Sarah Conway Psychology

Sarah Conway Psychology Child and adolescent psychologist providing neurodiversity affirming therapy, assessment and parenting support for children, teens, and their families

Mother’s Day can feel complicated for many of us. And parenting a neurodivergent child adds more complex feelings into t...
11/05/2026

Mother’s Day can feel complicated for many of us.

And parenting a neurodivergent child adds more complex feelings into the mix.

Because alongside love there’s often also exhaustion.

The invisible mental load
The constant anticipation
The emotional labour no one else really fully sees or understands

👉🏼 Being the one anticipating g meltdowns before they happen
👉🏼 Translating behaviours into meaning for other people
👉🏼 Managing school communication, routines, emotions, siblings, appointments, sensory needs
👉🏼 The ongoing, relentless advocacy
👉🏼 All while trying to hold yourself together too

And somehow being expected to function like everything is “fine” even on days when it feels anything but.

So if Mother’s Day felt heavy for you this year, I just want you to know you’re not alone.

And if you’ve found yourself feeling deeply in love with and grateful for your child while also completely stretched by the demands of parenting…

That doesn’t make you ungrateful. It doesn’t mean you don’t adore them. It doesn’t mean you wish they were anyone but themselves. And it certainly doesn’t make you a bad parent.

It just makes you human. And tired 😉

Parenting neurodivergent children is complex, emotionally demanding, and often invisible work.

And many parents are carrying far more than others know. I just want you to know that I see you 💙

Many parents tell me their child goes from 0-100 in an instant. And yes, many of the children I see do to escalate quick...
04/05/2026

Many parents tell me their child goes from 0-100 in an instant. And yes, many of the children I see do to escalate quickly (this is generally a sign that stress load is high!).

But what looks like a sudden reaction has often been bubbling away beneath the surface for a long time. The early signs that a meltdown is coming can be very subtle and hard to spot, but it’s so important that we try to recognise them, and eventually teach our children to do the same.

Not because we need to stop or prevent every meltdown (that’s impossible and frankly…unnecessary).

But because if we can notice the signs that come before a meltdown, we can respond with connection and safety while our children are still open to and able to receive it 💙

Do you feel like you’re able to notice your child’s early warning signs? Or does it feel hard? 👇🏼

When emotions are big, our instinct is often to: 👉🏼 Talk it through 👉🏼 Fix it 👉🏼 Reason or explain away the feelings But...
09/04/2026

When emotions are big, our instinct is often to:

👉🏼 Talk it through
👉🏼 Fix it
👉🏼 Reason or explain away the feelings

But in these moments, most kids aren’t able to take that in.

Their nervous system is overwhelmed and they can’t fully process your words.

So the starting point becomes:

👉🏼 Less talking
👉🏼 More co-regulation
👉🏼 More presence

That might mean sitting nearby (or as close as your child feels comfortable with), taking a few big breaths yourself (or whatever it is you need to regulate your own nervous system), and then…just waiting.

Sometimes the best response is to just let the moment pass without adding more pressure.

It can feel like you’re not doing much, but being present - physically, emotionally, or both - is often the most helpful thing.

When school holidays start, I don’t aim for perfect routines or jam packed days. I aim for: 👉🏼 A bit less pressure 👉🏼 A ...
07/04/2026

When school holidays start, I don’t aim for perfect routines or jam packed days.

I aim for:
👉🏼 A bit less pressure
👉🏼 A bit more connection
👉🏼 And a bit more flexibility than usual

Because after a full term, most kids don’t need more activities. They need space and time to recover.

Of course, that doesn’t mean no boundaries or no structure at all.

It just means we all give ourselves a break (that includes me! 🙋🏻‍♀️).

We keep a few key anchor points in our day, especially for the younger kids. Meals and mealtimes stay the same. Bedtime remains (but we might leave things out of the routine sometimes). All the other stuff? It just fits around those anchors.

The house gets messy. Sometimes we don’t get out of our pyjamas. We probably watch too many screens. But it’s what we all need.

We still do fun stuff. We still go out. But we don’t feel pressure to do those things every day (or even most days). Outings are optional, and staying in your room all day engaging in your special interest is allowed (and encouraged) if that’s what you need.

You don’t need to fill every moment of the holidays (unless you really want to of course!). You get to decide what they look like for you and your family 💙

If things feel harder right now, you’re not imagining it.By the end of term, many kids - especially neurodivergent kids ...
01/04/2026

If things feel harder right now, you’re not imagining it.

By the end of term, many kids - especially neurodivergent kids - are completely depleted.

They’ve been coping with:

👉🏼 Frequent transitions
👉🏼 A huge amount of sensory input
👉🏼 Ongoing social demands
👉🏼 Other people’s expectations all day, every day

So when they get home (or close to the holidays)…
their nervous system says: I’m done.

This isn’t regression and it definitely isn’t “bad behaviour”.

It’s exhaustion.

If you want help understanding what’s actually driving meltdowns, and how to respond in ways that reduce them - my Decode the Meltdown Guide is a free, practical place to start.

🔗 Link in bio.

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Wollongong, NSW

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