Child and adolescent psychologist providing neurodiversity affirming therapy, assessment and parenting support for children, teens, and their families
12/11/2025
When a child spends all day “masking” - pretending to be okay, copying others, suppressing stims, forcing eye contact - it’s exhausting.
As a parent, you can’t remove the mask for them, but you can create the safety they need to take it off.
Here are some practical ways to help your child unmask safely 👇🏼
👉🏼 Create a “safe-to-be-me” space at home.
Let home be the place where your child can stim, fidget, be quiet, or express big feelings freely. No judgment, no correction, just acceptance.
👉🏼 Validate, don’t fix.
When your child shares something that feels hard, resist the urge to reassure or problem-solve first. Instead, say:
“That sounds really hard.”
“I get why you felt that way.”
Validation builds trust which is the foundation for unmasking.
👉🏼 Encourage authentic self-expression.
Celebrate their special interests, unique ways of thinking, or sensory needs. Let them wear what feels right, decorate their space how they like, and take breaks when they need to.
👉🏼 Communicate with teachers and caregivers.
Help others understand that masking is not “good behaviour”, it’s coping. Encourage safe environments where your child can be themselves without fear of judgment.
👉🏼 Model unmasking yourself.
Show them it’s okay to have off days, to say no, to rest, and to be different. When you model authenticity, you give them permission to do the same.
Remember: The goal isn’t to force your child to unmask - it’s to help them feel safe enough that they don’t need to.
When your child feels safe to show up as their true self, that’s when they can truly thrive 💙
09/11/2025
Masking is common in neurodivergent kids, but it’s often invisible to the adults around them. Many parents, teachers, and even health care providers will tell me that children seem to be “fine” in their presence or while out in public.
But these same children may come home from school or other outings feeling exhausted, overwhelmed or irritable, and then have huge meltdowns that seem like they “came from nowhere”.
By noticing the subtle signs of masking and creating safe, accepting spaces, you can help your child feel seen, supported and free to be themselves 💙
06/11/2025
It’s easy to assume meltdowns are about defiance, manipulation or bad behaviour.
Common beliefs about meltdowns I’ve heard from parents, teachers and even other health professionals include:
❌ They’re doing it to manipulate me
❌ They just want attention
❌ They’re old enough to know better
❌ They’re misbehaving or “putting it on”
But a meltdown is simply a stress response. A brain and body that feels overwhelmed and unable to cope with the demands of the situation they’re in.
Your child definitely isn’t choosing to have that meltdown. No one wants to feel out of control and overwhelmed!
And the problem with these beliefs 👆🏼is that they leave adults feeling frustrated and looking for someone to blame - sometimes they blame themselves (if I was doing a better job this wouldn’t happen) and sometimes they blame their child (if they just tried harder this wouldn’t happen).
But neither of these help the child feel safe and secure or teach them how to regulate themselves which is what really needs to happen if we want to see fewer meltdowns.
So next time your child experiences a meltdown, try to shift the lens from frustration and blame to understanding and support. Because meeting nervous systems where they’re at and responding with connection, safety and co-regulation is how we really create change for ourselves and our kids 💙
P.s If you want some help learning how to do this - this is exactly what I teach inside of Mindful Meltdown Mastery - a self paced course for parents that helps you respond to meltdowns without losing it yourself. You can find it on my website (and email subscribers get 50% off 😳😉).
27/10/2025
Halloween can be magical… but it can also be a lot for neurodivergent kids.
Costumes, noise, and unstructured social time can quickly become overwhelming.
Here are a few ways to make the night easier:
✨ Keep costumes comfortable
✨ Practice before hand
✨ Take breaks or skip parts that feel too much
✨ Offer safe foods or non-food alternatives
✨ Focus on connection and activities your child enjoys
Tell me in the comments — what does a calm, happy Halloween look like for your family?
25/10/2025
Here’s the ADHD parenting advice that changes everything 👇
👉 It’s not an attention deficit — it’s an attention regulation difference.
ADHD isn’t a lack of attention. It’s a difference in how attention is regulated. Which means focus shifts based on what’s interesting, not just what’s important.
👉 Stop assuming they don’t care — they probably care deeply but need interest to engage.
Motivation in ADHD brains is linked to dopamine, not discipline. When a task feels exciting, new, or emotionally rewarding, they can hyperfocus. When it feels routine or pressured, the brain struggles to move into action at all.
👉 Stop trying to use logic mid-meltdown — regulation comes before reasoning.
When your child is overwhelmed, their “thinking brain” goes offline. Calm, co-regulation, and safety bring it back online — not more talking or consequences.
👉 Stop asking them to “try harder” — it’s not about willpower; it’s about brain wiring.
Challenges with focus, organisation, and follow-through aren’t effort issues — they’re executive functioning differences. Skill-building and support work far better than pressure or punishment.
👉 Stop adding more rules — start building smarter systems.
ADHD isn’t a discipline problem. Structure, predictability, and brain-friendly systems help far more than stricter limits ever will.
Think: checklists instead of lectures, visual timers instead of time-outs, and strategies that honour their nervous system, not fight against it.
Once you start seeing your child’s behaviour through the lens of their brain, everything changes. You stop fighting the child in front of you — and start supporting the brain inside them.
22/10/2025
You’ve probably heard it before:
“ADHD is overdiagnosed these days.”
But the truth is… it’s often underdiagnosed — especially in girls and women.
While boys are more likely to show hyperactive or impulsive behaviours, girls often experience ADHD in more internalised ways: overthinking, daydreaming, emotional sensitivity, or internal restlessness.
Because these signs don’t fit the “classic” ADHD stereotype, they’re easy to miss or mistaken for anxiety, mood challenges, or personality traits.
And let’s not forget that girls are also less likely to be referred for an ADHD assessment even when they do display similar traits to their male peers.
The result? Many girls and women grow up feeling like they’re “lazy,” “too sensitive,” or “not trying hard enough” — when in fact, their brains just work differently.
This ADHD Awareness Month, let’s shift the conversation from overdiagnosis to under-recognition.
Because understanding the full spectrum of ADHD is the first step toward compassion, support, and thriving.
14/10/2025
✨ LAST CHANCE - We start Thursday! ✨
If you’ve been meaning to join the Parenting Neurodivergent Kids group…this is your sign!
Enrolments close tonight and I don’t want you to miss this round - especially if you’ve been like like this:
💭 I’m tired of doing this on my own
💭 No one really gets my child - or me!
💭 I just want to know if I’m on the right track
This group is a place where you’ll be understood - where you can exhale, learn, laugh, and connect with parents who truly get it
Across 6 weeks, we’ll explore practical, beuroaffirming tools to help you support your child without the guilt, battles, or burnout.
You’ll leave feeling calmer, clearer, and more confident in how you parent your unique child
So if you’ve been sitting on the fence - this is your nudge!
We start this Thursday, October 16th and once enrolments close tonight, I won’t be running another group until next year
Join us! We’d love to see you there 💙
13/10/2025
Wondering if the Term 4 Parenting ND Kids Group is right for you?
Here’s how to know 👇
✔️You’re parenting an Autistic and/or ADHD child (even if they haven’t been formally identified)
✔ You’re exhausted by meltdowns and shutdowns
✔ You want calmer mornings and fewer battles
✔ You want your child to feel supported and understood
✔ You want to stop second-guessing yourself every day
If you tick even one of these boxes, you’re the perfect fit.
👉 Spots are open now - register via link in bio.
10/10/2025
Today is World Mental Health Day — a reminder that mental health is not one-size-fits-all.
For neurodivergent people, mental wellbeing is deeply connected to whether their differences are understood, accepted, and supported.
Too often, unidentified neurodivergence contributes to anxiety, depression, and burnout later in life (or even early in life - I’ve seen many neurodivergent young people deep in burnout).
And for those who are diagnosed, mental health support that isn’t neuroaffirming can sometimes do more harm than good.
So here is your reminder for today:
We can’t talk about mental health without talking about neurodiversity.
Because true wellbeing begins when people are seen and supported for who they are 💙
09/10/2025
Here’s what every parent should know about ADHD brains 🧠
ADHD isn’t a lack of attention - it’s a difference in attention regulation.
These brains don’t decide what to focus on; they respond to interest, novelty, and emotion.
When the task feels meaningful or exciting → focus flows easily.
When it feels routine or pressured → focus drops off completely.
That’s not defiance or avoidance - it’s neurology.
Time also works differently. ADHD brains experience only two zones: “now” and “not now.”
And emotions? They’re louder, faster, and often felt more deeply - not because your child is dramatic, but because the brain’s regulation system is more sensitive.
Once you understand that, everything shifts.
You stop asking, “How do I make them listen?” and start asking, “How do I help their brain feel safe enough to listen?”
The ADHD brain isn’t broken.
It’s just differently wired - and waiting for the world (and us as parents) to learn its language. 💛
08/10/2025
If you’ve Googled “how do I support my autistic/ADHD child?” enough to make it your auto-suggest, you’re going to want to pay attention to this one…
Because the truth is, you don’t need more blogs, books, or late-night Google rabbit holes. You need answers.
Answers that work for your exhausted brain and your child’s unique needs.
Here’s the thing: meltdowns and school struggles aren’t random.
It’s not because you’re a “bad parent” or because your child is being difficult.
Most of the time, it comes down to nervous system regulation, environment, and support.
And when you finally understand why this happens? You can stop second-guessing and start creating a calmer, more connected home.
If you need extra support to do this, our term 4 parent group is designed for parents just like you. We’re staring October 16th and would love for you to join us.
Just head to the link in my bio for more info or feel free to send me an email or DM with any questions
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Helping you become the parent you’ve always wanted to be!
Our play based tools help you move away from punitive parenting, and towards mindful parenting that focuses on building skills, strengthening relationships and nurturing emotional intelligence in your kids. We believe that all kids deserve to grow up free from shame, blame, and fear. And we know that by focusing on connection, teaching skills to manage emotions and modelling these skills ourselves, we can build an entire generation of emotionally healthy kids. Kids that change the world for the better. Are you in?
Hi, I’m Sarah!
I’m a mum of 4, a child and adolescent psychologist and the founder of Mindful Little Minds. I’ve worked as a child and family therapist for more than a decade, and I am super passionate about the emotional health of your kids. I believe that ALL kids deserve a childhood without fear, shame or guilt. I also believe, no - I know without a doubt - that you are trying your absolute best to be the best parent you can be for your kids.
I also know that parenting is HARD. Managing their big emotions and challenging behaviours is hard. And managing your own emotions is probably even harder. Especially if you’ve never been taught how. But you can teach your kids these skills, even if you were never taught them yourself. You can give them the tools you never had. And in the process, you can raise emotionally intelligent, mindful kids that build a better future for all of us. If we want to change the world, we have to start by changing the way we raise our kids.
Here’s how I can help:
Tools:
In the shop you’ll find tools for parents and children. Our range of books, games, journals, toys and courses focus on building emotion regulation skills. Our tools help both you AND your child learn to better understand and manage emotions so you can reduce the conflict and reactivity in your home and build your child’s emotional intelligence and resilience. You can find our range of tools in the marketplace here
Information:
On the blog you’ll find information. Education. Free resources. Tips and strategies to help you parent in a more mindful way. I help you understand the WHY. We uncover the reasons behind your child’s challenging behaviour, and then I show you how to change your approach so that you can deal with the behaviour calmly and with intention. I show you how you can use these challenging behaviours as teachable moments that strengthen your connection, build your child’s emotional intelligence and self regulation skills, and help you feel confident as a parent! You’ll find the blog here.
Support:
And in the Facebook group, you’ll find support and community. This is where you can connect with other parents and educators on their own mindful parenting journey. Share information and support each other while we learn (and teach our kids) emotion regulation skills. Inside the group you can ask questions, share ideas, participate in challenges, get tips from me, and access exclusive freebies. You can join our community here
And if you prefer to hang out on social media, you can follow me on Instagram, or of course, follow this page!
Want more FREE resources?
Check out my FREE Mindfulness workbook for kids here
I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s change the way we raise our children. Let’s break the cycle of reactivity and shame. Together.
