So, one of the children has struggled with sleep from the outset, one of them has issues every now and again. And as they are both children who feel extra vulnerable at night time, due to the way their history has played out, they both find it extra hard to seek the help they need … Continue reading Why won’t you just sleep? Please!!!!
I really struggle with how competetive people seem to think life is. The whole idea of pitting kids against each ther in school. development and achievements. The competivity between parents/carers of "oh, well 'x' was doing that by the age of 'y'...". These aren't anything to do with ensuring your child gets credit for what … Continue reading It’s not a competition!!!
As a family, on New Year's Day, we like to reflect on the year that has passed and also "wonder" about what the next year may bring. So we answred the following questions (as individuals, so the children couldn't be swayed by one another). We don't really set resolutions as such (although I kind of … Continue reading 2018: Looking forward part 2
So... looking forward to the coming year, I feel more hopeful than I have in a while... yes I know "it's the New Year feeling"... no it isn't. This is the first in several that has felt hopeful: illness with unknown cause and chronic pain, redundancy, adoption agency drama, knowing the fate of my motherhood … Continue reading 2018: Looking forward part 1
So 2017. What have you added to our Pleasant Chaos? Well Stress Destruction Intimidation Ill health Death Loss Battles - copious physcially exhausting, and mentally draining battles Personal challenges You brought your A game to topple us, but Life, my old chum, you should know by now that I am tough. I am fierce. I … Continue reading 2017: Reflections
Knowing that the children really don't cope with busy, choatic, loud party scenarios when they are anxious we always have a celebration at home that allows them to still experience the "New Year thing". So we set them challenge activity bags, or envelopes, a bit similar to our advent thing, but this time purely about the … Continue reading NYE 2017
Christmas day this year was kept relatively small - it had to be, we were going away and had to fit everything in our boot. It meant that we were literally left with stuff from Santa and our stockings. Everything else given before we came away was opened ahead of time. Anything else had to … Continue reading Christmas Day 2017
For advent, we try to take the focus away from it being so much about "ooooo people are going to give me stuff" and add messages of family, charity and special time. So to combat that, alongside a chocolate calendar, the children get a challenge and activity calendar. Each day they get a little envelope … Continue reading Advent
We needed to find something to do for Christmas that would be easy to dip in and out of depending on the mental state and capacity of the children. Having been to Bluestone National Park Resort several times before, and knowing the setup, and the children having visited and enjoyed it... we figured it was … Continue reading Review: Christmas at Bluestone
Webbs of Wychbold, near Droitwich is just off J5 of the M5. It's a a bit of a complex containing things like a garden centre, pet supplies, a hobby craft, homewares, a cafe and a food hall amongst other things. We had heard several good things about the Winter Wonderland there and decided that we'd … Continue reading Review: Webbs Winter Wonderland (and Grotto)
A Pleasant Chaos 