Stacy Ring OT & Coach

04/08/2026

Working with schools, professionals and different services can sometimes feel exhausting, like your banging your head against a brick wall! For many parent carers, meetings, phone calls, paperwork and having to repeatedly explain your situation can actually contribute to stress, anxiety and low mood.

There is no “right” way to manage this. What feels manageable will be different for everyone, so here are some gentle, practical Occupational Therapy-informed strategies that may help.

🌿 Pace yourself

You don't have to do everything at once.

If you have several appointments, emails or tasks to deal with, try breaking them into smaller steps. Consider what genuinely needs your attention today and what can wait.

Try asking yourself:

* What is the most important thing today?
* What can wait until tomorrow?
* What is “good enough” for now?

Pacing isn't about doing less because you aren't capable. It's about using your energy in a way that is sustainable.

📝 Manage expectations

It can be easy to feel that you need to have all the answers, attend every meeting perfectly prepared, or make everything happen immediately.

You don't.

It is okay to have realistic expectations of yourself and others. Progress can be slow, and sometimes simply getting through a difficult week is an achievement.

Try replacing “I need to sort everything out” with “What is one helpful step I can take next?”

💭 Notice your emotional load

Meetings with professionals can sometimes bring up worry, frustration, guilt or feelings of being judged.

These feelings are understandable.

If you notice yourself becoming overwhelmed, give yourself permission to pause. Take a few breaths, have a drink, step outside, or return to the conversation when you feel able.

You are allowed to take care of yourself while advocating for your child.

📅 Plan recovery time

A meeting, phone call or difficult conversation can take more energy than we realise.

Where possible, avoid filling the rest of your day with demanding tasks. Give yourself some breathing space afterwards, and something to look forward to such as a scented candle, or a favourite snack.

Recovery time isn't a luxury, it can help you manage your energy and emotional wellbeing.

🤝 Take someone with you

You don't always have to manage professional meetings alone.

If possible, consider taking a trusted person with you. They might help you remember information, take notes, ask questions or simply provide reassurance.

Having support doesn't mean you aren't capable. Sometimes having another person alongside us makes difficult situations feel more manageable.

📋 Write things down

I'm a fan of journalling and find it really helpful!

When we're anxious or under pressure, it can be harder to remember what was discussed.

Before a meeting, you could write down:

*The main things you want professionals to understand.
* Your key questions.
* What has been working well.
* What you are finding difficult.
* Any actions that have been agreed.

You don't need a perfect list. Even a few notes can help.

🗣️ Give yourself permission to say “I don't know”

You don't need to have an immediate answer to every question.

It is okay to say:

"I'm not sure, can I come back to you?”

“I need some time to think about that.”

"Could you explain that in a different way?”

“I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Could we take a short break?”

These are reasonable ways of looking after yourself during challenging or difficult conversations.

❤️ Be kind to yourself

Parent carers often carry an enormous amount of responsibility.

If you are feeling anxious, exhausted or low, this doesn't mean you're failing. It may simply mean that you have been carrying a lot for a long time.

Try to speak to yourself with the same kindness you would offer another parent in the same situation.

You are doing the best you can with the energy, information and support you have available.

🌱 Focus on what is within your control

You cannot always control how quickly a service responds, what decision a school makes, or what another professional thinks.

You *can* influence how you prepare, communicate, use your energy and look after yourself.

Sometimes the most helpful question is:

"What is within my control today?”

And if the answer is very little, that's okay too.

Remember

There is no expectation that parent carers should manage difficult systems without experiencing stress.

Asking for support, pacing yourself, setting boundaries and recognising your own needs are not signs of weakness.

You matter too.

Small steps count. Rest counts. Asking for help counts. And sometimes, simply getting through the day counts.

03/08/2026

Some days it feels impossible.

You're caring for the people who use your service all day, then you come home and become a nurse, advocate, therapist, care coordinator, and parent.

You're expected to keep giving, even when your own tank is empty.

If you've found yourself wondering, "I can't keep doing this," believe when I say you're not failing.

You're carrying a load that most people never see.

I have been there myself. I have worked full time, part time, been unemployed, volunteered and found my own role emerging jobs

So before you hand in your notice, know this:

There may be another way. With the right support, boundaries, and strategies, it's possible to protect both your career and your wellbeing.

You don't have to choose between being an amazing professional and an amazing parent.

💙 If this resonates with you, comment "SEEN" or send me a message. I'd love to hear your story.

29/06/2026

Rewards aren't "bad." They can be useful for practising new skills, building routines, or celebrating effort.

But if a child is struggling because they don't yet have the skills, or because they're overwhelmed, anxious, or dysregulated, rewards alone often won't create lasting change.

Instead of asking:
"How do I make them do it?"

Try asking:
"What's making this difficult?"

When we understand the reason behind the behaviour, we can teach the skill, reduce the stress, and build confidence for both the child and the parent.

❤️ Curious have rewards worked for your child, or have you found something else that made a bigger difference?

15/06/2026

🎓 GCSEs are officially finished!

Parents: how are you feeling today?

❤️ Relieved
🎉 Celebratory
😴 Exhausted
🥹 Emotional
☀️ Ready for summer

15/06/2026

If you're managing work, family life, appointments, communicating with schools and services, and the ever growing/changing needs of a neurodivergent child or young person, it's easy to feel like there simply aren't enough hours in the day.

A few strategies that have helped me over the past 16 years:

✅ Focus on the "must-dos." Not everything needs to be completed today. Identify your top 3 priorities and let the rest wait if needed.

✅ Use visual planning tools. Shared family calendars, notes app, and visual routines can reduce decision fatigue for everyone.

✅ Build in transition time. Neurodivergent children and young people often need extra time to shift between activities. Planning for this can reduce stress and prevent your schedule from constantly running behind.

✅ Batch similar tasks together. Answer emails, make phone calls, or complete household admin during dedicated blocks of time rather than throughout the day.

✅ Prepare the night before. School bags, clothes, lunches, and work essentials ready to go can make mornings much smoother.

✅ Accept "good enough." Perfection is not the goal. Consistency and wellbeing matter more than having everything done perfectly.

💙 Most importantly, remember that managing a busy household with a neurodivergent child or young person requires flexibility. What works for one family may not work for another and that's okay.

What's one time saving strategy that's made a difference for you or your family?

04/06/2026

Local Service for parents and carers

🫶 Come along to the upcoming Lego based therapy workshop for parents and carers of children and young people with additional needs.

📍 Wednesday 24 June, Ashwood Centre Kirkby-In-Ashfield NG17 7AB, 10am to 1pm.

Led by Nottinghamshire Educational Psychology Service, the workshop covers:
🤔 What Lego based therapy is
🗨️ How it supports communication and social skills
🏡 Ideas to try at home
👨‍👦 Hands-on Lego activities
❓ Opportunities for questions and discussions

It's free to attend , with resources provided and you can book on using the email address in the first comment ⤵️

02/06/2026

As an Occupational Therapist and parent carer, I've learned that many of the strategies we put in place when our children are young don't necessarily become less important as they grow older.

In fact, some become even more important.

My neurodivergent teenager still benefits from many of the same foundations we've used for years to create safety and predictability:

• A paper calendar alongside digital reminders
• Visual food menus to reduce decision fatigue and uncertainty
• Plenty of transition time in the morning rather than expecting an immediate shift from sleep to "ready for the day"
• Consistent routines that provide structure, even when life feels busy or unpredictable

The strategies may look more age appropriate now, but the need for predictability hasn't disappeared.

As parent carers, we can sometimes feel pressure to move on from supports that have "always been there."

But if a strategy continues to support participation, reduce anxiety, and make daily life more manageable, why remove it?

This is something I often discuss with working parent carers. We spend so much time adapting to new challenges that we can overlook the value of maintaining what already works.

Occupational Therapy isn't always about introducing new strategies.

Sometimes it's about recognising which supports remain relevant and giving ourselves permission to keep using them.

For many neurodivergent young people, predictability creates safety.

And safety creates the foundation for independence.

What strategies have remained helpful for your child or young person over the years, even as they've grown older?

14/05/2026

Today I submitted my response to the SEND White Paper consultation.

As an OT, SEND parent carer, and parenting coach, I could not stay silent.

For too many families including mine, the SEND system has become a battle instead of a support. Parents are exhausted, children are overlooked, and support often depends on how hard a family can fight and who shouts the loudest!

We were promised that moving from Statements (showing my age!) to EHCPs would create a more joined up, child centred system. Organisations coming together to support children and young people holistically.

But for many families, it has meant more paperwork, more delays, less accountability, and children still waiting far too long for the help they need.

SEND children deserve better than a system in crisis.

Real reform MUST listen to lived experience, protect and ring fence provision, and put children and families before budgets and bureaucracy.

I will keep speaking up because our children cannot afford silence.

07/05/2026

As GCSE season begins, I want to take a moment to recognise just how much some young people have already overcome simply to get here. 💙

For some students, attending school every day has been a challenge. Some have faced illness, anxiety, burnout, personal battles, loss, or circumstances that others may never see. Some are sitting every exam, some are completing alternative courses, and some are managing what they can, one step at a time.

Whatever their pathway looks like, making it to this point is an achievement in itself.

As both an Occupational Therapist and a parent to a neurodivergent teen, I know these years can hold far more than revision timetables and exam papers. Behind many GCSE students are parents and carers carrying years of appointments, exclusions, managed moves, picking battles whilst having to drop others, advocacy, exhausted mornings, emotional recovery after school, sleepless nights, and constant worry alongside fierce love and determination.

So this is your reminder too! Your child’s worth is not measured by their grades, or attendance, or how many subjects they complete. It's their resilience, persistence, and courage.

To every young person doing what they can with the resources and energy they have right now, I'm proud of you!

Wishing families gentleness, compassion, and moments of calm in the weeks ahead.

02/05/2026

A few months ago I delivered a webinar on CPDme based on changes senior members of staff can make in the workplace.

I'll be honest sharing this now has taken longer than expected. Confidence strugglesasre real, even when you know the value of what you're offering.

But the feedback from this session mattered and it's something I am proud of.

This work is about creating workplaces where parent carers are understood, supported and able to thrive and not just manage.

As an Occupational Therapist and parent coach, I support people to advocate for themselves. I see how the right adjustments, awareness, and leadership approach can make a real difference not just for individuals, but for whole teams.

Thank you for everyone who attended, engaged and shared their reflections. Your feefback helps shape future sessions, and keeps these conversations going.

If you are an organisation or business looking to better support your staff with their caring role, I'd love to connect.