I was that Mum

before I had my son I just had my daughter who is very well behaved and extremely easy to look after, she is a high achiever at school, I never have to nag her to do homework, she loves reading, does what she is asked without complaining, life was easy.

I was that Mum that would look at people with kids being naughty or having a tantrum and think, come on its not that hard, be consistent that's all

I was that Mum that would look at people whose children where out wearing God know's what in public and think, just tell them No, its not that hard

I was the Mum who would sit and read every night with my daughter and do her homework with her, and wonder why others struggled

Since having a lad with ASD I can say that it isn't that easy, I don't take him to shop with me, he runs around screaming, crying, throwing himself on the floor, I can't control him as he has no ability of controlling himself when he is like that, his mind shuts down and he goes into meltdown.

I have learnt that sometimes getting there is more important than what they are wearing when they arrive, there are bigger more important battles and if he wants to wear spiderman shoes with his school uniform, hey he made it to school on time and without any tears, what's the problem?

Homework? what's that, we don't do homework, if I can get him to look at his book for a couple of minutes then we have done well.

I have learnt that not everything you see on the outside is as east to fix as you might think, not to judge people that are doing their best, and that everyone has struggles.

and most of all I have stopped being that MUM