 1st November the Sea Life Centre has had a spooky transformation. The wizard…

Coronavirus Diary: Brotherly Love

I was watching the boys the morning this photo was taken. Baby F has crawled up to J and pulled at his leg to come up. J carefully(ish) pulled his brother up and helped him sit on him. Together they were exploring the iPad. Obviously it didn’t last long as a 1 year old doesn’t…

How Star Wars Supports Learning (and Autism)…

Today is May 4th (be with you) which of course means ‘Star Wars Day’ is upon us again. I wrote a couple of years ago about Star Wars day and J’s love of all things Star Wars. I also shared all about J’s obsession/fascination/special interest (whichever term you personally prefer to use). Now J is…

Letter to My One Year Old…the little brother.

To my dearest Finley, It’s a strange time right now. The coronavirus (COVID-19) has got us in lockdown. Schools are closed to everyone except key worker family. Most work places are closed and we can only leave the house for essentials. Not everyone is playing by the rules…that’s the reason we’re in lockdown in the…

When parenting isn’t quite what we had dreamed it would be…adjusting our expectations.

It’s amazing how different parenting hypothetical children is to actual parenting. I had a whole lifetime planned in my head. How many children I’d have, what we’d get up to at weekends, craft sessions at the kitchen table…of course, they’d both be geniuses, sporty, musical and best behaved children in the world. Because obviously we…

Days Out: Blackthorpe Barn Christmas Visit (Santa’s Grotto, Suffolk)

Today we went on a family trip to Blackthorpe Barn in Suffolk. We have been every year since J, our eldest was a baby. Our tradition is to have a treat in the cafe and then choose a new decoration for tree. We’ve never attempted Santa’s Grotto before as it books up very fast. This…

A Letter to My Autistic 5 Year Old

Dearest J, Today you turned 5 years old. I know its a cliché but time has gone too fast. Each day you grow and change. I wish I could slow it all down. It’s been a whirlwind 5 years and we have been through so much. You were a very much wanted baby. We longed…