SEND Parenting Podcast

• EP 141 Unschooling Yourself: Letting Go of the ‘Shoulds’ in Parenting

   What if the problem was never your child—but the system itself? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Olivia sits down with Esther Jones, mindfulness teacher, mother of three, and author of The Parent’s Handbook to Unschooling Yourself, to explore what happens when we let go of the ‘shoulds’ that weigh parents down. From daily battles over school refusal to the pressure of academic milestones, Esther shares her family’s journey into unschooling—a path that focuses on curiosity, connection, and trust rather than control.Together, they unpack how mindfulness and self-compassion can transform not just how our children learn, but how we parent. Whether you are curious about alternatives to traditional education or simply looking for a way to bring more calm and joy into your home, this episode will help you see that the first step to helping your child thrive might just be learning to “unschool” yourself.Author & mindful parenting coachBook: The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling YourselfPodcast: The Unschool SpaceWebsite: www.esther-jones.com👉 Join ADHD Warrior Mum: The Recharge Station Join Dr. Olivia Kessel and leading SEND experts at the Recharge and Connect Summit on 11 November 2025 at Phyllis Court, Henley-on-Thames (also livestreamed). A day to recharge, connect, and gain practical tools for raising neurodiverse children. 💛 👉 sendparenting.com/eventClick here to Join ADHD Warrior Mum's Recharge Station Click her to RSVP Recharge and Connect SEND Parenting Summit www.sendparenting.com

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• EP 140: Meltdowns, Decoded

  ✨ Click here for SENsory Mother - Laura Ellis✨ Click here for 30-day Guide to Better Sleep 👉 Join ADHD Warrior Mum: The Recharge StationWhat if the meltdown in your hallway isn’t defiance at all, but a terrified nervous system asking for help? We go straight to the heart of “challenging behaviour” with Laura, a teacher and mum of neurodivergent twins, who moved from daily crisis to a calmer, kinder home by changing how she understood panic, overload, and connection. Her story spans premature birth, early diagnoses, masking at school, and the moment everything fell apart—then slowly came back together.We break down the physiology of fight or flight in plain English—what rising heart rate, redirected blood flow, and sensory overwhelm do to a child’s thinking brain—and why sticker charts and lectures backfire mid-meltdown. You’ll hear the hidden social demands most of us miss: the chirpy morning greeting, the barrage of car-ride questions, the insistence on eye contact. We swap over-talking for visuals and scripts, and share a deceptively simple morning playlist that turned dread into momentum. Curiosity replaces blame through a great example of literal thinking (yes, he handed over the red and blue food colouring—because that’s what was asked).We also map the sensory layer—why kicking and slamming can signal a need for proprioception—and how a realistic sensory routine lowers baseline stress. A striking moment at a cricket match shows how the right environment can flip chaos to clarity in seconds. Boundaries still matter, but timing is everything: teach after calm, not during crisis, and make consequences predictable, visual, and discussed in advance. If you’ve felt hopeless, ashamed, or judged, this conversation will hand you language, tools, and the relief of being understood.Want more support and live coaching with neurodiversity experts? Join the ADHD Warrior Mom Recharge Station for weekly group coaching, monthly masterclasses, self-care sessions, and a community that gets it. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope today, and leave a review to help more families find us.Click here to Join ADHD Warrior Mum's Recharge Station Click her to RSVP Recharge and Connect SEND Parenting Summit www.sendparenting.com

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• EP 139: Why Punishments From 1846 Still Don't Work Today

  Dr Olivia Kessel welcomes back co-authors Georgina Benger and Karen Price to discuss restorative justice as a compassionate, relationship-based approach that helps children understand the impact of their actions and repair harm.• Georgina's research at Cambridge University revealed schools still use the same punishment methods from 1846 despite their ineffectiveness• Traditional punishments fail to teach accountability and create patterns where children accept consequences without understanding impact• Restorative justice shifts focus from punishment to repairing relationships through a seven-step process• Creating a safe space, active listening, and acknowledging emotions are foundational steps in restorative practice• The approach encourages children to explore the impact of their actions and take accountability without forced apologies• Particularly beneficial for neurodivergent children who often experience disproportionate punishment in traditional systems• Implementing restorative practices in schools requires time initially but becomes embedded in culture and ultimately saves time• Children learn to resolve conflicts independently when these practices are consistently modeled• The core principles include prioritizing relationships, focusing on learning rather than labeling, and recognizing that healing should involve everyoneIf getting your child to sleep feels like a battle, download our free 30-day Better Sleep Starter Guide at sendparenting.com/sleep – designed with ADHD in mind but effective for all neurodiverse children.📘  Click here for Willow's Day ✨ Click here for 30-day Guide to Better Sleep 👉 Join ADHD Warrior Mum: The Recharge StationClick here to Join ADHD Warrior Mum's Recharge Station Click her to RSVP Recharge and Connect SEND Parenting Summit www.sendparenting.com

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• EP 138: Anxiety, PDA and self-regulation with Caryn Price & Georgina Benger

  If you're exhausted from daily battles with a child who seems to resist everything – even things they used to enjoy – this episode will change how you see their behaviour forever.Karen Price and Georgina Benger, leading PDA experts who've supported thousands of families, reveal why Pathological Demand Avoidance isn't defiance or manipulation – it's anxiety. Using the heartwarming children's book "Olive's Day" as their guide, they brilliantly illustrate how your child literally "can't, not won't," making this complex concept suddenly crystal clear.Discover why your child appears "perfect" at school but falls apart the moment they get home, and learn practical strategies that honour their neurological needs without creating chaos. Through the relatable story of Olive and her challenging day, Karen and Georgina demonstrate how visual choices, environmental modifications, and the power of co-regulation – literally "lending your nervous system" to help your child manage overwhelming emotions – can transform your family dynamics.You'll walk away understanding how to support your child's drive for autonomy through collaboration and flexibility, create classroom cultures that build empathy rather than entitlement, and transform daily conflicts into genuine connection. Plus, discover how "Olive's Day" can become a powerful tool for helping others understand your child's unique needs.Stop walking on eggshells. Stop questioning every parenting decision. Your child isn't broken, and neither are you – you just need different strategies for a different neurotype, beautifully illustrated through one little girl's very relatable day.This 45-minute conversation, brought to life through Olive's relatable journey, could save your family years of struggle. 📘  Click here for Olive's Day ✨ Click here for 30-day Guide to Better Sleep 👉 Join the waitlist for ADHD Warrior Mum: The Recharge StationClick here to Join ADHD Warrior Mum's Recharge Station Click her to RSVP Recharge and Connect SEND Parenting Summit www.sendparenting.com

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• EP 137: The broken UK SEND system with Rebecca Harrison, founder of SEN Home Ed Circle

  The postcode lottery in UK's SEND system isn't just frustrating—it's devastating families. This raw, eye-opening conversation with Rebecca Harrison reveals the shocking truth about educational inequality across neighboring boroughs.Rebecca brings a uniquely powerful perspective as both a former SENCO and mother to two neurodivergent children. Despite her professional background and intimate understanding of the educational system, she's been unable to secure appropriate schooling for her autistic son—all because of where they live. While her local authority offers minimal provision through converted village halls and makeshift attachments to mainstream schools, just a mile away in neighboring boroughs, dedicated autism schools and comprehensive support services exist.The conversation exposes the painful reality many families face: diagnosis delays stretching years, mainstream schools excluding children after mere weeks, and the agonizing choice between relocating or accepting inadequate support. Rebecca shares her discovery of hidden NHS diagnostic quotas that arbitrarily limit autism diagnoses per financial year and reveals how government "Safety Valve Agreements" incentivize local authorities to keep children in-borough at any cost—even when appropriate educational settings don't exist.Yet this isn't just a story of systemic failure. Rebecca has transformed her frustration into action by creating the SEND Home Ed Circle, an online community providing resources, lessons and support for families educating neurodivergent children at home. Her three powerful tips—never give up, recognize that neither you nor your child are broken, and "don't let the bastards get you down"—offer a rallying cry for parents fighting similar battles.Join our WhatsApp community to connect with parents who understand these struggles. Together, we can support each other through the challenges of raising neurodivergent children in a system that wasn't built for them.SEN Home Ed WebsiteLink to SubscriptionClick to Join our private SEND Parenting WhatsAPP Community Click here to Join ADHD Warrior Mum's Recharge Station Click her to RSVP Recharge and Connect SEND Parenting Summit www.sendparenting.com

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