Life at Sensory Planet

Ah, the school pick-up run. A time that should just be: “Kids in car, home for snacks, done.” But if you're parenting a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder — plus a toddler, plus a baby, plus another school child — the simple after-school dash can turn into something between a hostage negotiation and an Olympic sprint.

Mornings in our house are a bit like a game of Jenga. One wrong move, and the whole thing topples—sometimes with a flurry of cereal, missing shoes, and someone crying over the “wrong” banana (yes, again).

Life with kids is always an adventure – a sticky, noisy, heart-bursting, sleep-deprived adventure. But when you're raising siblings close in age and one is on the autism spectrum while the other is not, it’s like parenting in stereo – but one speaker’s playing Mozart and the other’s blasting The Wiggles at double speed.

Growing up, many of us were raised in households where discipline came in the form of threats, yelling, or even spanking. It was part of the culture, part of the norm—and often passed down through generations without question.

Ah, childhood. The land of scraped knees, snack negotiations, and the occasional “You’re not invited to my birthday party!” declaration. It’s also the stage where many parents find themselves acting as tiny human social coordinators. But sometimes, in our earnest desire to do the right thing, we end up doing a bit... too much.

If there’s one thing parenting has taught me, it’s that no two days (or children) are ever the same. Our journey with our eldest daughter, who is autistic, has been one of learning, adjusting, advocating—and, above all, loving fiercely.