Connected Kiddos

03/06/2026

Helpful visual for the afterschool restraint collapse 😫🫩😣

What helps your kiddo to get back to an optimal state?

After-school restraint collapse isn’t a child 'acting out'.

It’s the moment their nervous system finally exhales after holding everything in all day long.
And when you understand the timeline of a meltdown, the behaviours suddenly make so much more sense — and so does your response.

02/06/2026

Tap in this Thursday night to this free and supportive session!

Register on Humanitix - Understanding Sleep in Children with Disability: Webinar hosted by Belongside Families . Online. Thursday 4th June 2026. Find event information.

29/05/2026

Families I know you are keen for connection and inclusive opportunities!

Edit- here’s the now formed group -
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1ARUPEyQQ2/

I’m thinking of organising a little catch‑up for anyone interested, somewhere fenced, with toilets, and around 9am when my kids aren’t complete poops....

No pressure but I've been lucky to touch base with some of you and it can be a lonely road.. I'm much weirder in real life though and I talk a lot.. so be warned..

I know some of us get nervous taking kids “into the wild” because of judgement, so this would be a judgement‑free zone. Come with kids, partners welcome I'll try to drag my husband along, come kid‑free, come as a human who still has a soul (unlike me — I’ll bring Aunty applications).

If you’re keen, comment below and I’ll organise something for the end of June in a private chat.

I love the all‑abilities playground at Riverway, but full disclosure: my 4‑year‑old may try to fight everyone for the swing. Happy to take other ideas.

27/05/2026

Building frustration tolerance in everyday play.

Sometimes it looks like a long line of dominoes across the playroom.

One by one, we built the line together and named what was happening as we went.

The excitement as the line grew longer.

The worry that it might fall before we were finished.

The anger and disappointment when it accidentally knocked over too soon.

The determination to try again.

And then, when the line was finally ready, we knocked them over together and watched with absolute delight as they tumbled one after another.

So much shared joy 😊

Frustration tolerance is not about stopping children from feeling upset. It is about helping them notice the feeling, stay supported through it, and learn that disappointment doesn’t have to mean the end of playing.

It is also about making room for the joy, the anticipation, the shared laughter and the “let’s do it again!”

Play gives children a safe place to practise these big internal moments with an adult beside them saying, “I can see this is hard, and I’m here with you.”

So yes — get the dominoes out.

Build the line.

Let it wobble and fall.

Name the feelings.

Delight in the mastery as it tumbles.

Try again.

It starts with connection.

24/05/2026

Not because I didn’t have other things to do this weekend, but because this matters.

On 14 May 2026, the Federal Government introduced the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill.

Submissions close on 29 May 2026.

That gives families, carers, disabled people, providers and the wider community just 15 days to respond to major proposed changes to the NDIS.

This Bill includes changes to eligibility, functional capacity assessments, plan budgets, support coordination, plan management, and what the NDIS will fund.

For children and families, this matters.

Children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who are considered to have low to moderate support needs are expected to move to Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS.

But Thriving Kids is not yet operating.

The details are still being finalised.

Families are being asked to respond to changes before the replacement system is fully built, available or proven to work.

The Bill also assumes that other systems can meet more of this need.

But many families already know the reality.

GPs, schools, kindies, community services and public health systems are already stretched. Waitlists are long. Specialist developmental and disability support is limited. In regional areas, the options can be even thinner....or non existent.

Children’s needs are not always simple, stable or easy to measure.

A child’s needs can be underestimated when assessments do not capture the amount of adult support, structure, co-regulation and advocacy required for them to participate safely

The Bill also proposes reductions to some Capacity Building and social/community participation budgets. These are not extras. They are often the supports that help children build skills, participate, connect and be included in real life.

I submitted mine today.

When I submitted, I could only see 30 submissions recorded.

Thirty.

Please don’t assume someone else will speak up.

You do not need to be an expert. A short submission in your own words is enough.

Write about what these changes would mean in real life: for your child, your family, your clients, your community, and the services actually available where you live.

Submissions close Friday 29 May 2026.

Please share this so more families, carers, educators and providers know they can have a say.

Submission link:

Committee: Community Affairs Legislation Committee Date referred: 14 May 2026 Submissions close: 29 May 2026 Reporting date: 16 June 2026 On 14 May 2026 the Senate referred the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 202

21/05/2026

This little neon sign sums up so much of what I believe in — as a social worker, play therapist, mum, and someone who spends a lot of time sitting alongside families when they’re exhausted, unsure, and ready for someone to help them make sense of it all.

At Connected Kiddos, my work is not about “fixing” children. It is about understanding what might be happening underneath the big feelings, the shutdowns, the anxiety, the refusal, the sensory overload, or the behaviours that leave everyone feeling stuck.

And connection isn’t just one thing. It’s a child’s relationship with themselves, their own feelings, body, and sense of who they are. It’s being truly seen, understood, and attuned to by their caregivers. It’s their confidence with other trusted adults, their ability to belong with peers, and their capacity to show up in learning and everyday life.

When we are connected to a child, really connected, we become their external regulator. We help settle their nervous system before they can do it themselves. This is co-regulation, and it is how children gradually build the capacity to manage their own emotions, behaviour, and relationships over time.

The research is clear. Connection is not a nice-to-have. It is the essential foundation for everything else. Children learn, cope, and grow through relationship.

This is what drives everything we do at Connected Kiddos — helping children feel more settled in themselves, more at ease in their relationships, and more seen and supported by the people who love them most.

Because it starts with connection 💫

20/05/2026

Families I know this is showing up for you, tap into this free webinar to keep grounded thorough this major system change 💪

Many families are feeling the emotional toll of the proposed NDIS changes.

So much is being reported in the media. A lot of worrying information is being shared online. There are still many unanswered questions, and it may be some time before families know what these changes will mean for their child and family.

This kind of uncertainty is exhausting.

That’s why Belongside Families has invited psychologist Mitchell Woods from Mura Psychology to join us for a free webinar on Managing Stress & Uncertainty During NDIS Changes.

This session won’t provide advice on NDIS policy or funding. Instead, it will focus on practical strategies to help you manage ongoing stress, look after yourself, and navigate difficult periods when so much feels outside your control.

📅 Mon 25 May
🕗 8pm NSW time
💻 Online webinar
👤 For parents and carers of children with disability, developmental delay, Autism, rare and genetic conditions.
Professionals supporting children and families are also welcome.
🎥 Register to attend live or to receive the recording
🔗 Visit https://events.humanitix.com/infosession2505

17/05/2026

Attention families and colleagues,

Our next free Envisage program starts next Monday, 25 May. We are planning to offer both a 9:00am and 7:00pm group, so families can choose the time that best suits their routine.

Envisage is a free program for families raising children with developmental concerns, developmental delay or disability. Our first group has shown us how powerful it can be when families have space to connect with others who “get it”, share experiences, reflect on their child’s strengths and needs, and build confidence in supporting their child’s development.

Therapists, educators and support coordinators, families often feel more confident registering when someone they trust says, “I think this could be really helpful for you.” A specific, personal recommendation can make a big difference.

Please help us spread the word and secure registrations so we can run this valuable program for families who may benefit.

07/05/2026

A different view of therapy today.

No toys out. No play mat. No bubbles, feathers, balloons or movement games.

Just me, my desk, and a report.

But this is therapy too.

Behind every play-based session is a lot of clinical reasoning, reflection, documentation and advocacy.

It is the play assessment that helps us understand what a child is communicating through their body, behaviour and relationships.

It is the planning for parent sessions, so caregivers can feel seen, understood and supported with practical strategies that fit their child and family.

It is the NDIS report that explains a child’s functional needs in a way that helps decision-makers understand why relational, play-based social work matters.

It is writing goals that reflect real-life participation.

It is preparing letters for paediatricians, sharing observations with allied health colleagues, and developing strategies that can be used across kindy, home and community.

It is making sense of what we see in the room and translating it into practical support across everyday life.

Therapy is not only what happens in the therapy room.

The work also happens outside of it — reflecting, planning, documenting and helping the people around a child stay connected.

It starts with connection.

06/05/2026

Parents of children aged 0-8 with a disability, neurodivergence or developmental concerns - we would love to see you at the ENVISAGE Families program which is a free program for you!

Secure your place in a supportive space where parents can connect, learn practical strategies, and feel understood alongside other parents/caregivers navigating a similar journey.

Our current group has been such a beautiful coming together of families who just “get it” through their shared experiences, challenges and wins. The program is co-facilitated by myself and Peer Parent Jessica, bringing together both professional and lived experience perspectives. We'd love to see more families join us starting on May 25.

🌱 For parents of children aged 0-8 with developmental concerns.�💬 FREE 5 x Weekly Workshop Program (no NDIS plan/diagnosis needed), peer-supportive community, evidence based framework.

👉 Register today for one of the In Person Programs on offer in Townsville:
9am-10:30am Monday’s – ENVISAGE Program – https://redcap.acu.edu.au/surveys/?s=AARYYNXCTXETKRJM&workshop_id=DSS_FAM_ACU_ACU_F5_250526_09_00811
Or
7pm-8:30pm Monday’s – ENVISAGE Program –
https://redcap.acu.edu.au/surveys/?s=AARYYNXCTXETKRJM&workshop_id=DSS_FAM_ACU_ACU_F5_250526_09_00813