Rehumanising Parenting

Welcome to Rehumanising Parenting

This is a space where I explore what it means to place humanity — rather than performance, compliance, or perfection — at the centre of parenting.

Here, I share stories from my own journey alongside the reflections, nervous system insights, and gentle unlearning that have supported both my family and the families I walk with.

Rehumanising Parenting is a response to models that reduce parenting to strategy. It recognises that parenting neurodivergent children, especially those navigating burnout, PDA, or chronic stress, cannot be separated from context, capacity, and relationship.

This work is neuro-affirming, low-demand, and grounded in nervous system safety. It honours adaptation rather than shaming it. It values connection over control. It understands behaviour as communication, not character.

Parenting a neurodivergent child or teen isn’t just about what we do. It reshapes who we are becoming, not only as parents, but as whole humans with needs, histories, grief, and longings of our own.

Reparenting ourselves.
Tending to our nervous systems.
Reclaiming identity beyond the role of “good parent.”
Questioning systems that never saw our children clearly.

You’ll find those threads woven throughout this blog.

I write from lived experience, as a parent, educator, and fellow human walking this path, not as a therapist or medical professional. My work is informed by research, by advocacy, and by the wisdom of the families I have the privilege to support.

If you’re looking for a place that prioritises relationship over rules and context over comparison, I hope this feels like a soft place to land.

And if something resonates, you’re welcome to linger, share, or simply carry it quietly with you.

We are not meant to do this alone.

T x

photo of siblings laughing beside their mother

What is Rehumanising Parenting?

Beyond Authoritative Parenting: A More Human Way to Raise Neurodivergent Children Rehumanising Parenting is a response to a culture that has slowly reduced parenting to technique, compliance, and optimisation. It is a return to relationship, nervous system awareness, and shared humanity. To understand why this matters, we need to look at the models many of […] Read more…

Seen on Our Own Terms

What Non-Conforming Expression has Taught Me about Neurodivergent Identity My autistic teenage daughter emerged from their room, bright blue hair tied into two pigtails, their face dotted with vividly coloured rainbow freckles. I felt my body brace before my mind could catch up, the familiar urge rising to say something like, “You’re not going out […] Read more…

high angle view of two people drinking cups of coffee

Neurodivergent Mothers, Burnout, Isolation and the Quiet Loss of Friendship

Why Friendships Unravel When Your Neurodivergent Child is in Burnout I was recently reading a Substack post by The Autism Doctor about how many women are not diagnosed as autistic simply because they“have friends.” In the post, she explains that the outward presence of friendships does not necessarily mean those relationships foster genuine connection or […] Read more…

woman sitting on chair while leaning on laptop

Why Self-Care Feels Impossible For Mothers When Their Neurodivergent Child Is In Burnout

(And Why There Isn’t Anything Wrong With You) When my neurodivergent teen went into burnout, my world fell apart, and in its place, a smaller, more constricted reality emerged. It was like having a newborn in the family again, except this time, the stakes felt terrifyingly high. Her needs were loud, all-consuming, and urgent. I […] Read more…

family relaxing on sofa with tablets at home

Why Advocating for Your Neurodivergent Child During the Holidays Feels So Hard — and Why You’re Not Wrong

What Nobody Tells You About Advocating for Your Neurodivergent Child During the Holidays There’s a reason saying “We won’t be coming to Christmas lunch this year” makes your entire body tense…Or why asking to leave early feels like you’ve done something wrong…Or why protecting your child’s capacity feels like you’re breaking a sacred family rule. […] Read more…

Rehumanising Parenting

What the Pikler Approach Teaches Us About Connection, Sovereignty, and Burnout Recovery I began my career serving families as a teacher more than 25 years ago.Like many teachers of that time, I was trained in the behaviourist approach, a model inspired more by dog training than by human development. As a young teacher in my […] Read more…

1 2 3 5