A fortnightly podcast about the ludicrous realities of being a parent of neurodivergent kids.
Lapsed comedian Mark Allen has three kids - two diagnosed autistic with ADHD and one suspected autistic.
Each episode, he speaks to a similarly frazzled parent and explores how other neurodiverse families deal with seemingly simple events, such as birthday parties, holidays, mealtimes, and leaving the house.
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A fortnightly podcast about the ludicrous realities of being a parent of neurodivergent kids.
Lapsed comedian Mark Allen has three kids - two diagnosed autistic with ADHD and one suspected autistic.
Each episode, he speaks to a similarly frazzled parent and explores how other neurodiverse families deal with seemingly simple events, such as birthday parties, holidays, mealtimes, and leaving the house.
In this episode, Mark is joined once again by the brilliant Jo Matthews for a cathartic, hilarious, and occasionally sweary dive into the unfiltered reality of parenting autistic, ADHD and PDA kids.
From "It's just a label" and "He’s fine with me" to "You just need to push them out of their comfort zone", this is part one of a two-part special on the unsolicited commentary we all get, whether it’s from strangers, family members, or well-meaning-but-utterly-wrong professionals. The kind of comments that pretend to be supportive but are really just dismissive, ignorant, or unhelpfully optimistic.
Together, Mark and Jo share personal stories, listener submissions, and a few moments of pure rage-laughter, as they unpack why these statements cut so deep – and how to push back with humour, honesty, and the occasional incredulous raise of the eyebrow.
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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):00:00 – Intro & Meet the Guest: Jo Matthews06:00 – “It's just a label”08:00 - The story of Rube Waddell16:00 - "Stop Mollycoddling your child"21:00 - "You let them win too much"22:30 - "Can't you just make them do it?"26:00 - "You should make their home life more unpleasant"28:00 - "Your parenting is wishy washy"31:00 - "Children just need boundaries"36:00 - "You need to push them out of their comfort zone"43:00 - "Are you too afraid to say no?"48:00 - "How will they manage in the real world?"52:00 - "Sometimes, it's a choice"54:00 - "They're just trying to get their own way"01:02:00 - "They're fine when they're with me"01:07:00 - The Positives01:09:30 - Neurodiversity Champions01:12:00 - Tiny Epic Wins01:14:30 - What the Flip?01:17:00 - Wrap-Up & What’s Coming in Part Two
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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:
Rube Waddell - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Waddell
"Am I raising an arsehole?" episode of Neuroshambles -https://pod.link/1710455546/episode/a313c1057becbcd2e24d64c5bf94820e
"The Explosive Child" book - https://drrossgreene.com/the-explosive-child.htm
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CONTACT US
📧 Email: hello@neuroshambles.com📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles
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CREDITS
🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com
Neuroshambles
A fortnightly podcast about the ludicrous realities of being a parent of neurodivergent kids.
Lapsed comedian Mark Allen has three kids - two diagnosed autistic with ADHD and one suspected autistic.
Each episode, he speaks to a similarly frazzled parent and explores how other neurodiverse families deal with seemingly simple events, such as birthday parties, holidays, mealtimes, and leaving the house.
