When J was little I remember thinking that all the milestones were going so fast. All the ‘firsts’ were coming and going, and one day I worried there wouldn’t be anymore. What I didn’t realise is that there are more milestones than ‘first word’, ‘first steps’ etc. There’s the ones that don’t have a slot…
A Parents Guide to Autism: Why is YouTube so appealing?
I’m on many, many Autism based forums and websites. I find it helpful to chat to other parents, hear things from the perspective of autistic adults and just to read that we’re not alone in all this. One of the topics discussed quite frequently is YOUTUBE. There’s questions ranging from ‘how long should I let…
Days Out for under £20: Planet Laser (Suffolk)
Today was the first proper rainy day we’ve had all summer. It was definitely an ‘indoor day’. Soft play was out of the question as it would be rammed and frankly I didn’t want to pay a fortune. Swimming was the same. So we went to J’s favourite place…Planet Laser. The reason I love Planet…
How Do You Encourage Speech in Young Children?
One of my favourite memories of motherhood was the first time my son called me “mama”. I had looked forward to it for so long and was beginning to wonder if I’d ever hear it. Whilst my friends were posting the precious milestone as early as 9 months, but mostly around a year old, I…
Simple science activity for under 5’s…oranges and lemons
Science, and exploring in general are fantastic opportunities for children. They can support so many different learning experiences and really encourage thinking skills. I recently wrote about ‘STEM’ in early years (you can find the post here if interested) and this is definitely a great STEM activity. How this started… Today we popped for a…
Under 5’s Summer Reading: what books did we read in week one?
This summer we are making the most of our local library. We love books in our house but it costs a small fortune to keep on top of our list of ‘books we must read’. Going to the library means we all get amazing books to read without the price tag. Obviously we still buy…
What I want our professionals to know…
A couple of Fridays ago we met J’s new speech therapist. I was anxious because we had worked with J’s previous therapist since just before his second birthday. Meeting someone new who didn’t know me or J’s history was daunting. As I sat in the waiting room I was thinking about all the professionals we…
Days out: Suffolk Super Con 2018…Sci-fi lovers paradise!
We’ve just got back from spending the morning at Suffolk Super Con 2018. This is the first convention J has ever been too but as you know from our post about J’s obsession with Star Wars, we couldn’t miss this! I asked J who he’d like to dress up as. He obviously chose Kylo Ren….
6 Exciting Number Games: A Parents Guide to Early Number Play.
Maths was my least favourite topic in school. I’m pretty sure my GCSE maths teacher had to sell a kidney to bribe the exam board into passing me (hopefully I’m just joking). However, J seems to be the opposite. He has a growing fascination with numbers and a natural ability to learn the concepts of…
Why we celebrate Armed Forces Day…
Armed Forces Day is this Saturday. It’s an opportunity to show our respect and gratitude to those who risk their lives to keep us safe. For me, it’s a day to be thankful. You see I am a RAF brat. By that I mean that I am the daughter of a member of the Royal…
J’s Journey Update: autism and beyond…
It’s a beautiful sunny day. Daddy and J are busy playing Star Wars on the climbing frame so I have a rare moment of peace (except for the sounds of explosions behind me). I thought now would be a good time to reflect on everything that’s gone on lately, and changes that are happening. Speech…
Oops…Fathers Day is Sunday! Our favourite last minute ideas from Twinkl.
This month has been manic. At the end of May I remember vaguely reminding myself it was Fathers Day in a few weeks, but those weeks have now turned into days and I’m now left thinking ‘argh, too late for online shopping’. So J and I are going to be exploring some homemade ideas for…
