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Plot twist: My daughters have been diagnosed with PANDAS, an autoimmune condition. Instagram parenting_pandas - join the 15K community.

Access my in depth notes of everything I’ve learnt on this wild journey so far ⤵️ or Join the private PP community 🌟

03/10/2026

Not me saying “No, please don’t give her strawberries, her histamine bottle is full” 🍓😅

One of the biggest things I’ve learnt through our PANS/PANDAS journey is about all the different ‘loads’.

I find it really helpful to picture differnt bottles of varying sizes which each have their own limit - but also each one is adding to the ‘overall load.’

There can be so many little things going on at once, and sometimes it feels like you’re trying to work out which jug is adding the most to the pot, whether the pot was already getting full, and what might be the thing that finally tips it over.

What do you feel adds to your child overall load?

28/09/2026

The hardest part wasn’t just seeing my child struggle.

It was trying to explain to people that this wasn’t just a phase, bad behaviour, or something that could be fixed by parenting differently.

Because when you know your child, you notice the changes.

You notice when things that used to come naturally suddenly become hard.

You notice when your child isn’t quite themselves.

And I will never forget how painful it was trying to explain that to people who loved us, but couldn’t always see what we were seeing.

The thing I wish more people understood is that this isn’t about blame.

It isn’t about a child being naughty or a parent not doing enough.

It’s about recognising when something has changed and supporting that child while you try to find answers.

Thankfully, we are in a place now where we feel like we have so much of our daughter back, and I will never stop being grateful for that.

But I will also never forget the version of us who was desperately trying to explain that something was wrong.

If you are in that place right now, where you are trying to explain a change in your child that others don’t see, I hope you know you are not alone. 🤍

23/09/2026

🎙️ Podcast episode coming soon
Parenting PANDAS x The Brain Health Movement
9 October 💚

For many parents, the hardest part is not just seeing that something has changed with their child - it’s trying to understand what those changes mean and where to begin.

Over the years, I’ve spoken to so many families who are trying to piece together symptoms, appointments, information and different areas of support, all while wanting to do the very best for their child.

For PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day, I’m excited to be joining Lucia Silver from Lucia Silver - Whole Child Brain and Nervous System Health for a special conversation bringing together the parent perspective and the wider knowledge she has gained from working with families and professionals.

We’ll be talking about the questions parents are asking most, navigating what comes next, and exploring the bigger picture when supporting a child with PANS/PANDAS.

Save this post and share it with another parent who may need this conversation.

Drop a 💚 if you’re looking forward to listening.

Lucia Silver

18/09/2026

The PANS/PANDAS tax is very real 🫣

Sometimes you make the “normal” choice and then remember exactly why you used to be cautious.

But the goal was never to say no forever, it was always to get to a place where we could say yes more. ❤️

13/09/2026

Just a little reminder if you’re being hard on yourself today. There have been so many moments on this journey where I have replayed something I said or did and immediately gone to:
 “I should have handled that better.”

And sometimes we do need to apologise and repair. But we also need to look at the whole picture.

We are dealing with SO much. Give yourself a bloody break!

This one took me a long time to believe. When you have a child who is housebound, it can feel like every day at home is proof that things are getting worse. I remember the Groundhog Day feeling. I genuinely wondered if my daughter would ever go out again. But being at home wasn’t failure - It was where she felt safe and it was where her body could begin to recover.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t heartbreaking. 
But trust that this season is not forever.

You are doing enough!!

The invisible load of caring for a child with complex needs is HUGE. A lot of what you do will never be seen by anyone else. But your child absolutely feels it. They feel the person who keeps showing up. Even on the days you feel like you have nothing left.

This one carries so much guilt. Trying to support a poorly child while also showing up for everyone else is a huge emotional load.

You are one person and not a machine.

You are doing the best you possibly can. Remember that 🤍

I remember this thought so clearly.
“What if this never changes? What if this is just our life now?”

When you are in the middle of the hardest days, you think it’ll last forever. You can’t see a way out.

Things can change slowly, in tiny steps you don’t always notice at the time.

But this will not be your life forever.

I’m sharing this because I know so many parents are sitting in the middle of their own hard chapter right now. The days that feel endlesssssss. And you wonder how much more you can carry.

Please remember:
A difficult season does not mean there is no hope.

Sometimes we don’t notice the progress because we are too busy surviving.

Keep going 🤍 you’ve got this x

Share this with a friend 🤍 and save it for the hard days. X

09/09/2026

We are all navigating so much behind the scenes.

Things people don’t always see, things that can be hard to explain and things that can make this time of year feel incredibly heavy.

If September looks different for your family, please know you are not alone. ❤️‍🩹

Thank you to everyone who shared what this season looks like for you. Your honesty helps other families feel seen.

03/09/2026

I can’t believe this little space is already 5 months old!

When I started the community, I knew I wanted somewhere parents could come for support, but I don’t think I realised just how much it would become about connection.

The moments I love the most aren’t even the big things. It’s someone sharing something they’ve been carrying quietly, and someone else replying “me too”.

It’s parents supporting each other at midnight.

It’s someone having a rubbish day and another person reminding them they’ve got this.

It’s the laughs, the random conversations, the things we probably wouldn’t admit anywhere else 😂

Because this journey can feel so isolating, and sometimes the biggest relief is finding people who don’t need the whole story explained.

Thank you to everyone who has trusted this space, shared their experiences and helped make it what it is 🤍

If you’ve been looking for somewhere with people who just get it, here is the link https://ko-fi.com/parentingpandas

31/08/2026

How are you feeling about September this year?

I know for many families, back to school brings excitement, new uniforms and photos at the front door.

But I also know there are so many families where September feels very different.

For some, their child hasn’t been in school for months / years. For others, they have no idea if they’ll make it back this year. And for many parents, they’re starting September with uncertainty instead of excitement.

I know how hard it can be to watch all the back to school posts when your own reality looks different behind closed doors. You can be happy for other families and still feel sadness for your own situation at the same time.

What does September look like for your family this year?

If September feels heavy, I just wanted to remind you that there are so many other families quietly navigating the same thing.

Sending love to you all 🤍

26/08/2026

Don’t jinx it. Don’t jinx it. Don’t jinx it. 🫣 Is the song too much!?

I can’t quite believe I’m writing this. 🤍

Life feels amazing at the moment.

After everything we’ve been through, watching our daughter come back to herself has been something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put into words.

Seeing her carefree again.

Eating, sleeping, taking care of herself, laughing, chatting, getting back out into the world, enjoying life!

The little things that so many people don’t even have to think about are the things we are celebrating so deeply.

It’s been 9 incredible weeks of having glimpses of the girl we knew were still in there.

I know this journey can have twists and turns, and I know better than anyone not to take a good moment for granted.

But today, I’m allowing myself to feel it 🤍

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