SEND the Mums

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! This episode’s a little different. We’re revisiting a few conversations that didn’t make it into previous episodes, and there’s a little update on what’s coming next for SEND the Mums. We’re talking school mornings, fighting for support that’s already written down, and going to sports day to wa...

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! “Everyone’s autistic these days.” How many times have you heard that one? With autism and ADHD diagnoses on the rise, and the recent government review raising questions about overdiagnosis, we wanted to have a proper conversation about what’s actually happening. Are there really more autistic p...

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know What should you actually be asking for at school? This week, Kirsty and I are talking about some of the things we’ve tried with the boys over the years, from movement breaks and quieter spaces to trusted adults, different transitions and the little adjustments that have ended up making a massive difference. We’ve been visiting some local SEND groups recently and...

How Are SEND Parents Supposed to Work? This week we’re asking a question we know a lot of SEND parents will relate to… how are we actually supposed to work? We’re talking about the reality of trying to hold down a job or build a career alongside school calls, appointments, paperwork, childcare that doesn’t always meet our children’s needs and the general unpredictability that comes with SEND paren...

The six weeks are over and it’s time to send them back and if we’re completely honest, we’ve got very mixed feelings about it. 🫠 This week we’re chatting about what going back to school actually looks like after spending six weeks trying to get our children regulated. We’re anxious about what the next few weeks might bring, how quickly the overwhelm might creep back in and whether we’ll start see...

WE’RE IN DOUBLE DIGITS! 🎉 EPISODE 10! This week we’re talking friendships, and how much they can change once children come along, especially when SEND becomes part of the picture. We chat about the friends you had before children, the ones that slowly drift away, the people who surprise you by sticking around, and the completely unexpected friendships you find along the way. There’s the comparing...

The school holidays are here and we’re already remembering just how much our children rely on the routine that school gives them. This week we’re chatting about what the summer holidays actually look like in our houses. The lack of routine, boundaries being well and truly tested, and the constant juggling act of trying to make sure everyone in the family gets what they need. Because when you have...

School Refusal and When Every Morning Feels Like a Battle Please note: This episode contains emotional discussions around school refusal, parental burnout and the impact it has on the whole family. Kirsty becomes understandably emotional while sharing her family's experience. This week, Kenna chats to Kirsty about what life has been like with Ed, who struggles to go into school almost every day. T...

Who looks after the SEND parent? In this episode, we’re turning the conversation back onto ourselves. After a few really tough weeks, Kirsty and I sat down for a proper catch-up about how we’ve actually been feeling. The end of the school year, endless school requests, emotional exhaustion, and trying to hold everything together while our children need us more than ever. We talk honestly about bur...

Episode 6, we’re chatting about two big milestones that happened recently for our boys: their First Holy Communion and Sports Day. We talk honestly about why both events filled us with so much anxiety, from wondering whether the boys would make it through their First Holy Communion with their PDA and big emotions, to worrying about how we’d be judged if things didn’t quite go to plan. We also talk...

New episode 🎙️ And this week we have a new host joining us, the wonderful Leanne 🤍 This time we’re talking about family holidays with neurodivergent children. The packing lists that need their own packing list. The travelling. The safe foods. The disrupted routines. The stares from strangers when things don’t quite go to plan. And whether holidays are actually relaxing when you’re still parenting...

This episode is all about school systems and just how exhausting they can be as a SEND parent. We chat about our own experiences, meetings, emails, trying to be heard, and how different support can look depending on where you live. We also know we’re lucky in some ways because not every family has schools or staff that are supportive, understanding, or willing to work with them, and we really want...

The siblings of SEND children carry things too. In this episode, we’re talking about the sibling side of SEND. The guilt, the pressure, the protectiveness, the resentment, the maturity beyond their years… and the constant worry about whether we’re getting the balance right. We talk about “glass children”, the siblings who often become the easy ones because they have to be, and how SEND can shape t...

In this episode, we’re talking about masking… the bit no one sees until you get home. For some children, school gets the “perfect” version. The one who copes, follows the rules, and holds it all together. But when they walk through the door, everything they’ve been holding in comes out. We’ve seen both sides of this. One child who masks and saves it all for home. And one who can’t mask at all, whe...

Welcome to SEND the Mums. In our first episode, we’re introducing ourselves, talking about how this podcast came about, and why we felt like we needed a space to speak honestly about life as mums. We talk about parenting, school struggles, advocating for our children, and the constant overthinking that comes with it all. This podcast isn’t polished or perfect. It’s real, honest, and completely us....