It can be a challenge being on holiday with our children and in this episode, Aniesa reminisces about some of the frustrating as well as funny things her children have complained about and how sometimes, kids are annoying!

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• We can easily forget the frustrating things our children do when they no longer live with us or when we are spending more time with them.
• Sometimes children just need to be able to complain.
• Aniesa sympathises with all parents out there, kids are just annoying sometimes!

BEST MOMENTS

‘Sometimes they just have an innate need to complain”

“For anyone who is struggling with the Easter holidays this week, I am absolutely there with you”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Decision-making isn’t always easy, particularly when we are presented with too many choices. It can lead to stress, exhaustion and even depression. In this episode, Aniesa talks about the impact of having choice overload and what we can do to either prevent it from happening or to minimise its effects.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• We can mistakenly think having more choices is better but as humans, we find it more difficult to make decisions the more choices we have
• You can end up spending so much time and energy on simply making a choice that it can leave you with negativity and stress.
• Decision fatigue is real and can cause brain fog and in extreme cases, exhaustion.
• Consciously make fewer decisions by streamlining your choices, for example by making a shopping list, creating meal plans and deciding on outfits in advance.
• Create a life where you have fewer decisions to make on a daily basis, you can do this by turning tasks into habits and routines as well as delegating to others.

BEST MOMENTS

‘It actually harms our wellbeing and can lead to depression and anxiety’

‘When we are less satisfied with our lives we become less happy and less optimistic when we try and make too many decisions’

‘We need to think about what we can cut out that isn’t important’

‘Delegate, give others the power to make decisions’

‘Try and set daily routines, put things on autopilot’

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an interview episode with Aniesa Ally, whom Aniesa has known her entire life! Aniesa talks to Aniesa all about Biodanza, what it is and why she has such a passion for it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Biodanza is a personal development modality that uses music and movement. It was developed back in the 60s and was founded upon humans engaging with each other on an instinctual level through music and movement.
• Biodanza focuses on reconnecting people with their humanity and ability to love, that is so often lost in modern society.
• Aniesa found out about Biodanza after her divorce and after going to just one session she felt like she had found something that was going to transform her and her life.
• Life is dynamic, we are constantly faced with different situations in our life all the time and if we are connected properly, we can find the right movement and flow to be able to approach these in the best way.
• There aren’t any steps to learn with Biodanza, but there is guidance.
• Biodanza is perfect for doing with your children. Aniesa has found she has been able to connect in a new and more playful way with her child outside of the home environment through Biodanza.

BEST MOMENTS

‘It’s reconnecting you to your humanity and your ability to love’

‘A circle is a representation of life in general’

‘Everyone needs to dance!’

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Aniesa wants to talk about how we can teach children to lose and how to teach them to do that in the right way, exploring the best techniques and methods to help them build resilience and skills for the future.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• It isn’t easy for children to lose but teaching them to do so gracefully is helping set them up to build resilience.
• The best way to teach children how to lose in the right way is to lead by example and talk about how we feel when we struggle to lose.
• We can’t always win or be the best, there will be winners and losers. We have to focus on the effort and teach children the same. We should also use losing as an opportunity to teach and learn from mistakes.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I’m not always happy when other people win and I don’t’

‘We can talk about what we can learn from making those mistakes, losing is an opportunity to learn’

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Aniesa talks about trust. Why whether you have or don't have trust has such a big impact on how happy and content with life you are. That is why it is important that you talk to kids about trust, define it, and help them to learn to trust others and be trustworthy themselves.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Being able to trust people is important, it plays a big role in how happy and content you are with life. 

• Trust is that if someone says they are going to do something that you believe they will do what they say.

• Demonstrating to your children that you are actually listening to them and understanding what they are saying is a part of building a trusting relationship with them.

• To be a reliable parent or adult, you need to be careful not to promise something you cannot deliver.

• Always tell the truth.

• Set boundaries and stick to them so your child knows what is coming, and what to expect. So that they can trust you to be consistent.

BEST MOMENTS

‘It can take years to build up and it can take moments to shatter someone's trust.’

‘That child is going to learn that my Mom is listening to me and it's important for me to speak up and it's important for me to speak up.’ 

‘It's really important that we keep our promises.’

‘Recognise that having those routines and that consistency, we can reduce conflict’

CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation. 

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content Warning: Those who have experienced trauma and gaslighting should listen with caution. 

For this episode, Aniesa returns once again to the subject of gaslighting. This time looking at how children can do it to their parents, either deliberately or unconsciously. She provides examples to help you to recognise the signs and explains how to tackle this issue effectively.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The signs of gaslighting are subtle. It is important to be on the lookout for them, recognise them, and take action to address this negative behaviour as soon as possible.
• A child that consistently denies something they did wrong is engaging in a form of gaslighting.
• Blaming a parent for something that they (the child) did wrong, for example saying they stole something because the parent didn't buy it for them is another example of gaslighting.
• Children tend to remember events in a selective way which can lead parents to doubting their own memories. Parents need to bear this in mind, pause and recall what really happened.
• Dealing with a child that is engaging in gaslighting is highly stressful, so be sure to take time out for yourself. You need to decompress regularly.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Kids can gaslight parents by manipulating their emotions’

‘Some kids are very good at remembering events in a way that is very selective’ 

‘You need to be very clear with your child that this behaviour is not acceptable’

‘If you are finding this is something that is not getting better, you should seek professional help’

‘It is very important to think about why this (gaslighting) is happening’

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation. 

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content Warning: Those who have experienced trauma and gaslighting should listen with caution.

Aniesa hasn’t always recognised parental gaslighting but has discovered that it is something that is more common than many of us realise and can even come from a place of misguided care. In this episode, Aniesa explores the role of gaslighting in parenting, how it frequently occurs, how to recognise it and how to prevent using it as a parental tool.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Aniesa recognises that as a parent, she has used gaslighting without realising it.
• You may dismiss or deny your children's feelings, telling them they are being overly sensitive or dramatic. This is a form of gaslighting and children may feel like their feelings don’t matter.
• Gaslighting parents may tell their children that they are remembering things incorrectly or that they didn’t experience events in the way that they are describing. This will make a child feel like they can’t trust their own memory, leading to self-doubt and confusion.
• Parents may blame children for their own behaviour, making children feel like they are responsible for our bad mood. This can lead to them internalising their carer’s negative emotions producing feelings of anxiety and shame.
• Using humour or sarcasm to belittle children. It may not be intentional but it can make them feel unimportant and upset.
• Gaslighting parents may compare their children to others, by pointing out other children’s achievements or asking them to be more like someone else, leading them to feel inadequate.

 BEST MOMENTS

‘We may do so to maintain control,  maintain power and have a sense of power dynamic in our parent-child relationships”

‘When a parent engages in gaslighting it can have long-lasting effects on their child's mental health and wellbeing

‘Think about the language that you are using’

‘How often do you blame your children for your own behaviour?’

‘That can make the child feel like they are responsible for the parent's wellbeing which is incredibly stressful and overwhelming [for them]’

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There have been many difficult news stories over the past couple of weeks which has made Aniesa consider the best ways to talk to our children about these types of subjects. In this episode, Aniesa gives some strategies for helping adults talk to children appropriately and compassionately about difficult topics.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The right approach to explaining difficult topics can make all the difference in how the process the situation
• Chose an appropriate space to talk to your child and ensure you are actively listening to their concerns and questions.
• Children may need space to process the information we tell them, they may need time to ask questions late.
• Consider the language you use, it needs to be factual and straightforward in an age-appropriate way.
• Encourage questions and discussions around the situations, openness is key to them being able to process and understand what is happening.
• Respond to questions honestly without giving more information than they can handle.
• Acknowledge their emotions and validate them, let them know it’s ok for them to feel upset or angry. This is crucial for their emotional wellbeing, remembering to offer reassurance and support.

BEST MOMENTS

‘It’s important to remember that children are sensitive, they are curious, they are really intelligent human beings’

‘It’s better to use clear and direct language the conveys the message in a sensitive manner’

‘It’s really important that we encourage questions and discussions’

‘We really need to validate out kids feelings’

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Aniesa gives a few short and simple tips for getting your child to take medication, this will be particularly helpful if you have a child who has difficulties with sensory activities. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Use a visual schedule that shows the steps involved in taking their medication, including when and how much.
• Try offering choices: it is really beneficial to give children who struggle with sensory reactivity choices.
• Establish a routine and stick to it
• Distractions are helpful, such as singing a song or playing a game
• Mixing the medicine in desserts can be helpful or even taking it through a straw to minimise the sensory feeling if the medication is for example, gritty.
• There may be different ways to take a medication, spoeak to your Dr about struggles, they may be able to alter frequency or dosage. 

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-advocacy is the act of speaking up for oneself and expressing one's needs, but how can we teach our kids, especially those who are neurodiverse, to self-advocate? In this episode, Aniesa gives practical ways you can start to teach your child this essential skill in life to help empower and build confidence within themselves.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• It can be particularly challenging for those who are neurodivergent to self-advocate for themselves when they often already struggle to communicate and demonstrate their needs.
• It’s important that we teach neurodivergent children to appropriately self-advocate, meaning they feel heard and comfortable whilst doing so.
• Start teaching self-advocacy skills early. The earlier the better, children as young as 3 can begin to self-advocate. If they say no, we as adults need to respect that.
• We can use visual supports to help teach neurodivergent children to learn to self-advocate. This can be a useful tool even for those who are good are verbal communication.
• Roleplay can be a great visual support to teach self-advocacy, giving your child the opportunity to practice their skills in a safe environment.
• The changes in confidence when children, and their caregivers, are taught practical ways for self-advocacy are substantial, allowing them to feel empowered.
• Using ‘I statements’ can be a very important tool in learning and teaching self-advocacy without being confrontational to others.

BEST MOMENTS

“We can help our neurodiverse kids learn to self-advocate effectively and to assert their rights in a respectful and appropriate manner”

“As they get older, we can teach more advanced advocacy skills such as how to communicate with people whom we might see as those with authority”

“If a child doesn’t like being hugged, that’s fine, they can say no” 

“Encourage your child to use an I statement when learning to self-advocate”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.