![](https://learningtoloveautism.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jo-cafe-3.jpg)
There’s nothing like talking to another mum of an autistic child/a child with differences who understands how you are feeling. Again and again, mums tell me that is what they most value about my coaching service. I’ve been there and got the t-shirt and I’m living the experience too; we have a scooter in our living room, a trampoline in the dining room, and a punch bag in my son’s bedroom! As women, we are emotional beings and we want to connect and share with a fellow mum who we can be fully open with.
When I first noticed differences in my son – Bookasaurus, professionals would say ‘You know your child best’ but at that point, I didn’t know what he needed and it was incredibly isolating. I felt frustrated and guilty because I didn’t know what to do to best help him. My relationships with my family were strained, my husband was still joining the dots, I felt under pressure at work, a sense of shame and I didn’t feel I could share my situation.
I wish I’d had someone like me who was further on in their journey, intuitive, compassionate, a great listener, inspiring, and encouraging, with a bank of knowledge and experiences who could sweep me up and tell me everything is going to be ok. Someone I could put my trust in, who could paint me a picture of a positive future when I couldn’t see it, give me hope and hold my hand.
I’m like your own personal Mary Poppins or a best friend whose only concern is your well-being and happiness. When as a mum you’re looking after everyone else I’m here just for you, to make you feel special. I know from experience that when I’m whipped up in my worries and I work with my own coach she can sort me out and make me feel better which is incredibly reassuring in life.
My coach helped me in the early days of parenting when we weren’t getting any sleep, to achieve a promotion, when I reached a stress point with work and my health and knowing that I needed to do something differently to help my son and to grasp life and consciously and proactively move forward and live my dream of developing my own business to make a difference in the lives of fellow mums. I can do the same for you.
In your hour a week for coaching and with text support in between: you talk to a fellow mum of an autistic child who understands, you feel supported and happier, you find realistic solutions and look to the future, you create quality time for your self-care and to spend with your children individually, we work on your communication skills with your husband, children, grandparents, colleagues, nursery/school, health services, I share with you how to parent intuitively, managing your child’s behaviour and adapting to their needs, we build your support network and relationships so people in your life better understand and support you and each other and this grows, I help you to navigate autism whether that’s supporting your child, your husband, navigating the system, advocacy skills, I support you to succeed in your career, I validate and celebrate your achievements, I inspire you and I share my knowledge from my journey and my continued learning. I have a positive impact on your whole family just like Mary Poppins!
You could also see me as a mentor or facilitator supporting you to come up with your own answers, one mum described me as ‘a wonder’! When you can’t see the wood for the trees, I’m honest and share with you where you’re going wrong or suggest ideas. When you work with me, I get you from A to B more smoothly and quickly, going at your pace.
In that hour you share how you are feeling, download and process and we come up with solutions that will work best for you and your family. Mums focus on what’s on their mind and what’s challenging them; it could be their husband having a hard time, their child finding nursery/school difficult, diagnosis, the overwhelm of work and family life, wanting to follow a different career path, not getting enough quality time to spend with each child or preparing for the holidays.
Often mums are going around the houses about what to do and within a short time, we have the answer that you feel happy with. We set your intent so your mindset and energy will best serve you and you’re focused on what you want to achieve for that week and beyond. You feel calmer and in control again. The way of thinking and the principles that I share will serve you for the rest of your life.
We work on your self-care because you are the heart of the family and you need to put your life jacket on first before you can help your children and your husband. When you start to see that when you’re more rested/happier that benefits your children and your career you actively start to look for those opportunities to do little things that are going to make you feel good.
I share where I’ve gone wrong, and what I’ve learnt from it to help you take a better approach. I’m a normal, down-to-earth mum trying to make sure Bookasaurus doesn’t spend too long watching screens and I just want the best for my family as you do.
I’m totally in your corner, and because you’ve already vented with me, and we’ve found positive solutions that frees you up to have a simpler and more enjoyable relationship with your children, husband, grandparents, colleagues, and friends. Your family takes their lead from you so when you are feeling happier, your husband gets his sense of humour back and he starts to parent differently. Your children’s behaviour improves and they do better at school, relationships with the grandparents become easier and you become more effective, braver and creative at work.
Mums often tell me that they feel torn because they are trying to cope with looking after their autistic child/children and their work/life commitments and feel guilty because they’re not getting enough time to spend with their other children. I help you to adapt your parenting to your children and to create time so that you can enjoy parenting them individually and together.
Dads can find having a child with differences hard to accept and understand. I show you how to see your husband in a more positive light so you feel like you are both on the same page and when they don’t know how to support you in the way you’d like you no longer feel lonely because you have me to share with and cheer you on.
Friendships and relations with your wider family can often dwindle because they struggle to understand your situation or you don’t have time to keep those connections going. My superpower is helping you build relationships so you and your husband better understand your child, your autistic child better understands themself and siblings better understand each other. Grandparents, nursery/ school, work, friends and your wider family also better understand and support you.
I’m not a conventional coach I like to inject a bit of lightheartedness and some of my analogies are a bit quirky! I want to lift your mood, make you smile and remind you all of the progress you are making. Mums look forward to and enjoy working with me, whether over Zoom, walking or in a cafe. I text between 1:1s to see how you are, encourage you and share anything that could be helpful. I think ahead about what could be challenging for you or your family so that you can be prepared and get the results you want.
I have learnt to ‘love autism’ it’s just a different way of seeing the world, we don’t need to talk about labels, yes, they can help when it comes to diagnosis and EHCPs but now I embrace Bookasaurus’s strengths, quirkiness and huge enthusiasm for life. Every child is different and if we adapt to their individual needs they can absolutely thrive in life.
There are still challenges but I look after myself, talk to my coach, look for the positives, breathe, blog, get creative and try new things, and I know that my thoughts will change and my mood will lift. I’m totally in alignment with my passion for supporting fellow mums and can see that it makes a huge difference to them which gives me a total buzz.
A lot of the mums I work with have hectic lives but that doesn’t mean they can’t achieve everything they want out of life. We are incredibly resilient and if we think differently that leads to more positive and attractive energy and a woman with the right energy can achieve anything.
Sometimes it isn’t easy to see a positive future but you can put your trust in me. When you invest in yourself your family will blossom and your dreams will become a reality. I put my heart and soul into supporting you it’s my passion and purpose.
If you would like to connect and share then contact me for a free discovery conversation, e-mail me at jo@learningtoloveautism.com or drop me a line using my Contact page. See my Support For Mums page for more information and find me on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram.
I’m also holding Meet and Greets over Zoom. If you’re a mum, a professional, a Chief People Officer/HR Director, somebody who wants to help others, a teacher, nursery manager, SENCO or anybody working with/connected to parents/children, you are very welcome to join me on the dates below to find out more about me, chat about juggling work and family life/self-care and how to support mums/parents of autistic children.
Feel welcome to share my blog and Meet and Greet dates on Social media.
If you would like to arrange an individual chat then just message me.
E-mail me at jo@learningtoloveautism.com or message me via social media and I will send you the Zoom Link.
Looking forward to talking with you.
- Friday 3 November at 12.30 pm
- Monday 6 November at 1 pm
- Tuesday 7 November at 8.15 pm
- Wednesday 15 November at 9.30 am
- Friday 17 November at 12.30 pm
- Thursday 23 November at 2 pm
- Monday 27 November 1 pm
- Tuesday 28 November at 8.15 pm
Leave a Reply