{"id":42509,"url":"\/autism-awareness\/","layout":"standard","version":"2021-10-08T09:36:03.000000Z","blocks":[{"id":273667,"type":"textBlock","published":1,"size":{"x":12,"y":0},"order":0,"items":[],"properties":{"html":{"id":2684787,"value":"

Things I wish people knew about being a parent of an autistic child.

Here are a few things I wish that you could know....

Don\u2019t be scared to ask questions. Ask about autism - we know plenty. Or continue to act weird around my son if you must. We like weird around here so carry on with that.

I\u2019m not ignoring you when we chat. I have one eye on you and I\u2019m desperately trying to follow our conversation so I seem human but my other eye is watching my son. He may be escaping from a fire exit or stealing food from a stranger\u2019s table. He could be juggling fire sticks or generally just getting naked in public. Imagine your toddler for a moment. Having to watch them constantly so they didn\u2019t fall off cliffs or pet wild animals or eat insects whole? God, don\u2019t you just adore them even through they drive you mental? I have one of those, but mine is the same height as myself and can run away very, very fast.<\/span><\/p>"},"title":{"id":2684788,"value":null},"subTitle":{"id":2684789,"value":null},"paragraph1":{"id":2684790,"value":null},"paragraph2":{"id":2684791,"value":null},"paragraph3":{"id":2684792,"value":null},"ratio":{"id":2684999,"value":"short"}}},{"id":273668,"type":"pod","published":1,"size":{"x":4,"y":18},"order":2,"items":[],"properties":{"title":{"id":2684799,"value":"Warrior Kids Tee"},"copy":{"id":2684800,"value":null},"icon":{"id":2684801,"value":null},"badge":{"id":2684802,"value":null},"href":{"id":2684803,"value":"\/product\/warrior-kids-tee\/"},"overlay":{"id":2684804,"value":"0"},"ratio":{"id":2684805,"value":"square"},"textAlign":{"id":2684806,"value":"center"},"image":{"id":2684807,"value":"{\"src\":\"https:\\\/\\\/images.podos.io\\\/22zEoBlZgppQKCXGRgeGHE8zWWG8PGuCCTdhQvsl1eIrh6DX.png.png?w=auto&h=auto\",\"alt\":\"\"}"}}},{"id":273688,"type":"textBlock","published":1,"size":{"x":12,"y":39},"order":5,"items":[],"properties":{"html":{"id":2685000,"value":"

He\u2019s loud sometimes. Okay? He shouts weird things and flaps his hands. There\u2019s a noise too, like an \u201ceeeee\u201d sound. Look once - that\u2019s human nature. But stop looking at him like that again. Just stop.

If your kids are laughing at my son and generally being little idiots about him please don\u2019t look away or ignore it. Teach them to live in a world where we are all equal, and beautiful and special in our own ways. Talk to them about it. Better still, let them come talk to me about it. There are so many amazing things to learn from how differently my son sees the world, come take a look. Stop taking the micky out of him because he seems strange. I promise you, he\u2019s happier than anyone you know. Come learn from him.

Appreciate the mundane in your lives. The incessant questions, the back chat, the arguments. The lost shoes and ketchup touching the mash. The boredom of hearing your child saying \u201clook, look at me, look what I\u2019m doing\u201d. Some of us don\u2019t get those moments. They are more precious and more wished for than I can explain.<\/span><\/p>"},"title":{"id":2685001,"value":null},"subTitle":{"id":2685002,"value":null},"paragraph1":{"id":2685003,"value":null},"paragraph2":{"id":2685004,"value":null},"paragraph3":{"id":2685005,"value":null},"ratio":{"id":2685006,"value":"short"}}},{"id":273689,"type":"pod","published":1,"size":{"x":4,"y":39},"order":6,"items":[],"properties":{"title":{"id":2685007,"value":"Classic Logo Tee Dark"},"copy":{"id":2685008,"value":null},"icon":{"id":2685009,"value":null},"badge":{"id":2685010,"value":null},"href":{"id":2685011,"value":"\/product\/classic-logo-tee-light\/"},"overlay":{"id":2685012,"value":"0"},"ratio":{"id":2685013,"value":"square"},"textAlign":{"id":2685014,"value":"center"},"image":{"id":2685015,"value":"{\"src\":\"https:\\\/\\\/images.podos.io\\\/9UthlvwRTvvN7tEjzGDO6UmofwJso0YUfJ7o66KiqIGUcFK6.png.png?w=auto&h=auto\",\"alt\":\"\"}"}}},{"id":273690,"type":"textBlock","published":1,"size":{"x":12,"y":0},"order":9,"items":[],"properties":{"html":{"id":2685016,"value":"

I\u2019m tired. I haven\u2019t slept properly in 10 years. So excuse me if I\u2019m a little fuzzy or don\u2019t immediately jump at helping out with the PTA. I also look very tired. Don\u2019t mention this.

I have a new wicked side to my personality and a dark sense of humour that I didn\u2019t have before. This world can be hard and unfair and I live that every day now. So some bad stuff is funny to me now. Because life is ridiculous. Because life doesn\u2019t always work out how you planned. Because if I don\u2019t laugh I\u2019ll cry.

I can\u2019t get a babysitter at the drop of a hat. The bins go out more than me. Don\u2019t let that stop you from going out though! Fill your boots. I\u2019m probably too tired anyway.

Every outing in public as a family is tinged with the certainty that EVERYTHING might go wrong. We are hunched up like a praying mantis, ready for that one person who might abuse us. Or my son might wander off. Or he might want to obsessively check out every public toilet that day. We might not get to do that nice thing we wanted to do because he wants to go plug in Dysons in Currrys all afternoon. My reflexes for pulling him out of a stranger\u2019s personal space on a busy street are the stuff of legend. Think Bruce Lee in a Zara blouse. We cannot relax in public. Ever.

Finally I want you to know I\u2019m vulnerable - but I\u2019m stronger than ever. If you ask me how I am and say that you\u2019ll help me I\u2019ll cry buckets. But if I need to be, to protect my son, I will battle everything and anything that comes my way. Like a war hardened solider.

I have the scars on my heart to prove it.<\/span><\/p>

Exclusive WARRIOR Collection for Autism Awareness available now xx<\/span><\/p>"},"title":{"id":2685017,"value":null},"subTitle":{"id":2685018,"value":null},"paragraph1":{"id":2685019,"value":null},"paragraph2":{"id":2685020,"value":null},"paragraph3":{"id":2685021,"value":null},"ratio":{"id":2685022,"value":"short"}}},{"id":277362,"type":"pod","published":1,"size":{"x":4,"y":39},"order":3,"items":[],"properties":{"title":{"id":2723543,"value":"Warrior Sweatshirt"},"copy":{"id":2723544,"value":null},"icon":{"id":2723545,"value":null},"badge":{"id":2723546,"value":null},"href":{"id":2723547,"value":"\/product\/warrior-sweatshirt\/"},"overlay":{"id":2723548,"value":"0"},"ratio":{"id":2723549,"value":"square"},"textAlign":{"id":2723550,"value":"center"},"image":{"id":2723551,"value":"{\"src\":\"https:\\\/\\\/images.podos.io\\\/OoHaVB8dedmx9DyaXgm5zTmf3tPzVyI04WAF3qPYJ2tNxTH2.png.png?w=auto&h=auto\",\"alt\":\"\"}"}}},{"id":277363,"type":"pod","published":1,"size":{"x":4,"y":39},"order":4,"items":[],"properties":{"title":{"id":2723552,"value":"Warrior Kids Sweatshirt"},"copy":{"id":2723553,"value":null},"icon":{"id":2723554,"value":null},"badge":{"id":2723555,"value":null},"href":{"id":2723556,"value":"\/product\/warrior-kids-sweatshirt\/"},"overlay":{"id":2723557,"value":"0"},"ratio":{"id":2723558,"value":"square"},"textAlign":{"id":2723559,"value":"center"},"image":{"id":2723560,"value":"{\"src\":\"https:\\\/\\\/images.podos.io\\\/dzrpD7ySuQxRj1t39cVAHOrZAp5KDbN4ep3AjtyJQYtcvvLN.png.png?w=auto&h=auto\",\"alt\":\"\"}"}}},{"id":277364,"type":"pod","published":1,"size":{"x":4,"y":39},"order":7,"items":[],"properties":{"title":{"id":2723561,"value":"Happy Tee"},"copy":{"id":2723562,"value":null},"icon":{"id":2723563,"value":null},"badge":{"id":2723564,"value":null},"href":{"id":2723565,"value":"\/product\/happy-tee\/"},"overlay":{"id":2723566,"value":"0"},"ratio":{"id":2723567,"value":"square"},"textAlign":{"id":2723568,"value":"center"},"image":{"id":2723569,"value":"{\"src\":\"https:\\\/\\\/images.podos.io\\\/QXkMyaUzd0dr8erjLpVFbPNLYbbakfYisMO1LkwabARUmSN5.png.png?w=auto&h=auto\",\"alt\":\"\"}"}}},{"id":277365,"type":"pod","published":1,"size":{"x":4,"y":39},"order":8,"items":[],"properties":{"title":{"id":2723570,"value":"Abstract Logo Hoodie"},"copy":{"id":2723571,"value":null},"icon":{"id":2723572,"value":null},"badge":{"id":2723573,"value":null},"href":{"id":2723574,"value":"\/product\/abstract-hoodie\/"},"overlay":{"id":2723575,"value":"0"},"ratio":{"id":2723576,"value":"square"},"textAlign":{"id":2723577,"value":"center"},"image":{"id":2723578,"value":"{\"src\":\"https:\\\/\\\/images.podos.io\\\/7kiou4WVkl8pu2EDVjaDdJ5pvN7mS7o4DAysWT6eoAFaNvPR.png.png?w=auto&h=auto\",\"alt\":\"\"}"}}},{"id":277366,"type":"pod","published":1,"size":{"x":12,"y":4},"order":10,"items":[],"properties":{"title":{"id":2723579,"value":null},"copy":{"id":2723580,"value":null},"icon":{"id":2723581,"value":null},"badge":{"id":2723582,"value":null},"href":{"id":2723583,"value":"\/"},"overlay":{"id":2723584,"value":"0"},"ratio":{"id":2723585,"value":"short"},"textAlign":{"id":2723586,"value":"center"},"image":{"id":2723587,"value":"{\"src\":\"https:\\\/\\\/images.podos.io\\\/do54SFLZqlR0C6jUZrHjSx6x2RJQY7Rltagk6QzQ07dXxG5T.jpeg.jpg?w=auto&h=auto\",\"alt\":\"\"}"}}}],"properties":{"title":{"id":2684783,"value":"Autism Awareness"},"description":{"id":2684784,"value":"Information on Autism if you're newly diagnosed, parents of autistic children or wanting more awareness of the condition."},"ogImage":{"id":2684786,"value":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/9kQSDbCehFrC6D6zrW4JLXWCaKKIpHPFgEL2chvKGeGkObHg.jpeg.jpg?w=1200&h=auto"},"userSaved":{"id":2723542,"value":"1"},"isStorePage":{"id":4248611,"value":"1"}},"labels":[],"published":1,"sitemap":1,"divisionId":93035,"edited":true}