Compassionate guidance for parents of neurodivergent children and teens navigating autistic burnout
This is a space where I share stories from my own parenting journey—woven with the tools, insights, and gentle mindset shifts that have helped my family and the families I’ve supported over the years.
Here, you’ll find neuro-affirming, connection-focused parenting strategies—rooted in real-life experience, shaped by self-discovery, and grounded in deep compassion.
Because parenting a neurodivergent child or teen isn’t just about what we do.
It’s about who we are becoming—
as parents, yes,
but also as whole people with needs, longings, and wounds of our own.
Reparenting ourselves, healing our nervous systems, and reclaiming our identity beyond the role of “parent” are all part of this work. You’ll notice those threads throughout the blog, alongside reflections on burnout, low-demand parenting, and living in rhythm with our children and ourselves.
Please note: I write from lived experience—as a parent, an educator, and a fellow human walking this path—not as a therapist or medical professional. My words are informed by the brilliant research and advocacy of professionals in this field and the wisdom of the families I have the privilege to support.
I hope you find something here that feels like a soft place to land.
If a post resonates, I’d love to hear from you—your stories, thoughts, or even just a quiet knowing “me too.” Feel free to share what’s helpful with other parents or loved ones who may need it.
We’re in this together.
T x
A Collaboration Between Tanya Valentin and Laura Hellfeld Has your neurodivergent child ever said things like, “I hate you,” “I hate myself,” “I wish you would die,” or “I want to die” during a meltdown? Or perhaps they make unintelligible sounds, repeat the same words, cry, laugh, or say things that seem ‘inappropriate’ when they’re […] Read more…
Why Parenting a Neurodivergent Child in Burnout Can Feel So Hopeless I’m having one of those weeks where nothing I do seems to work, and my mind has turned into a relentless critic—loud, mean, and exhausting. As this happens, hopelessness rolls in like a heavy black cloud. It presses down until all I want to […] Read more…
Parenting is an apprenticeship with grief. This post explores how acceptance, self-compassion, and belonging help us break cycles and heal alongside our children. Read more…
Breaking Generational Cycles of Shame, Grief, and Emotional Illiteracy in Parenting When I was a young parent, I came across a Facebook meme that said: I remember reading it late at night, peering down at my sleeping baby and toddler. I made a quiet promise to them right then: This will be our family’s story. […] Read more…
And how they became the foundation of everything I now teach. There was a moment, and maybe you’ve had one like this, where everything in me said, “I can’t keep doing this.“ My child was in deep burnout.I was in burnout.And nothing I tried was working anymore. The strategies that were meant to help only […] Read more…
This quote found me during a season of parenting when everything felt like it was falling apart. When the child I once knew seemed to vanish.When meltdowns, shutdowns, emergency room visits, hospital stays, and struggling to keep a teen alive who didn’t want to be here, and complete withdrawal became the norm. This was a […] Read more…
A tender look at grieving parenting expectations, change and the radical acceptance of who your neurodivergent child is becoming after burnout. There’s a question I hear often, though it’s rarely spoken aloud: “Will my child ever go back to how they were before burnout?” It’s such a tender, raw question. And underneath it is often […] Read more…
If you’re parenting a neurodivergent child, chances are you’ve been told at some point that “consistency is key.” Therapists, teachers, and even well-meaning friends and family may have advised you that setting firm, consistent expectations will help your child learn, behave, and adapt. But what if I told you that this advice is not only […] Read more…
Are you a parent of a neurodivergent child in burnout struggling to keep your head above water while you try to navigate the change and chaos in your life right now? You are not alone, parenting through burnout recovery can bring an overwhelming sense of change—changes in your child, your family routines, and even in […] Read more…
Kinkeeping—the unseen work of holding a family together—often falls on one person. It’s the planning, the remembering, and the emotional labour that keeps family connections alive. For many parents, especially mothers, kinkeeping becomes another full-time job. Now imagine juggling this load while caring for a neurodivergent child in burnout. It’s like trying to balance an […] Read more…