The Happy Home Coach

15/02/2026

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12/02/2026

Moving through & grabbing the glimmers of joy is a practice that really helps.

It doesn’t stop things being less easy but it helps to ensure the hope of easier moments are ahead 🫶🏼

What’s a glimmer in real life?
You can be stressed & crying, feeling rubbish, then a friend rings. They console you but also make you laugh …that’s a glimmer 🤩

Or, you are feeling overwhelmed & you purposely focus on doing a craft/art thing, it distracts you, it’s soothing, it brings you joy in that moment to switch your thinking brain to your creative brain (no, you don’t have 2 brains!) & it helps you feel calm.

Glimmers don’t remove the stressful event but they lift you out of the pain of that moment so you can reset to continue to deal with things 🧡

Tell me where you find your glimmers 👇

10/02/2026

Imagination & apostrophes are all you need to make impossible to I’m possible 🫶🏼
Go!! Show yourself what’s possible 🧡

09/02/2026

2 things can be true at the same time 🧡

07/02/2026

Adios January! 🤩
These were a gift from a friend.
Just because….but also because January can be the hardest month to get through.

It’s ok to acknowledge that January has been less easy for whatever reason, th weather, the dark, the cold, the length between paydays, the heavy emotions or the things you’re dealing with 🧡

But sometimes it is the little things you do that can make it easier:

Acknowledge whatever it is you’re feeling
Have some bright flowers around
Give someone a small inexpensive gift
Do something for someone else
Smile (science tells us this actually works even if it’s a forced smile!)
Stand outside for 5 mins or go for a 10 min walk if you can
Do one 2 minute job you’ve been putting off
Get a smell you enjoy into your room via a spray or candle
Breathing-just simple in & out, closing your eyes & noticing how the air is moving through you, just for a minute or 2 🫶🏼

Sometimes doing this alone can feel too much too, that’s where I can help. If you need some help reach out to me.

I offer 30 min sessions or longer, starting at 30 pounds.

We make the session what you need it to be…mindfulness, emotion release, creative processes or coaching, or a mix.

But if it’s your home environment that is causing you the most stress, I can offer you support to understand what you need from your space & what you want it to look like so it feels like you 🧡

06/02/2026

Sensible words. Raising awareness of those who are not ‘seen’ by the system. Who struggle through facing the consequences of doing so but are not ‘needy’ enough to warrant the support as ‘support’ is something that so often comes later …too late it most cases.

I have witnessed teachers & support staff absolutely trying their best to make a difference in a system that does not flex enough & ignores the effort, placing data & ‘try harder’ as the key narrative 😢

The system needs to do better. Inclusion is not just for those identified, true inclusion is the adjustment that supports the hidden 🧡

05/02/2026

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01/02/2026

Love this!
Sensory sensitive uniform for all so nobody feels excluded 🫶🏼

A Derby secondary school has chaged its uniform policy meaning pupils no longer have to wear a blazer, shirt and tie.

The change at Alvaston Moor Academy, which comes into force from this September, has been adopted in response to a consultation with pupils, staff and parents.

From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, students enrolling in Year Seven will wear a polo shirt and all-weather jacket with the academy logo. It is thought the new uniform will provide students with more practical, comfortable and versatile clothing.

The school says that the jacket can be used both in school and for general use and it also better suits the needs of pupils with sensory needs.

It is a move the schools says creates a progressive learning environment and that best reflects the hybrid working world and changing professional dress code.

Principal Gemma Tyers said: "We’re consistently looking for ways to better our school environment for all our students and foster a place where children are comfortable, engaged and ready to learn.

“We pride ourselves on creating a community that extends further than the classroom, so consulting students and their parents on how we can support them is a key part of our school ethos and approach.

"We’ve listened to what they had to say and taken action – all while continuing to support inclusion and retaining our school identity.

“Our new uniform is more accessible, more affordable, inclusive, and multi-purpose, and most importantly reflects what our students want and need from their school experience. We anticipate these changes will boost attendance, engagement and achievement for students across the board.

While the uniform will be compulsory for students starting in Year Seven, students heading into Year Eight and upwards will be given the option to switch to the new all-weather jacket and polo shirt, but purchasing the items will not be mandatory.

01/02/2026

One of the best explanations of anger that I’ve seen for a while, along with top tips of how to manage the emotions driving anger 🤩

…& if this resonates with you but you don’t feel you can take actions on your own, get in touch 🧡

30/01/2026

Simply put & gives a different perspective doesn’t it?

Being someone who has burnout a few times periodically during my 30yrs of working, & having been told I’m obviously mentally ill 😳 …later to find being neurodivergent was the cause not mental ill health, it’s something I feel quite passionate about.

When a flower/plant doesn’t thrive, we don’t blame the flower, we do things to change it’s environment by adjusting how we care for it or moving its position 💁🏻‍♀️ why wouldn’t we want to do that for humans too?

For me, this isn’t just true about work places, it can also explain a lot of absence from schools. This is why in my ‘day job’ I support schools to think about changing the environment not the child 🫶🏼

Tell me what you think? 🤔
Do you agree burnout is not a metal health problem?

30/01/2026

Hear hear! 🙌🏻🫶🏼

Punishment vs Consequence

When we talk about behaviour in schools, the words punishment and consequence are often used as if they mean the same thing. But they don’t -and for our pupils, especially those who are neurodivergent, the difference matters hugely.

Punishment is about control. It’s about making a child feel bad in the hope that the bad feeling will stop them repeating the behaviour. Detention, missing break, being shouted at, writing lines – these are punishments. They are designed to make a child experience discomfort or distress.

Consequences, when they are meaningful, are different. A consequence is about understanding and connection. It helps a child see the impact of their actions and, where possible, to repair the situation. If a pupil has hurt a peer, the consequence may be to apologise or to work on restoring that relationship. If they have damaged property, the consequence may be to help put it right.

The problem is that schools often say ‘consequence’ but deliver ‘punishment.’ A detention after school for forgetting a pencil is not a natural consequence. Losing golden time because you needed sensory movement is not a fair consequence. These actions might make adults feel like they are ‘teaching responsibility,’ but in reality, they rarely change behaviour. At best, they create compliance. At worst, they create shame.

Behaviourism tells us that reward and punishment are the keys to shaping children. But what we know, especially when we listen to neurodivergent voices, is that behaviour can be communication.

A child who forgets equipment may be struggling with organisation. A child who shouts out may be overwhelmed, excited, or unable to hold their thought. A child who runs out of class may be dysregulated, not defiant. When we meet behaviour with punishment, we miss the opportunity to ask: what’s going on for this child?

Support looks different. Support means recognising that mistakes are part of learning. It means teaching strategies, scaffolding skills, and creating an environment where children feel safe enough to try again. It means responding to behaviour in a way that doesn’t just stop it in the moment, but helps a child grow.

For example, instead of a detention for forgotten homework, support might look like a check-in about why it wasn’t completed, with practical help to get it done. Instead of punishing a meltdown, it might mean recognising sensory overload and working with the child to find strategies to regulate. These are consequences too – but they are rooted in fairness, understanding, and the goal of building a child up, not breaking them down.

Children don’t need punishment to learn. They need connection, guidance, and compassion. And when schools embrace that, they don’t just manage behaviour, they nurture children.

Emma
The Autistic SENCo
♾️

Photo: Sitting round the fire outside as the sun set. Something I love to do with the lovelies.

29/01/2026

You’re thoughts are just thoughts 💭
They are not necessarily facts
They are not always true
Thoughts don’t mean much until you put a value, emotion or meaning onto it 💁🏻‍♀️

You’re in control (whether you currently think that or not) 🤩

Learning how to manage your thoughts is necessary if you want to feel your best 🧡

Not sure where to start…I can help, drop me a message or email to get started or pop onto my biz landing page to read more 🤩