(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…
Category: Autism
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…
Autism: Is it a tantrum or a meltdown?
I will start this post by saying that I don’t believe having a disability excuses a child when they are displaying ‘ bad behaviour’/’negative behaviour’/’being a little s**t’. Just like any child, a child who has additional needs of any kind can and will be naughty, badly behaved or in a mood that makes them…
Mess Free Pumpkin Decorating Ideas for Halloween.
It’s October which means pumpkins and pumpkin patch photos have flooded onto social media. Shops are full of pumpkin carving kits, halloween decorations and costumes. It’s a fun time of year. However, for children with sensory issues…or who simply don’t like messy activities it can be full of pressure too. Carving a pumpkin is fun…
Days Out: Halloween at Hollow Tree Farm, Suffolk.
We’re currently on half term and as it’s J’s first one since starting school in September, I plan to make the most of this time off with him. Our first stop this week has been Hollow Tree Farm in Suffolk. We have visited a few times over the last two years and each time we…
Is my child autistic? The signs I saw that led me to getting my son assessed…
One of the most common search questions which lead people to my blog is ‘is my child autistic?’. I myself had typed the same thing into google many times back when J was 1 years old…more so towards 18 months old. Looking back, especially now I have Baby F to compare to, there were actually…
Big School: Preparing to Start Reception.
This September my eldest son, J starts ‘big school’. By this I mean Reception class in Primary School. I know some parents who are counting down, saying their children are ‘totally ready’ or that they can’t wait for the peace and quiet. I’m sure they jest when they talk of their excitement (or maybe not?)…
