Want to Reduce Stress as a Parent to a Neurodivergent Child? Here's How
It’s normal for your mind to wander or you might want to rush through the process. When you notice that your mind has started thinking about the next part of your routine, see if you can simply observe them without being critical towards yourself or your thoughts.
1:1 Transform Programme: Everything you Need to Know
When you’re navigating support systems for your neurodivergent child it can cause you to feel fatigued, highly stressed and/or anxious.
Over time, if you aren't taking actions to look after yourself you might find yourself in a cycle of burnout. It might feel like burnout is unavoidable and just how life is for being in a neurodiverse family.
1:1 Programme and The Lion King
When you're part of Transform, you're provided with space to remember who you are beyond your caring responsibilities.
Taking up Space: The Wellness Industry
I knew that there would be people who would want to see more diversity and inclusion in the wellness space. I had a feeling that there were probably Black and POC people who were too nervous to attend a yoga class due to being the only “one” in the room.
12 Weeks of Wellbeing
The lead up to the festive period can feel stressful and unpredictable. This can especially be the case when you're in a neurodiverse family.
Although you will be doing your best to keep a sense of routine and predictability for your child(ren), there will be things that pop up outside of your control.
Mindfulness in Motherhood
When you use mindfulness techniques, to help bring you into the present and as a tool to practise self-compassion, your child(ren) will sense your calm energy.
How to Reduce Stress as an ASN/SEN Parent
As a parent carer you will give huge amounts of love, care and attention to your child(ren). Your primary focus each day is likely navigating the best ways to support your child and fighting for their needs in different contexts.
However, when was the last time you treated yourself with kindness and compassion?
Creative Edinburgh- Inclusion Award
Inclusion is one of my core values in my business, and in my general life.
When creating and growing Butterfly Minds I always keep diversity and inclusion in the front of my mind.
Mindfulness in Classrooms
Whether you're a parent/carer, educator or both, encouraging the children in your life to read and have access to diverse books is important.
Creating an Online Mindfulness Course
Fast forward to now, I have created my first online self-paced mindfulness course! I designed this course especially for parents to children with Additional Support Needs/SEN.
A few months ago, I decided to offer my main services to neurodiverse families. I also offer in person yoga and mindfulness workshops to organisations in Edinburgh.
I have 15 years of experience working with children, teenagers and adults from different backgrounds within the voluntary sector. Many of them had diagnosed and undiagnosed Additional Support Needs, particularly being neurodivergent.
“Can I Touch Your Hair?”
I have lost count how many times people have asked if they can touch my hair.
When I was a child it was a regular question but as an adult the same question has been asked several times.
Starting Mindfulness
When you become more mindful of your thoughts, feelings, and actions, you can start releasing stress and exhaustion.
4 Ways to Develop Children's Emotional Literacy
How often do you feel an emotion but you aren't able to express it and instead suppress it?
Children express their emotions through actions and behaviour more often than explicitly telling someone that they “feel angry just now”.
As adults it can sometimes feel easier to ignore or hide the emotion. However, this makes the emotion stay bubbling under the surface and can cause physical and mental stress.
Short Everyday Wellbeing Practices
During your weekly schedule of juggling different activities, appointments and everything in between, have you remembered to include something only for you?
I'm guessing you might have placed yourself near the bottom of your list.
How to Look After Your Wellbeing
Everyone has different thoughts on what aspect of their wellbeing they want to focus on.
In this blog post I share my personal relationship with prioritising my wellbeing. I offer five ways you can take steps to focus on your wellbeing.
Building Self-Belief
The excitement and motivation to share my book helped me overcome the fear. Which I'm glad about as if I had dwelled on the fears of it ‘not being good enough’ or ‘people won't want to buy it’, I would never have taken the steps to become a published author.
I didn't lack motivation but I lacked self-belief.
From Thought to Reality
I didn't set myself any expectations of what would happen after sharing my book with the world. I simply knew that I wanted it to reach as many children and adults as possible.
The one goal I did have was to find out how I could get Slow Down Amaya stocked in a library.
The Mindful Reconnect
Navigating accessing additional support for your child in school, through CAMHS (or waiting years on the waiting list), and other services they require can cause you to feel like you are exhausted and reaching burnout.
Which likely means you don’t have the time or energy to take care of your wellbeing.
Connecting to Values
I have started creating my first online course for parents of children with Additional Support Needs/Special Educational Needs.
This is a new aspect of my business, however I have a lot of experience supporting parents and children with ASN/SEN in my community education related roles over the last 15 years. I am keen to do more work with this group of people in future. Who knows I might decide to make it my niche at some point!
Author School Visits
Speaking about this led to a discussion about ADHD and Autism.
One of the children in the class asked “What is Autism?” another child told me they had a friend who has ADHD. It was great to chat about this with 5 and 6 year olds.