Parental role

Co-regulation

When your child needs your nervous system to cope

Parental Mental Health, PDA Parenting Realities, The Cost of Caring /

When your child needs your nervous system to cope I used to joke that I couldn’t even go to the loo without a small shadow following me. But it wasn’t really funny. My child, who has a PDA profile, relied on me as their external nervous system. They needed constant engagement to feel safe. Unless […]

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auxiliary aid

It’s not separation anxiety – it’s survival

PDA Parenting Realities, School & Education Struggles /

It’s not separation anxiety – it’s survival When your child can’t go to school without you, it’s not about over-dependence. It’s about safety. There’s a story many of us are told when our children struggle to separate from us at the school gates. “It’s separation anxiety.” It’s said gently, maybe with a tilted head or

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