Perfectly Imperfect

12/09/2025

Homeschooling: Not Just Plan B - a Beautiful Option in Its Own Right

We often speak about advocating for our kids’ right to attend school. And that will always matter - inclusion is a human right. Every child deserves access to education without barriers or stigma.

But here’s the truth we also see every day: school isn’t the only pathway. For many families, homeschooling isn’t a “last resort.” It’s a powerful, joyful choice.

The Benefits We See in Homeschooling:
Flexibility: Children learn at their own pace, in their own way, not squeezed into rigid timetables.

Strength-based learning: Education is built around a child’s passions and interests, not just the curriculum.

Reduced stress: No more daily masking, sensory overwhelm, or constant social pressure.

Stronger connections: Parents and children often deepen their bond through shared learning.

Real-world integration: Life skills, curiosity, and creativity are woven into everyday experiences.

Confidence and joy: Children who were anxious or burnt out at school often come alive again at home.

Homeschooling isn’t about “giving up on school.” It’s about choosing the environment where your child can thrive. And thriving is the goal- whether it happens in a classroom or around the kitchen table.

Advocacy means supporting every path: school, homeschool, or a blend. What matters most is that our kids feel safe, seen, and celebrated.

11/09/2025

The Myth of the Resilient Child: Why Our Kids Shouldn’t Have to Break to Prove Their Strength

We throw the word resilient around a lot when we talk about kids. Schools tell parents that their child is “so resilient.” Professionals reassure families with, “Don’t worry, kids are resilient.” It’s framed as a compliment - like strength, adaptability, and grit all wrapped up in a neat little bow.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: resilience often becomes a convenient mask for systems that fail to provide safety, inclusion, or genuine support.

When we label children as “resilient,” too often what we’re really saying is: they’ve learned to endure environments that should never have hurt them in the first place.

Resilience vs. Survival Mode

Let’s be clear—there’s a difference between resilience and survival.
• Resilience is bouncing back from challenges with the right scaffolding and safety nets.
• Survival mode is adapting to constant stress, fear, or exclusion, often at the cost of mental health and identity.

Neurodivergent children, especially, are praised for their “resilience” while masking, enduring sensory overload, or tolerating environments that are actively harmful. What looks like coping is often chronic stress. What looks like “resilient” is actually unsustainable.

The Hidden Cost of Resilience

Every child has a breaking point. We see it in the teenager who finally refuses school after years of “pushing through.” In the young adult who burns out at university after being the “resilient one” in high school. In the child who seems “fine” at school but comes home to meltdowns, shutdowns, or silence.

The narrative of resilience lets schools, workplaces, and even families off the hook. If the child is “resilient,” we don’t have to change the environment. But what if we flipped the script?

Building Environments, Not Tougher Kids

The goal isn’t to raise more resilient kids. It’s to create communities, schools, and workplaces where resilience isn’t the daily requirement for survival.

That looks like:
• Safety and inclusion as a baseline, not an afterthought.
• Adults who see behaviour as communication, not defiance.
• Systems that adjust to the child, not the other way around.
• Permission for children to just be children, without carrying the weight of constant adaptation.

So, What Now?

Next time someone praises your child’s resilience, pause and ask yourself:
• Is this true resilience - or survival?
• What needs to change in their environment so they don’t have to be “resilient” just to make it through the day?

Because our kids don’t need resilience as proof of their worth. They need environments that honour who they are, full stop.

At Perfectly Imperfect, this is why we do the work we do—shifting the focus from “fixing kids” to fixing the systems around them. Because resilience should be a bonus, not a baseline.

08/09/2025

THERAPIST AFTER-HOURS!
Most of us know the drill:
🏃 Work all day.
🏃 Kids’ after-school chaos.
🏃 Dinner, homework, bedtime battles.
By the time the house is finally quiet, that’s when everything you’ve been holding in catches up with you: worries about your child, relationship strain, the constant juggle, the feeling like you’re running on fumes.
The problem? Most therapists close their books at 5pm.
That’s why we’ve opened after-hours therapeutic support, specifically for parents, couples, and families who can’t get to therapy in the middle of the workday.
* Saturday mornings before sport
* Evening sessions once the kids are in bed
* Online, so you don’t have to leave the house
It’s real support at the time you actually have space to breathe.
If this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, send us a DM or email us on info@perfectlyimperfect.net.au
Because therapy shouldn’t only be available to those who can sneak away at lunchtime. It should be there for real families, real life, real schedules.

Welcome toPerfectly Imperfect Perfectly Imperfect was founded on the belief that every individual deserves to be supported for who they are—not just “managed” into fitting a mould. Make a booking enquiry We’re A Registered NDIS Provider Supporting you with knowledge, empathy, and real-world ...

02/09/2025

Your School Holidays. Your Way. PDA aware and friendly!!

We know how important it is for families to have school holiday supports that are more than just care – they’re about choice, fun, and meaningful connection.

That’s why we’re recommending Comfort Homes Disability Services, who are offering tailored school holiday programs that:
* Focus on fun activities children actually enjoy
* Build skills in a way that feels safe and supportive
* Provide community outings and experiences that broaden horizons
* Offer support that listens and adapts to each child’s needs

This isn’t about ticking boxes – it’s about creating a school holiday that reflects each participant’s goals, interests, and independence. Whether it’s joining in community events, learning new skills, or simply enjoying activities that bring joy, Comfort Homes DS ensures the experience is positive, inclusive, and empowering.

Families, if you’re looking to secure supports these school holidays, reach out today:

02 8550 2060
info@comforthomesds.com.au
www.comforthomesds.com.au

NDIS registered provider.

01/09/2025

From Suspension to Inclusion: A Win for Families in Out-of-School Care

Last month, a family came to us after their child was suspended from after-school care. The reason? Behaviour driven by unmet needs, overwhelm, and a lack of support. Instead of partnership, they were met with exclusion.

We stepped in.
We wrote, advocated, and reframed the conversation: behaviour is communication, safety is created through support not exclusion, and inclusion isn’t optional - it’s a legal right under the Disability Standards for Education.

After tough conversations (and a lot of persistence), the service reversed their decision. Not only was the child welcomed back, but new supports and strategies were agreed on to ensure the child’s needs - and the safety of all children - are met.

This wasn’t just about one family. It’s about challenging the default “exclude first, ask questions later” response that so many neurodivergent kids face in schools and OSHC services.

Every win matters. Every reversal of exclusion chips away at a system that too often sidelines our kids.

This is the power of advocacy: shifting the story from “too hard” to “belongs here.”

If you’re a parent navigating exclusions in school or after-school care, you don’t have to face it alone. This is what we do, and this is why it matters.

27/08/2025

This week I got to do something that a few years ago felt impossible: I packed my bag, kissed two kids goodbye, and went away on school camp with my AuDHD-PDAer.

I could only do it because the rest of my little village - my partner and my kids’ grandparents - stepped in. They held the fort at home, did the school runs, cooked the dinners, and made sure my other two were cared for. That backup gave me the freedom to show up fully for the child who needed me most in that moment.

Because let’s be real - supporting a PDAer at camp isn’t a “drop them off and wave” situation. It’s being right there, holding the rope (sometimes literally), helping them face fear, discomfort, intensity, and overwhelm… while riding my own waves of all of those feelings too.

This is what inclusion really looks like: not just a child being “allowed” to attend camp, but their family system and community flexing around them so they can.

And this is the heart of parenting three kids while showing up deeply for one, and all when they eqch need it - it doesn’t happen in isolation. It takes support, it takes collaboration, and it takes letting others step in so you can step up.

27/08/2025

For a young person who is AuDHD with a PDA profile, “trying something new” isn’t just trying something new.

It’s fear that grips the chest.
It’s discomfort that feels unbearable.
It’s intensity that drowns out logic.

The world sees avoidance, refusal, or “defiance.”
What’s really happening is a nervous system in survival mode.

And still - with safety, patience, and someone right there beside them - things can shift.
I was there, holding the rope, breathing with him, riding the fear alongside him.

The rock climbing wasn’t just an activity. It was a moment of trust. A moment where my presence made it possible for him to step into the unknown. And the support of his peers cheering him on!

This is what inclusion looks like. Not pushing harder, but showing up together.

27/08/2025

Please read this! So important to know for our NDIS clients!!

26/08/2025

Today my son looked me in the eye and told me with all his heart that I am the best mummy in the world.

Not because I get everything right. Not because our days are easy. But because we do it differently.

Parenting an AuDHD-PDA kid isn’t about forcing compliance or following the “rules” of traditional parenting. For us, it’s been about lowering demands, leaning into co-regulation, and choosing collaboration over control.

And you know what? It’s changed everything. The meltdowns are less explosive, the trust runs deeper, and our bond is stronger than I ever thought possible.

This isn’t about being a perfect parent. It’s about showing up in a way that tells your child: you are safe, you are understood, and we are in this together.

That’s why, when he tells me I’m the best mummy in the world, I believe him - because it’s not just love he feels. It’s safety.

If you’re ready to build this kind of connection with your child too, our Parent Coaching Program gives you the tools, strategies, and support to make it happen.

https://perfectlyimperfect.net.au/parent-coaching-program/

26/08/2025

School camp is about more than activities and cabins - it’s about belonging.

For neurodivergent kids, the biggest barrier often isn’t the ropes course or the late-night campfire. It’s being left out. Being “the kid who sits on the sidelines.”

Inclusion at camp isn’t just about the adults planning adjustments. It’s about peers stepping in - inviting, noticing, and making sure everyone is part of the moment. When peers model inclusion, it’s powerful. It changes the culture. It tells our kids: you belong here, just as you are.

Because memories of camp shouldn’t be about exclusion. They should be about the adrenaline of the giant swing, the laughter at midnight, the friendships that last long after the tents are packed away.

At Perfectly Imperfect, we know inclusion isn’t a checkbox. It’s a lived experience. And when kids are included by their peers, it’s not only empowering for them - it teaches the whole group compassion, leadership, and real community.

That’s the kind of camp story worth telling.

25/08/2025

Facing Fear, Together:

Supporting an AuDHDer isn’t about staying safe on the sidelines- it’s about climbing up there beside them, heart pounding, and proving that you’ll show up together no matter what.

At camp this week, Adam wanted to try the giant swing. Fear hit hard - he cried, and I was right there with him, hyperventilating. In the chaos I even accidentally swore in front of the other kids before I caught myself (oops — perfectly imperfect in action).

But here’s the thing: the adrenaline kicked in, the swing dropped, and we did it. Together. Scared, messy, imperfect - but still brave.

He realised he was stronger than his fear. I realised I was too. And as we swung through the air, shaky hands and all, what mattered most wasn’t being fearless - it was showing up for each other.

Today, I’m sore, exhausted, and still buzzing with adrenaline. But I’m also proud. Because courage isn’t about never crying, never swearing, or never shaking. It’s about doing the scary thing, side by side, and learning that together, we can do hard things.