Life at Sensory Planet

Let’s talk parenting styles.Not to judge. Not to lecture. Just to say — sometimes, gentle parenting looks more like a crime scene clean-up crew and less like a peaceful Pinterest board. And if you’re raising a neurodivergent child like I am, you’ll know the “gentle” bit isn’t always about volume — it’s about trying really bloody hard not to lose your mind when you’re running on 2 hours of sleep and your walls are covered in Sharpie.

Going through the diagnosis process is long.It’s heavy. It’s confusing.It’s a full-time job on top of parenting, surviving, and remembering to eat something that isn’t just your child’s leftovers.

It’s almost here. The shoes are polished, the uniforms are folded with military precision (well… close enough), and the lunchboxes are ready to be filled with things they’ll totally not eat. That’s right — school goes back on Monday, and I’ve got a mix of emotions swirling around like a fidget spinner on a sugar rush.

When you’ve got two children just 13 months apart — one with ASD and the other with very suspiciously undiagnosed ADHD — the phrase “school holidays” doesn’t bring to mind beachy serenity or Pinterest-worthy craft tables. It brings flashbacks. Noise. Chaos. Strategy meetings. And occasionally... bourbon and Coke.

If you’re a parent navigating the world of autism, you already know that it’s not just a diagnosis — it’s a journey. And for many of us, it starts long before any official paperwork lands in our hands. That’s where Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Speech Pathologists come in. They don’t just help kids — they guide families, calm storms, and become the village we all desperately need.

Being a mum in business isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s late nights, early mornings, chasing toddlers with one hand and replying to customer messages with the other. It’s showing up, building something from scratch, and hoping it makes a difference — not just for your family, but for someone else's too. Today, I met a mum who reminded me exactly why we do this.