Hi all! 

Our daughter has officially turned 8! I truly cannot believe it! In keeping with tradition, I am sharing everything I have learnt in eight years as a first time parent. If you would like to see my past Parenting Reflections, click on the heading. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Eight feels really different to seven. I can’t explain it. It sounds obvious but our kid is growing up! Where did that time go? Abigail is showing a lot more maturity in how she speaks, reasons and ask questions.  

Regarding schooling, I continue to be proud of Abigail’s commitment to her work. She enjoys homework/doing her reader every afternoon. Where she struggles is paying attention and self-doubt. She does not like being corrected. We’ve had to teach her it’s okay not to know everything and accept help when it is given. As mentioned last year, Abigail does have autism, which affects her social interactions. Luckily, she has found like-minded friends that make her feel seen. She attends additional emotional regulation programs at school, as well as weekly play therapy sessions on a Wednesday evening. 

Parenting an autistic child as a neurodivergent mother has certainly taught me a lot about myself. I truly understand her sensory sensitivities. Having said that, I have my own, which can affect my mental health. For example, she enjoys speaking in a high-pitched voice when playing with her toys. That can make things difficult for me. I’m not going to lie, I am looking forward to her growing out of that particular vocal stim! What I do love is connecting with her over video games, crafts, sweet-treats and exploring new places. We recently flew to Melbourne to meet her newborn cousin and it brought me so much joy seeing how much she loves to travel. I travelled the world as a child and she seems to have inherited that same hunger for adventure. We are planning a Japan trip in 2028 for her 10th birthday. 

Overall, Abigail is the sweetest, most thoughtful child. She has a heart of gold. I always feel so loved by her. Even when she’s at school, she writes me notes saying how much she missed me. I’ll never not be grateful for that. I just want to protect her with my life. I hope, as she gets older, she is not bullied for being different. There is nothing wrong with her. She simply exists in a world that does not cater those on the autism spectrum. Here’s hoping she makes it through her academic years relatively unscathed. Regardless, I will always be there to remind her that she’s perfect as she is. 

Thank you so much for reading. I hope these words resonate with other caregivers. 

Peace & Love xoxo