This weekend, we had planned to attend Stockholm Pride. In the end, we have chosen something quieter, as sensory needs took priority for our family. Even so, Pride matters to me, so I’m sharing these thoughts instead.

I know not everyone will agree with me and that’s okay. You are welcome to scroll on if my words don’t align with yours.

I grew up with atheist and Catholic influences, alongside traditional views on sexuality, gender and relationships. While united on this topic, my parents were deeply divided on many others. That contrast taught me to question, and to recognise that certainty does not always equal truth.

I found myself looking beyond and experimenting with the boundaries of what I had been taught, and I continue to learn through relationships with people whose experiences differ from my own.

Recently, conversations with people I care about have deepened my understanding of gender and identity. One young person described realising that gender matters far less than the person themselves - that connection, personality and who someone is means more to them. And I get this.

I’ve also been reflecting on conversations with a parent of a transgender adult, and what remains with me is that there is real grief in letting go of the future a parent imagines for their child. That grief deserves compassion, but grieving expectations is not the same as losing a child. The child is still there: the same person, with the same memories, personality, and capacity to love and be loved.

Perhaps one of the greatest acts of love is learning to carry our own discomfort while making space for someone else’s truth.

🌿 And how often do we assume that it is others who need changing?

Sometimes, when we choose relationship over judgement and curiosity over certainty, we discover that we are the ones being transformed - and that the other is fine as they are.

Perhaps the invitation is the same for all of us: to hold our convictions with enough humility to recognise we may not have the full picture, and to meet one another first with dignity, curiosity and compassion.

Happy Pride. 🏳️‍🌈

#Pride #StockholmPride #LGBTQIA #Inclusion #Belonging #Compassion ...

"Children need to be bored."

It`s one of those parenting ‘truths’ we hear all the time, but in our home, boredom doesn`t lead to creativity. It leads to anxiety, dysregulation, and getting stuck.

When we`re transitioning from one activity to another, we can`t simply say, "Go and find something to do." Our children need support at that crossroads. A few ideas, a little structure, and once something sparks their interest, they`re off - creative, engaged, and independent.

The challenge isn`t creativity. It`s getting started.

It also makes me wonder whether we`re all talking about the same thing when we say boredom.

For me, boredom isn`t peaceful empty space waiting to be filled with imagination. It`s restlessness, indecision, and feeling unable to begin. That`s why having a plan or a few options helps - it isn`t avoiding boredom, it`s using supports that work for my brain.

If "boredom breeds creativity" has never felt true for your family, perhaps give a thought to how boredom feels for you and your family, what it means, and how best to navigate it – while letting go of guilt or shame, and letting go of the old rules we grew up with.

Does boredom inspire creativity in your home, or does it create overwhelm? I`d love to hear your experience. 💛

#Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #ADHD #Autism #ExecutiveFunction #Neuroaffirming #Parenting #NeurodivergentParenting #EmotionalRegulation #ChildDevelopment ...

I`m taking half an hour out of my day to truly relax and take a break, and I`m finally starting to work through the books I`ve had in a pile for months.

The freedom to do this - or rather, awarding myself moments of freedom to do this - is glorious.

#reading #bookworm #hibernatingbookworm #hagitude #sharonblackie ...

Many people have said to me recently, "You must be celebrating."

Far from it, my friends. We`re recovering.

We`ve now been out of school for one week, and my children will never return to that school. After four difficult years, the impact is still very much with us.

My son`s body still wakes every morning expecting a school day. His heart rate remains elevated, his nervous system still stuck in survival mode. My daughter is in shutdown. And despite constant weekly and daily conversations, both are still processing anxiety, grief, fear and uncertainty.

Leaving a difficult situation doesn`t instantly bring relief, but it does create the space for all the emotions that have been held back to finally surface.

As I write this, I can feel my own grief surfacing too - layers I thought I`d already processed, tears I didn`t expect.

This is the reality for many neurodivergent families when school is not the safe, supportive environment it should be.

Education isn`t just about academic outcomes. It`s about belonging, safety, inclusion and wellbeing. When those foundations are missing, the impact reaches far beyond the classroom.

For every child who is struggling, there is a family carrying that burden alongside them.

We need to do better.

💛

This will be my final post before I take a much-needed break for the summer. If you comment or message and I don`t reply for a while, please know I`m not ignoring you - I`m focusing on helping my family (and myself) heal and recover.

Wishing you all a peaceful summer.

#Neurodiversity #Autism #ADHD #InclusiveEducation #EducationalTrauma #SchoolInclusion #MentalHealth #ChildWellbeing #NeurodivergentFamilies #Parenting #EducationMatters #DisabilityInclusion ...