Finding Solutions

10/08/2025

🤯 Are you sharing the mental load?

You know…
• Remembering everyone’s birthdays 🎂
• Knowing exactly when the milk will run out 🥛
• Keeping track of which kid hates broccoli this week 🥦
• Remembering the Netflix password 🤯

Sometimes we don’t realise how much is sitting in our brains or how much our partner is juggling too.

📝 Write down everything you’re carrying in your mind.
📝 Ask your partner to do the same.
💬 Swap lists and see where you can share the load.

It’s not a competition, it’s a “let’s stop being one argument away from losing it over who is stacking the dishwasher”

Teamwork = lighter loads + happier humans. 💛

29/07/2025

Absolutely love the work at Compass Children's Consulting! Such a powerful reminder to give children the space for self-directed learning, the results can be truly amazing! 🤩

Great work from one of our young learners at Compass Children's Consulting! This child self-directed their learning activity today, arranging letters and words on sticky notes, while still meeting the session's goals. This hands-on approach helped him meet his regulation goals by improving fine motor skills and focus, and addressed his cluttered speech by encouraging language organisation and sequencing. A fantastic example of how self-directed learning can be a powerful tool for childhood intervention specialists!

*shared with permission

23/07/2025

🌟 Have Your Say – Bordertown Showgrounds Playground! 🌟

A group of local mums – the Bordertown Showgrounds Playground Committee – are exploring the idea of creating a new playground at the Bordertown Showgrounds, and they want to hear from you!

They're in the early stages and are seeking community input to help guide the vision. What kind of playground would you love to see? What features are important to your family? Your feedback will help them better understand the community’s needs and interest.

📝 Take the short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PKGVWXS

21/07/2025

Hearing a child share how much they just wanted the freedom to “do stuff” really touched my heart.

It made me pause and reflect… Yes, life comes with responsibilities, and we all have to do things we don’t always want to do. But it struck me that, as adults, the very things we’re often trying to escape, the constant busyness, the demands, the pressure – are sometimes the same things we unintentionally place on children.

It made me wonder: surely there’s a better way? A way with fewer demands, less rushing, and more space for creativity, play, and exploring the world.

(Just to be very clear, I’ve worked with this family for a long time, and there are no concerns about abuse or neglect. What they’re seeking help for is completely standard, around school-related challenges. This reflection isn’t about them specifically, it’s about all of us, myself included, and the pace of life we pass on to children.)

18/07/2025

Hi, I’m Maddy, the creator of Mr Detective and Friends!

I thought it was about time I properly introduced myself. I’m a social worker in private practice, working with families every day, and one thing I’ve always known for sure is this: understanding your brain, especially that fight, flight, and freeze response, is key to managing emotions.

But here’s the thing… trying to explain that to kids? Not so easy. (Have you ever tried explaining the amygdala to a 7-year-old? Let’s just say their eyes glaze over fast!)

That’s why I created Mr Detective and Friends, a simple, visual, and fun way for children to really understand what’s happening in their brains. And it’s been amazing to see the impact. Kids are not only opening up about their feelings, but they’re actually practicing ways to regulate them and that’s huge.

A little about me personally as a teenager, my mental health really took a hit. It took me a long time to find my feet, and now it’s my mission to help others on their journey.

I want children to have these tools early, so they can grow up knowing how to manage big emotions and feel confident in themselves and I want parents to feel supported alongside them.

Check us out in instagram for more information and tips detective.and.friends

o

16/07/2025

🤯 Big emotions? Here’s a brain tip!

Mr. Detective & Friends teaches kids (and grown-ups!) that there are two magical worlds in your brain:

🧠 Thinking Brain – helps you make good choices, solve problems, and stay calm.
❤️ Feelings Brain – your “alarm system” that reacts FAST (great for danger, not so great for tantrums!).

The two worlds are connected by a magical bridge but when big emotions take over, the bridge “blows up” and the Thinking Brain goes offline.

The secret? Noticing when you’re stuck in your Feelings Brain and finding ways to reset and build back the bridge.

Helping kids understand this is a game changer for managing emotions!
detective.and.friends

15/07/2025

Music is powerful but so are the lyrics. 🎶

What we listen to doesn’t just affect our mood in the moment, it also speaks directly to our subconscious mind.

Have you ever actually listened to the lyrics of your favorite songs? Some of them are surprisingly dark or heavy, even if the beat feels upbeat. And without realizing it, we might be feeding emotions that keep us feeling low or stuck.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes those emotional songs help us process and connect to what we’re going through, and that’s totally valid. But if your number one go-to song is always a sad anthem… it might be time to mix it up.

Let’s create a playlist that actually lifts us up, in energy and message.
Drop your favorite feel-good, high-vibe songs with positive lyrics below! 👇

14/07/2025

Understanding how our thinking brain works is so important. Thank you for sharing!

Executive functioning skills cover it all...https://www.theottoolbox.com/executive-functioning-skills/

13/07/2025

This is just a small snippet from my DNA report but wow, it gave me so much validating and useful insight.

I learned a lot about myself. One of the biggest takeaways? If I don’t support my dopamine levels properly, I tend to go into dopamine-seeking mode, which can show up as ADHD. When I balance dopamine well, I feel so much more grounded and focused.
(And yes, ADHD is complex and not just about dopamine, but it’s a big piece of the puzzle for me!)

I also discovered that I don’t detox efficiently, which can lead to a buildup of hormones and contribute to stress, anxiety, and even migraines. Histamine plays a huge role in this too, which I had no idea about before.

Oh, and apparently I have the “power athlete” gene (so… no more excuses! 😅) and the hunter-gatherer gene, which probably explains my love for homesteading and the outdoorsy lifestyle.

All of this has also changed how I approach mental health with my clients.

If the body is out of balance or missing key components, it can feel like a never-ending battle. That’s why I aim to share as much knowledge as I can about how their unique body makeup might be impacting their mental health and where possible, I guide them toward practitioners who can support that side of the journey.

Massive shoutout to my amazing naturopath who’s been guiding me through this process. If you’re curious about how your body works and want to take back control of your health, I highly recommend checking her out!



❤️

10/07/2025

To all the parents we work with, your hard work and dedication to your children doesn’t go unnoticed! 🫶🏼

"I may not be a perfect parent, but I'm trying perfectly hard. 💛⁣
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Perfection isn’t the goal. Love, effort, and showing up consistently matter more than always getting it right.⁣
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Every late night, every hug, every 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you'—it all counts.⁣

10/07/2025