WEBVTT

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Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education

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teacher from the UK. I share my passion for everything

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communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson

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ideas for my classroom of disabled pupils aged

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4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in

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the field answering your questions and sharing

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our knowledge and experience working alongside

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our beautiful young people. Let's get started.

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First of all, a message about our sponsor. Today's

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link in the description below to make the switch

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today. Now to the episode. Hello everybody and

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welcome to the Sensory Classroom podcast. My

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name is Jordan and today I am joined by Alicia

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from Regulation Nation. Alicia is a mother of

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two gorgeous neurodivergent children and one

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who is a PDA -er and is autistic herself. She

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knows firsthand the challenges and joys of experiencing

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this world differently and the adjustments and

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changes that need to be made to see everyone

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thrive. And I am so excited to talk to her about

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regulation in the home today. Hello, Elise. Hi,

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Jordan. Thanks so much for having me today. I'm

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very excited to be here. I am. honored that you

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have made your set your evening aside to record

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this podcast today because you're in australia

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aren't you i am and i had to check with you whether

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i had the time right that was my biggest concern

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so i'm glad i'm here and we're getting it all

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coming together you have absolutely smashed that

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because it is not easy to work out um let's talk

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family set up I suppose because that kind of

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that's the reason I wanted you on this podcast

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because not only do you understand this stuff

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from a professional point of view but you understand

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this firsthand in your home so yeah what does

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your family and home life look like yeah at the

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moment I have My kids are here seven nights in

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a row and then they go to their dad's house.

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So it's probably a bit different to lots of other

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families and that's quite new for us. It used

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to be shorter stops and starts and it's only

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this year that we've moved to that. So I have

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a beautiful just turned 11 year old and that's

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my Petey Heyer. I would describe him as someone

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who is always looking to be helpful. He's very

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big hearted. He picked up my wit and he's very

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quick witted. Sometimes it's dad jokes and sometimes

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it's insults, but they are just so good that

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you can't help laughing. And he is just a born

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leader. Like, yeah, I have no doubt he could

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argue his way through anything and also just,

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yeah, so, so great. My youngest is just about

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to turn. eight and um he is a soccer fanatic

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he he's like the energizer bunny just keeps going

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going going until he's really tired and just

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stops and he used to be the one that we like

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be where is he and he'd be hiding in like a wardrobe

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cupboard reading a book but we're calling out

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hey where are you and he's just not saying anything

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and we're all like oh my god he'd be the one

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climbing runs on the drawers of the kitchen to

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get up to get the biscuits just no fear this

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kid like I remember those toddler days so well

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and I'm really impressed that we've kept him

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alive till he's eight he's mellowed a bit now

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yeah so but yeah they're both just big -hearted

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fun loving little criminals and I just love them

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to bits and they've certainly taught me a whole

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lot about regulation But authenticity, compassion,

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patience, and I think how to survive on very

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little sleep, which I don't do that well. But

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I think, yeah, lots of things have changed since

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they were little. And I think I've learned tools

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and strategies for my own regulation. Yeah, they

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also made me a mum, which is one of the most

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precious gifts you can get. So I feel really

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incredibly grateful and lucky that I'm their

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mum. I love that the first thing you said to

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describe your PDA -er is big -hearted because

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I totally see that and I don't think it's spoken

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about enough. They are so desperate to please

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and be loved and validated and I don't hear that

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enough. And often it is seen as demand avoidant,

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controlling, stubborn, all those kind of words.

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And honestly, I love that you started with big

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hearted because it is so true. All they want

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is validation and to be loved and respected and

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heard. Can we talk about that? Yeah. So my oldest,

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he's called Edward, but we call him Ned. And

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before we knew about PDA, we used to say that

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Ned stood for not easily deterred. So that was

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a way, I guess, of understanding him and what

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he needed before we knew PDA was a thing. I think

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the other thing that I noticed, particularly

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working with these kids, and my caseload is 80

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% PDAers here in Melbourne. and their beautiful

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families is that a lot of them really think that

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they are bad kids because they've had so many

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experiences where they are considered exactly

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as you said stubborn you know they defy the rules

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they don't care about anybody but that's not

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true at all they're really looking for a way

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to minimize their anxiety to feel safe to feel

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secure to have co -regulation it's so big that

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drive for co -regulation because of that nervous

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system disabilities. Yeah, I haven't met a PDA

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that isn't trying to be helpful in some way.

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And I haven't met a PDA that isn't incredibly

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funny, creative and yeah, really warm and big

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hearted. I do have one little participant that

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I work with who every session finds a way to

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kill me within the play and it's very creative

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and fun. Yeah, I also have this other participant

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that I work with and I remember this session

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really well and we'd had this little win where

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it had taken about six months for me to have

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an idea within the play and I did that thing

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that therapists do where we get excited and we're

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like, oh. yes go for more and then she clearly

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said this she was five at the time and she said

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let's not get ahead of ourselves and it was such

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great feedback and they're so honest and you're

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just like you know what you're right this we

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can celebrate just this like this is it's enough

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and sometimes we we need to check what the goalposts

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are and not keep shifting them all the time for

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these kids and really celebrate that you know

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they're winning in so many different ways all

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the time but Again, I think when you work with

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therapists, it's always like, okay, what's the

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next goal? What's the next goal? And we don't

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often sit enough to celebrate those wins. Yeah.

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It's so beautiful. So you said 80 % of your participants

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are PDAers. How does you working as a professional

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you in your business supporting families with

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PDA differ from being mom? Because you're probably

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seeing similar things, but I can imagine it's

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a very different role. How do you navigate that?

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Well, I think that my experience, both, sorry,

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my cat's coming in, both as a parent and someone

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who works with PDAs is that the number one thing

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parents really need to be is believed and understood

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and heard because so much of what happens with

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a PDA A lot of people, they just don't understand.

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They don't understand, you know, real PDA burnout

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and what that looks like. They don't understand

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because it's not just affecting that child. It

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affects everyone in the family to varying degrees.

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Yeah, I think having someone to be able to hear

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you and validate that experience and be able

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to say, yeah you are doing everything that you

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can at this point in time but here's where I

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can help you with some different things maybe

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you haven't thought about so and sometimes I

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think you know I have parents that come from

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all different walks of life sometimes we also

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I know for myself that someone would give me

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permission I'm autistic so I sometimes have quite

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a rule -driven brain quite a concrete brain and

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someone would give me permission or I'd see someone

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else doing it differently I'm like I can do that

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so much more playfully. I can let go of all these

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things that I think should be teachable moments

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that can just actually be genuine connection

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and authentic connection and child -led connection.

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I do not need to have an agenda. Yes, I have

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goals and they're way back in my brain somewhere,

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but if I genuinely walk into that space and my

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only goal is to be present and to witness this

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child. and to create a space where they feel

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safe, then they're not doing that thing where

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they're hypervigilant and picking up on an agenda

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because there is none. The agenda is just I'm

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witnessing you. I'm present to what you're going

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through. And, yeah, I have strategies and tools

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where I'm modelling what I – I think I make it

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more about me rather than them because I feel

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like that's the pressure. So let's say something's

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– come out through the play where I would naturally

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react anxious then that's I'm saying oh I'm feeling

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a bit worried about this what do I do like just

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so we're working on problem solving and but I'm

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not saying okay let's take three deep breaths

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because that's going to help us now let's practice

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because it's far too direct and they need to

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be able to that's the other thing that these

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kids They show you. They show you with their

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bodies what they're gravitating to, how much

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intensity they need, how much frequency. You'll

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have the kids that are, you know, hanging upside

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down on the monkey bars and they need 20 minutes

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of that. And you'll have other kids who just

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want to be wrapped up in a big heavy blanket.

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But they gravitate to what they need. We just

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have to be able to see it and then be willing

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to create a space for that as well. Yeah, I agree.

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I feel like. collaboration helps with that as

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well working in a team whether that be with parents

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or other colleagues working in that team setting

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keeps me in that state otherwise it's so easy

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to fall back on targets what I should be doing

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what's next you know and you're right kids can

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feed off that and that's a huge demand even if

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we're not saying it just us thinking it they

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can feel it they're incredibly intuitive PDAers

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They're hypervigilant. They know when we have

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an agenda. And I know my team keeps me grounded

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in that. They remind me the beauty in the now

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and being present and celebrating that. And I

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think without being part of that team in collaboration,

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whether it's parents or colleagues or family

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members. It would be so easy for me to fall back

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on what's next, what are we working on, you know,

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for my own validation, I guess, on success criteria.

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But it wouldn't be half as successful, you're

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absolutely right, because they totally feed up

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on that. That is an absolute demand and they

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will reject that, quite rightly so as well. Yeah,

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without just celebrating the wins. Yeah. And

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I think the two things that I always keep in

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mind is just about how that prefrontal cortex.

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develops and it's through relationship so if

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the only thing I do is provide secure attachment

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and relationship then I'm actually doing a huge

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service and so I just keep that in my mind and

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then anything else that happens after that is

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a bonus I also regularly refer parents and teachers

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to there's a developmental hierarchy triangle

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and it has sort of all the sensory parts at the

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bottom for that bottom -up processing and so

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parents will say oh but do I shouldn't I be working

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on pencil grasp or something? And I'm like, well,

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yeah, you can be absolutely. But here's all the

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other things that are feeding into that. And

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then they're like, so just going to the park

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to do monkey bars is fine. I'm like, absolutely.

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Like it's all working on shoulder stability,

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which adds to the pencil grip in the long runs.

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Again, we have to get curious and creative and

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find ways to. do this without it feeling particularly

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for PDA is like it's all just sit down at a table

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and this is what we have to do yeah and that's

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what I love about my job every day is different

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and there is so much creativity and playfulness

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and um yeah and it's such it's such a joy when

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you can see this young person who is you know,

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really quite hypervigilant and anxious. And then

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when that little giggle comes and it's so, you

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know, robust from just silliness, it's so beautiful

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as well. And I just, again, I don't think we

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give laughter and whimsy enough credit for a

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regulation tool either. So that is such a good

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point. And it's something that adults are particularly

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rubbish at as a whole. And I think people that

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are in that playfulness as a career occupational

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therapist, speech and language therapist, a special

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educator, teachers that are in that playfulness

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mode all the time i think it's so healthy that

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we laugh we probably barely laugh all day our

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job is really fun playful and i feel sorry for

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adults who have jobs that aren't in playful jobs

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because it is such a joy and it is such a great

00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:09.320
regulation tool i've never felt worse after laughing

00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:14.149
no But it is hard. I had one mum who, you know,

00:14:14.149 --> 00:14:17.590
and it makes total sense. I'm currently in a

00:14:17.590 --> 00:14:20.250
degree of burnout and laughter feels really hard

00:14:20.250 --> 00:14:22.570
to find when you just feel like you can't get

00:14:22.570 --> 00:14:24.990
out of bed and you feel nauseous from being so

00:14:24.990 --> 00:14:27.389
tired. Like I completely get it. And especially

00:14:27.389 --> 00:14:30.710
if you've got, you know, an anxious nervous system

00:14:30.710 --> 00:14:33.389
buffering off an anxious nervous system, it is

00:14:33.389 --> 00:14:36.549
hard to find the laughter. Like that makes total

00:14:36.549 --> 00:14:40.000
sense. Yeah. And I think that's what the difference

00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:43.659
between home and school is. Yes. Yeah. I can

00:14:43.659 --> 00:14:46.720
swap with my team when I need that break or that,

00:14:46.779 --> 00:14:50.360
you know, that respite time. I can count down

00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:52.200
to three o 'clock if it's been a hard day. I

00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:55.220
can rest at the weekend. Parents don't have that.

00:14:55.259 --> 00:14:57.419
And I think it's really important educators be

00:14:57.419 --> 00:15:01.090
acknowledged. and we don't judge on the differences

00:15:01.090 --> 00:15:03.629
of what they do with the children how they work

00:15:03.629 --> 00:15:05.230
with the children because it is so different

00:15:05.230 --> 00:15:08.169
they are coming from a completely different place

00:15:08.169 --> 00:15:11.190
and maybe that's a good place to start us talking

00:15:11.190 --> 00:15:14.250
about some activities or some kind of things

00:15:14.250 --> 00:15:17.070
that we can do in the home that will support

00:15:17.070 --> 00:15:21.490
parents listening to maybe find ways of having

00:15:21.490 --> 00:15:23.909
that co -regulation regulating themselves and

00:15:23.909 --> 00:15:27.629
finding that joy again even through the burnout,

00:15:27.649 --> 00:15:33.269
which is such a big ask. Yeah. What does regulation

00:15:33.269 --> 00:15:35.610
look like in your home? I suppose it's a good

00:15:35.610 --> 00:15:39.870
place to start. Yeah, I think, again, it's very

00:15:39.870 --> 00:15:43.710
child -led. I mean, my kids, I guess, have had

00:15:43.710 --> 00:15:46.750
a bonus of having a mum as an OT for their whole

00:15:46.750 --> 00:15:50.720
life. So particularly with my oldest. you know,

00:15:50.740 --> 00:15:53.580
at eight weeks of age, the world had overwhelmed

00:15:53.580 --> 00:15:56.360
him. And I spent three days sitting in the dark

00:15:56.360 --> 00:16:01.220
in a rocking chair, just rocking him until you

00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:03.700
could just see his whole system kind of relax.

00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:06.980
And I think I knew there were solutions because

00:16:06.980 --> 00:16:09.740
of my work and I had colleagues that I could

00:16:09.740 --> 00:16:11.940
talk to about it and bounce ideas off. But I

00:16:11.940 --> 00:16:14.539
think again, If you don't have that community

00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:17.480
and not linked in with an OT yet, it can feel

00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:19.799
really overwhelming. And again, you start to

00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:22.059
get anxious and you think there's something really

00:16:22.059 --> 00:16:26.659
wrong. And yeah, so I think I feel incredibly

00:16:26.659 --> 00:16:29.220
lucky that I had the training that I had to be

00:16:29.220 --> 00:16:34.860
able to do the things that I do. For me, I think

00:16:34.860 --> 00:16:37.440
when they were little and the sleep deprivation,

00:16:37.559 --> 00:16:43.299
everything was just chaos. I was definitely doing

00:16:43.299 --> 00:16:48.559
activities to help everyone regulate. I think

00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:52.279
when things changed was when I understood that

00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:54.679
the thing that had to be regulated the most was

00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:57.700
me and I made me the focus rather than completely

00:16:57.700 --> 00:17:00.559
on them and just doing activities for them. And

00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:04.480
by proxy, they would feel that I was more regulated

00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.319
and then want to do what I wanted. what i was

00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:10.640
doing sometimes as well the way that i talk sometimes

00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:13.779
to parents about it is just so you have a format

00:17:13.779 --> 00:17:17.539
in your mind i say four aces and a joker so if

00:17:17.539 --> 00:17:21.099
you think about The ace of spades, that's our

00:17:21.099 --> 00:17:23.180
shovel, that's heavy, that's our proprioception.

00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:26.380
So we're looking for activities where those joints

00:17:26.380 --> 00:17:29.059
are getting what they need. Push, pull, carrying

00:17:29.059 --> 00:17:31.779
heavy things, being wrapped up in a blanket,

00:17:32.119 --> 00:17:35.900
jumping, crashing. Wrestling is big in our house

00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:38.160
and it's a great one for the PDAs because you

00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:41.059
can get in some of that pre -orchestrated leveling

00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:44.019
and a lot of autonomy. So that's really great.

00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.799
I love wrestling. So that's our spades. Then

00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:51.099
I have Ace of Hearts. So Ace of Hearts is in

00:17:51.099 --> 00:17:54.240
the feels. And for me, that's music. So music

00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:56.799
is something I use all the time in terms of regulation.

00:17:57.319 --> 00:18:00.079
60 to 80 beats per minute is really kind of a

00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:02.839
chill out. But with music, you have to meet kids

00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:05.220
where they're at. This is sometimes where we

00:18:05.220 --> 00:18:07.059
make this mistake. We're like, I'll just put

00:18:07.059 --> 00:18:10.960
on the Mozart, but the kids are up here. So we've

00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:13.539
got to meet them where they're at. Um, so sometimes

00:18:13.539 --> 00:18:16.240
we need that fast paced kind of dancing stuff.

00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:18.880
Bring it down, down, down, down, down. Yeah.

00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:22.500
So yeah, I'll use that. I will sometimes like

00:18:22.500 --> 00:18:25.180
yoga chanting. I'll just put it on in the background.

00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:27.900
And my kids are so used to hearing satanama.

00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:30.640
They'll just say it without even knowing they're

00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:32.839
saying it. And sometimes my son will be like,

00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:36.269
please mom, not this again. really need this

00:18:36.269 --> 00:18:39.190
like my brain needs this and he'll be like okay

00:18:39.190 --> 00:18:41.569
because we talk a lot about everyone's needs

00:18:41.569 --> 00:18:43.789
and what we um and so it'll go on and he'll be

00:18:43.789 --> 00:18:47.210
doing lego on the floor but he's like satanama

00:18:47.210 --> 00:18:49.750
so while he's doing it doesn't even know that

00:18:49.750 --> 00:18:52.289
it's this this unconscious entrainment of the

00:18:52.289 --> 00:18:54.490
brain to go with the rhythm and the beat and

00:18:54.490 --> 00:18:58.190
the repetition and it's just so powerful in terms

00:18:58.190 --> 00:19:00.730
of sort of heart rate breath rate so i use music

00:19:00.730 --> 00:19:05.079
all the time the ace of diamonds That's the sparkly

00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:08.160
stuff that really, it's about you. That's about

00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:11.099
the connection, the co -regulation, curiosity

00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:15.039
and compassion, I feel like. Again, hard to do

00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:17.079
when you're burnt out and you're starting to

00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:20.240
resent what's happening, but they're really important.

00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:23.380
Getting out in nature, if you can. So that's

00:19:23.380 --> 00:19:25.619
the clubs, that's the tree. And then the joker

00:19:25.619 --> 00:19:29.140
is the fun and the playfulness. So they're the

00:19:29.140 --> 00:19:31.640
things that I use all the time. Rinse, wash and

00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:35.079
repeat, really. Yeah, I love that. It's giving

00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:37.400
structure to something probably that parents

00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.180
are naturally already doing without even realising.

00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:42.119
They probably feel like, oh, I just need to go

00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:45.259
for a walk. It's validating, yeah, listen to

00:19:45.259 --> 00:19:46.980
your body. Yeah, that's exactly what you should

00:19:46.980 --> 00:19:49.440
be doing. That is your regulation. Rather than

00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.180
feeling guilty for that, like, oh, I should be

00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:53.160
supporting them. I should be helping them. It's

00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:55.039
like, you are helping them. You're helping them

00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:58.019
by helping yourself. Yeah. It's like the airplane

00:19:58.019 --> 00:20:00.160
thing, right? Form on your own mask before you

00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:02.660
help someone else. It's so true. You cannot regulate

00:20:02.660 --> 00:20:05.400
somebody else until you are regulated. And I

00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:07.119
love that you've structured it in such a way

00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:09.960
that is so flexible around each person, but yet

00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:12.500
it ticks off these really fundamental things.

00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:15.599
And yeah, I'm sure the children will naturally

00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:17.440
be doing it. They'll be watching you. You're

00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:19.539
modeling how to regulate when you're feeling

00:20:19.539 --> 00:20:21.240
that way, especially if you're voicing what you're

00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:23.700
doing as well, making it really obvious and really

00:20:23.700 --> 00:20:27.000
clear, narrating it, I suppose. Yeah. Then puts

00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:28.579
no demand on them. Like you've got no expectations

00:20:28.579 --> 00:20:30.720
that they'll join you. They can do their own

00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:33.339
thing, but you're narrating it. So they're building

00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:36.180
their understanding of, oh, maybe if I do that,

00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:38.180
if I feel like that, then that will help me.

00:20:38.299 --> 00:20:40.900
And without any demand, they've still got control,

00:20:41.019 --> 00:20:45.720
I suppose. Yeah, and one of my new favourites

00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:48.859
that I do often that the kids have kind of picked

00:20:48.859 --> 00:20:52.990
up on. they will now there's a couple of things

00:20:52.990 --> 00:20:55.690
that my kids will always ask for one is a game

00:20:55.690 --> 00:20:59.990
called stand up sit down so essentially my my

00:20:59.990 --> 00:21:02.750
big guy he's as big as me now but he'll sit on

00:21:02.750 --> 00:21:06.009
the couch or camp chair whatever it is and he

00:21:06.009 --> 00:21:08.250
gets me to sit on top of him so he's getting

00:21:08.250 --> 00:21:11.509
heaps of proprioception like that and so but

00:21:11.509 --> 00:21:14.390
then also because he has PDA he gets that autonomy

00:21:14.390 --> 00:21:17.769
so he's like stand up sit down stand up Sit down.

00:21:17.849 --> 00:21:20.430
And so I'm like, no, I don't want to stand up

00:21:20.430 --> 00:21:23.130
again. You're making my, you know, you're hurting

00:21:23.130 --> 00:21:25.930
my butt. My legs are so sore. I can't keep doing

00:21:25.930 --> 00:21:28.009
this. And that's where the playfulness and the

00:21:28.009 --> 00:21:29.710
fun comes in. And there's a bit of resistance,

00:21:29.910 --> 00:21:32.230
but it's playful. And he's just laughing. And

00:21:32.230 --> 00:21:34.170
he's like, stand up, sit down, stand up, sit

00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:37.579
down. So it becomes a little game. we'll be at

00:21:37.579 --> 00:21:39.279
soccer training. And he's like, do the stand

00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:41.740
up, sit down. So again, he knows what his body's

00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:44.039
need. He's asking for what he can do. It's actually

00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:45.880
helping me because I'm getting proprioception

00:21:45.880 --> 00:21:47.900
as well. And we're laughing. So that's one of

00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:50.579
the ones he asks for all the time. Yeah. The

00:21:50.579 --> 00:21:55.079
other thing I think that works for us is we,

00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:58.000
we have, we just have a whole, I have a whole

00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:00.859
heap of equipment around the house anyway. So

00:22:00.859 --> 00:22:04.180
we, we have a little hammock. here that I just

00:22:04.180 --> 00:22:06.799
turned around I can show you it's like a little

00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:10.559
one like this but I also have nature then on

00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.900
the opposite wall over here so I bring nature

00:22:13.900 --> 00:22:17.039
inside when we can't go out and it's not the

00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:20.440
same obviously as you know nice nature but just

00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:22.700
having the rocking being able to like look up

00:22:22.700 --> 00:22:25.660
at the beach and stuff it just The kids will

00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:28.660
gravitate to that and it's just, I don't even

00:22:28.660 --> 00:22:30.160
have to say, oh, it looks like you need a rock.

00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:32.519
They just go because they've had that from such

00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:34.539
a young age where I've sort of said, oh, it looks

00:22:34.539 --> 00:22:36.400
like your body needs to move and it's never been

00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:38.240
a problem. It's just, that's just what your body

00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:42.079
needs and we can get what that need met. So,

00:22:42.099 --> 00:22:46.019
yeah. I find I'm often rocking, especially in

00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:48.460
a hammock because it kind of holds you in such

00:22:48.460 --> 00:22:51.799
a beautiful hug -like way. Even my children that

00:22:51.799 --> 00:22:55.119
can't. manage a hug from a person because it's

00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:59.619
just far too much yes they get that hug sense

00:22:59.619 --> 00:23:03.339
from the hammock which is they find really regulating

00:23:03.339 --> 00:23:06.019
have you got any other resources like that that

00:23:06.019 --> 00:23:08.680
you have it around the home that you use often

00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:12.250
that you find really helpful Every day we have

00:23:12.250 --> 00:23:15.809
what I'd call two boss chairs, which is two office

00:23:15.809 --> 00:23:18.410
chairs that are wheelie that you can spin around

00:23:18.410 --> 00:23:20.769
in. They're just at our dining table. That's

00:23:20.769 --> 00:23:23.769
not even a thing. And they will fight over who

00:23:23.769 --> 00:23:26.509
gets which one because one has a slice in it

00:23:26.509 --> 00:23:30.549
from when there was a meltdown. So it just makes

00:23:30.549 --> 00:23:32.990
dinner time so much more enjoyable for everyone

00:23:32.990 --> 00:23:36.390
because they can just move. Also for the PDA.

00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:40.660
what I do a process called backwards chaining

00:23:40.660 --> 00:23:44.059
so for instance if the goal is to go to the drawer

00:23:44.059 --> 00:23:46.460
to get the cutlery and I'm trying to scaffold

00:23:46.460 --> 00:23:48.579
that I actually bring the cutlery to the table

00:23:48.579 --> 00:23:50.900
and then I'll slowly move it closer and closer

00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:54.000
to the drawer so now he'll just scoot across

00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.599
in the boss chair on the wheelie chair and then

00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:01.259
come back with his knife and fork I know then

00:24:01.259 --> 00:24:03.819
though when he does ask me to get it for him

00:24:03.819 --> 00:24:05.859
that that's a sign of where his nervous system

00:24:05.859 --> 00:24:08.500
is at because I know that if he can do it for

00:24:08.500 --> 00:24:11.799
himself he would much prefer to do that and I

00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:13.400
don't say hey have you got your knife and fork

00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:15.519
he'll just scoot over and get it and come back

00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:19.359
so it's just little ways that you can kind of

00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:22.339
get some movement in and do that and with our

00:24:22.339 --> 00:24:26.029
PDA like there's no plating of food it's like

00:24:26.029 --> 00:24:28.509
a little buffet and you just choose choose what

00:24:28.509 --> 00:24:31.170
you want as long as it's all options that people

00:24:31.170 --> 00:24:33.809
will eat and there's a good balance yeah i would

00:24:33.809 --> 00:24:36.829
say with my kids still really like baths as well

00:24:36.829 --> 00:24:39.390
as a good way to wind down but not all kids are

00:24:39.390 --> 00:24:42.069
like that as well we do have a weighted blanket

00:24:42.069 --> 00:24:44.750
and my youngest really likes to lie on that on

00:24:44.750 --> 00:24:47.950
a big kind of squishy bean bag he'll do that

00:24:47.950 --> 00:24:50.809
while he's on his ipad so you kind of gives him

00:24:50.809 --> 00:24:53.869
a bit of grounding, bit of downtime as well.

00:24:53.990 --> 00:24:57.109
And I have this giant piece of Lycra that I just

00:24:57.109 --> 00:24:59.509
bought when they had a big sale at one of our

00:24:59.509 --> 00:25:02.109
shops here called Spotlight. It was like 50 %

00:25:02.109 --> 00:25:05.730
off and I can tie that around a table and create

00:25:05.730 --> 00:25:08.589
a little cubby. You can just wrap them up in

00:25:08.589 --> 00:25:12.450
it. It's so versatile. And so I just use that.

00:25:12.990 --> 00:25:16.269
quite often as well and I've got body socks and

00:25:16.269 --> 00:25:19.450
weighted balls lots of fidgets we just have a

00:25:19.450 --> 00:25:22.230
bowl of fidgets just they go get them as they

00:25:22.230 --> 00:25:25.329
need them yeah noise cancelling headphones we

00:25:25.329 --> 00:25:28.569
have a couple of pairs as well so yeah we just

00:25:28.569 --> 00:25:32.430
use pretty much everything we can that wouldn't

00:25:32.430 --> 00:25:36.029
be on the sensory like list I love that it's

00:25:36.029 --> 00:25:38.869
things like having a buffet out so that they

00:25:38.869 --> 00:25:40.369
can choose their meals they can listen to their

00:25:40.369 --> 00:25:43.329
body they know how like any home can do that

00:25:43.329 --> 00:25:47.650
like that's such a beautiful example of a regulating

00:25:47.650 --> 00:25:50.230
tool you know you're supporting them you're working

00:25:50.230 --> 00:25:54.170
together it just tells them I believe you you

00:25:54.170 --> 00:25:57.089
listen to your body I believe that you understand

00:25:57.089 --> 00:25:59.690
your body like you're saying so much by just

00:25:59.690 --> 00:26:02.190
trusting them in that and I think that is so

00:26:02.190 --> 00:26:04.250
beautiful and then you said backward leaning

00:26:04.250 --> 00:26:07.089
as well which is so wonderful starting with the

00:26:07.089 --> 00:26:11.440
end goal and like and doing all the trips in

00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:13.960
between and then you taking away a step and then

00:26:13.960 --> 00:26:15.539
taking another way a step and then eventually

00:26:15.539 --> 00:26:17.480
they are doing it all themselves but they've

00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:20.240
they've done it in a way that you haven't given

00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:22.500
them an instruction and told them to do it you've

00:26:22.500 --> 00:26:25.359
just led them and guided them in that beautiful

00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:29.140
long -term goal kind of way of yeah achieving

00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:32.339
that independence skill i mean ultimately pda

00:26:32.339 --> 00:26:35.819
is want to be independent and capable and to

00:26:35.819 --> 00:26:38.279
do things themselves and i think that is so beautiful

00:26:38.279 --> 00:26:41.160
and we should validate that in any way we can

00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:43.940
i suppose there are there will be some things

00:26:43.940 --> 00:26:46.640
into this though that i think we have some things

00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:49.640
just have to be done like i can't wait for them

00:26:49.640 --> 00:26:51.859
to be ready to clean their teeth or ready to

00:26:51.859 --> 00:26:54.940
wash their hair or ready to leave for the school

00:26:54.940 --> 00:26:57.819
you know what how do you manage those kind of

00:26:57.819 --> 00:27:00.970
situations of things that they just have to happen

00:27:00.970 --> 00:27:03.849
and they have to happen now? Yeah, I think, again,

00:27:04.029 --> 00:27:08.549
it depends on where everyone's at. So I guess

00:27:08.549 --> 00:27:11.809
with school can't, for me, that's a nervous system

00:27:11.809 --> 00:27:15.289
state and and of itself. So we're at, you know,

00:27:15.289 --> 00:27:18.150
functional freeze. Why are we at functional freeze?

00:27:18.410 --> 00:27:21.789
There's actually not much I can do in terms of

00:27:21.789 --> 00:27:24.910
regulating once we've got to school can't because

00:27:24.910 --> 00:27:27.490
a lot of that has happened outside of this environment

00:27:27.490 --> 00:27:31.049
at home. So, again, I would be looking at the

00:27:31.049 --> 00:27:33.950
individual child and trying to figure out exactly

00:27:33.950 --> 00:27:36.150
where their nervous system is at and then be

00:27:36.150 --> 00:27:39.210
able to put some things in place. With my kids,

00:27:39.450 --> 00:27:42.740
we have, again, used things that... particularly

00:27:42.740 --> 00:27:45.640
in the more so for bedtime when that little brain

00:27:45.640 --> 00:27:49.059
is trying to unwind. So we've used EFT tapping

00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:51.920
before here. I find that really, it's quick,

00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:54.440
portable. Again, I try to do these things that

00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:56.599
are quick and portable because parents don't

00:27:56.599 --> 00:27:59.119
have time. And sometimes for kids, again, like

00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:01.880
this is not for my PDA -er, but my youngest,

00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:04.759
he really liked watching a video and having someone

00:28:04.759 --> 00:28:07.819
show him how to do it and then repeating it all.

00:28:07.940 --> 00:28:11.680
The other one I do is havening and a lot of my

00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:15.980
PDAs on my caseload are really into cats or pretend

00:28:15.980 --> 00:28:18.579
to be cats or have pet cats and so we call it

00:28:18.579 --> 00:28:22.279
kitty cat pats and so it's just this lovely slow

00:28:22.279 --> 00:28:25.119
motion like this and if you're doing it in the

00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:28.299
proper way you would have a mantra as well and

00:28:28.299 --> 00:28:31.980
it includes like this and then like this so really

00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:35.160
lovely so You can do it to the child if they're

00:28:35.160 --> 00:28:37.119
happy to, or they can do it for themselves. And

00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:39.019
then you would say a mantra like, I am safe,

00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:41.539
I am loved, I'm secure, or whatever they want

00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:44.119
to say that makes them feel fine and good and

00:28:44.119 --> 00:28:46.779
safe. And then you just kind of repeat that until

00:28:46.779 --> 00:28:49.519
you start to feel a little bit more grounded,

00:28:49.619 --> 00:28:51.759
regulated, safe. And so that's called havening.

00:28:51.819 --> 00:28:54.789
It's something that I... rely on myself when

00:28:54.789 --> 00:28:57.549
I can't get back to sleep but also my kids will

00:28:57.549 --> 00:29:00.369
ask for it can you do the kitty cat pats so use

00:29:00.369 --> 00:29:03.349
those as well it's portable it doesn't take very

00:29:03.349 --> 00:29:06.190
long you just kind of need to gather your yourself

00:29:06.190 --> 00:29:09.390
for a few moments and take some breaths and just

00:29:09.390 --> 00:29:11.630
sometimes that's all we need is just a few minutes

00:29:11.630 --> 00:29:15.019
to pause and Again, the kids see you doing something

00:29:15.019 --> 00:29:17.480
that helps and they're like, that's made mom

00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:19.980
feel better or dad feel better. And maybe I'll

00:29:19.980 --> 00:29:21.880
give that a go because they just feel it. They're

00:29:21.880 --> 00:29:25.140
so intuitive. Teeth brushing is a bit of a weird

00:29:25.140 --> 00:29:28.599
one. So particularly for bedtime, I read this,

00:29:28.660 --> 00:29:31.119
I think it was an Instagram post from a psychologist

00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:34.509
who said sometimes for kids that. have a bit

00:29:34.509 --> 00:29:37.049
of an anxious attachment or separation issues.

00:29:37.490 --> 00:29:39.990
The last thing you do is brush your teeth before

00:29:39.990 --> 00:29:41.890
you go to bed. So it was more a psychological

00:29:41.890 --> 00:29:44.349
reason that they're finding it difficult. So

00:29:44.349 --> 00:29:46.829
we just moved brushing teeth into the bed and

00:29:46.829 --> 00:29:48.950
it was a lot more receptive for both of my kids

00:29:48.950 --> 00:29:51.710
doing that. Again, that was many years ago now.

00:29:51.890 --> 00:29:54.769
And sometimes they'll just be so tired as well

00:29:54.769 --> 00:29:56.910
that they're just, because they've held it together

00:29:56.910 --> 00:29:59.950
all day. Like this is a really important thing

00:29:59.950 --> 00:30:03.799
to remember is pick and choose. your timing like

00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:07.240
if if you can only get one toothbrushing thing

00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:09.480
in and it's not going to be at night because

00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:12.140
they've they're at their limit then it's not

00:30:12.140 --> 00:30:14.440
going to be at night i don't i don't think we

00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:19.079
can force kids to do things that to them it feels

00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:21.960
noxious it feels like this is the most threatening

00:30:21.960 --> 00:30:25.410
thing that could happen to them we they're You

00:30:25.410 --> 00:30:27.109
know, we've gone through a million different

00:30:27.109 --> 00:30:29.410
toothpaste flavors, as I'm sure many parents

00:30:29.410 --> 00:30:32.930
would have. Sometimes the little silicon finger

00:30:32.930 --> 00:30:35.789
brushes will allow kids to have more control

00:30:35.789 --> 00:30:39.170
and not gag. So sometimes they're a better option.

00:30:39.450 --> 00:30:41.730
Vibrating toothbrushes, some kids will gravitate

00:30:41.730 --> 00:30:44.890
to, and sometimes they can help with desensitization

00:30:44.890 --> 00:30:48.990
as well. Yeah, yeah. Teeth brushing is tricky.

00:30:49.210 --> 00:30:52.170
I have never had anyone, and it makes so much

00:30:52.170 --> 00:30:56.079
sense. put the two together that you're doing

00:30:56.079 --> 00:31:00.140
this really tricky sensory taste texture all

00:31:00.140 --> 00:31:03.220
this stuff after a full day of holding it together

00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:06.079
and before an evening that is often quite tricky

00:31:06.079 --> 00:31:08.900
because yeah you're leaving your parent your

00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:13.420
safety sleep is tricky getting to sleep is tricky

00:31:13.420 --> 00:31:16.319
like the tooth brushing is like the worst time

00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:19.539
in the evening and I've never put two and two

00:31:19.539 --> 00:31:24.750
together that is So interesting to me that, of

00:31:24.750 --> 00:31:27.029
course, that's going to be even more tricky to

00:31:27.029 --> 00:31:28.750
do that really tricky thing at that really tricky

00:31:28.750 --> 00:31:33.069
time. No wonder it causes so much anxiety. Also,

00:31:33.170 --> 00:31:34.869
parents are really tired as well. You've run

00:31:34.869 --> 00:31:37.609
out of all of your tricks and all of your energy

00:31:37.609 --> 00:31:40.450
and all of your like, could you just clean your

00:31:40.450 --> 00:31:44.470
teeth? No wonder it's often that really tricky

00:31:44.470 --> 00:31:46.730
sticking ground. I think it's really beautiful.

00:31:46.769 --> 00:31:48.970
One that you gave permission to just. Just do

00:31:48.970 --> 00:31:51.430
it at a different time, I think is a really beautiful

00:31:51.430 --> 00:31:54.650
and so easy support strategy for that. You know,

00:31:54.670 --> 00:31:55.990
maybe you do it straight after dinner, maybe

00:31:55.990 --> 00:31:57.470
you do it in the bath, maybe you do it in the

00:31:57.470 --> 00:32:00.549
morning instead, I think is beautiful. And yeah,

00:32:00.630 --> 00:32:02.990
why not? There's a couple of things that I didn't

00:32:02.990 --> 00:32:06.269
say. I would, and having, again, doing it since

00:32:06.269 --> 00:32:09.089
they're little, dimming lights, if you can, going

00:32:09.089 --> 00:32:11.490
for lamps, doing all that kind of stuff. And

00:32:11.490 --> 00:32:13.950
as a visual signal, I will get in my pajamas.

00:32:14.130 --> 00:32:17.170
It just says, hey, it's wind down time. This

00:32:17.170 --> 00:32:19.309
is what we're doing. Acts as a visual cue to

00:32:19.309 --> 00:32:21.930
my expectations of them without saying the expectation.

00:32:22.289 --> 00:32:25.750
I am very, again, fortunate that I do what I

00:32:25.750 --> 00:32:29.430
do. And so I've made the implicit explicit. I

00:32:29.430 --> 00:32:31.630
would be just commenting and saying, you're yawning

00:32:31.630 --> 00:32:35.390
a lot. It looks like your eyes are falling out

00:32:35.390 --> 00:32:37.809
of your head. I wonder what that could be like.

00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:40.619
It seems like you're moving a lot slower. And

00:32:40.619 --> 00:32:43.319
my kids will now tell me they are tired. And

00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:45.640
that's a lucky thing that that happens. That

00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:47.460
doesn't always happen if we have interoception

00:32:47.460 --> 00:32:49.359
issues and we don't recognize when we're too

00:32:49.359 --> 00:32:53.039
tired. With PDAs, you know, we went through stages

00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:55.920
where... he would want to sleep in different

00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:58.660
directions on the bed or in a different bed or

00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:01.599
we needed to have this certain blanket and there

00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:03.940
needed to be different amounts of novelty and

00:33:03.940 --> 00:33:07.779
things. That has changed randomly, not that randomly,

00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:10.980
but I'd been listening to this hypnosis app to

00:33:10.980 --> 00:33:14.839
help me sleep and it's like a CBT script about...

00:33:15.210 --> 00:33:18.089
you know, handling stress and staying positive

00:33:18.089 --> 00:33:20.549
and, you know, you're going to cope, it's going

00:33:20.549 --> 00:33:22.970
to be okay. And I listened to that when I was

00:33:22.970 --> 00:33:25.529
pregnant and I thought, you know what, my ex

00:33:25.529 --> 00:33:27.750
-husband was away so I had my kids for nine days.

00:33:27.829 --> 00:33:29.470
I was like, I'm just going to play it for my

00:33:29.470 --> 00:33:32.809
PDA when he's asleep. Like, what could happen?

00:33:33.950 --> 00:33:36.109
It's fine. What's the worst that could happen?

00:33:36.269 --> 00:33:41.430
And it was actually phenomenal. So we used to

00:33:41.430 --> 00:33:43.710
not be able to go to Kmart, which is a big...

00:33:43.950 --> 00:33:45.970
you know, department store here, lots of stuff

00:33:45.970 --> 00:33:49.289
without, you know, a Mexican standoff because

00:33:49.289 --> 00:33:51.250
we're not leaving till we get something, all

00:33:51.250 --> 00:33:54.809
these big things. And we just, after that, you

00:33:54.809 --> 00:33:57.609
know, two weeks, I could walk in, I could walk

00:33:57.609 --> 00:34:01.470
in. I was like, like, yeah, it didn't change

00:34:01.470 --> 00:34:05.369
his PDA. You know, he still is a PDA. He still

00:34:05.369 --> 00:34:09.340
has nervous system responses to. those demands

00:34:09.340 --> 00:34:13.519
being placed on him but his his capacity to sit

00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:16.480
with the discomfort a little bit more was actually

00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:18.960
quite big and handle disappointment was a lot

00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:24.659
bigger as well and yeah I yeah it has been a

00:34:24.659 --> 00:34:28.239
game changer so yeah that yes the other thing

00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:31.670
is just that Things used to be so stressful.

00:34:31.750 --> 00:34:34.070
And then again, we were incredibly blessed with

00:34:34.070 --> 00:34:36.650
a gorgeous support worker who came to work with

00:34:36.650 --> 00:34:40.070
us. And my ex -husband is a medical emergency

00:34:40.070 --> 00:34:43.590
doctor. So think COVID, think the stress of him

00:34:43.590 --> 00:34:46.489
being there, me stuck in a house with these kids.

00:34:46.510 --> 00:34:50.190
It was a lot. And we fortunately got funding

00:34:50.190 --> 00:34:54.130
for a support worker. And I was trepidatious.

00:34:54.130 --> 00:34:55.929
I was like, one more person, it's going to send

00:34:55.929 --> 00:34:59.030
it. round the bend I got him to come in and help

00:34:59.030 --> 00:35:02.329
and he was just so playful and I was like this

00:35:02.329 --> 00:35:05.030
is what's missing like the kids are anxious because

00:35:05.030 --> 00:35:07.750
I'm anxious and I'm exhausted and I yeah and

00:35:07.750 --> 00:35:10.989
so in bath times we I started a game called is

00:35:10.989 --> 00:35:14.630
it a hat and I would just put silly random things

00:35:14.630 --> 00:35:17.849
on my head like is it a hat and they'd be like

00:35:17.849 --> 00:35:20.869
that's not a hat And then, like, a toilet roll

00:35:20.869 --> 00:35:22.989
or whatever I could find. And so it was just

00:35:22.989 --> 00:35:26.250
discharging that last little bit of anxiety that

00:35:26.250 --> 00:35:28.869
was left from the day with that laughter and

00:35:28.869 --> 00:35:32.369
that silliness. And then they would, like, be

00:35:32.369 --> 00:35:35.610
much more willing to go to bed and happy to sort

00:35:35.610 --> 00:35:37.690
of do that. I was going to say that's so relationship

00:35:37.690 --> 00:35:40.329
-built. You could have been doing your best mumming

00:35:40.329 --> 00:35:43.289
all day and then all they remember is when you

00:35:43.289 --> 00:35:44.789
were really frustrated with them when they wouldn't

00:35:44.789 --> 00:35:46.289
go to bed or wouldn't clean their teeth. It's

00:35:46.289 --> 00:35:47.570
not fair, is it? That's not going to be their

00:35:47.570 --> 00:35:50.849
last moment. And then of the poor mums. I mean,

00:35:50.849 --> 00:35:53.750
God, you carry enough guilt as it is, which is

00:35:53.750 --> 00:35:56.590
wrongly placed, I must say. But then if that

00:35:56.590 --> 00:35:59.090
is their last thing, and then you've let yourself

00:35:59.090 --> 00:36:00.389
down, you feel like you've let yourself down,

00:36:00.389 --> 00:36:02.150
even though you've been doing your best work

00:36:02.150 --> 00:36:05.289
all day, you've carried everything. You've carried

00:36:05.289 --> 00:36:08.670
the load, the emotional load of everything and

00:36:08.670 --> 00:36:12.369
everyone in your household. And then that last

00:36:12.369 --> 00:36:15.650
little thing, that's got to be in your head.

00:36:15.670 --> 00:36:17.550
Not all the amazing work you've done all day.

00:36:17.949 --> 00:36:21.659
Yeah. One of the other ones that I do often hear

00:36:21.659 --> 00:36:24.960
is just speak in an accent because it'll get

00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:28.739
them to laugh. And one of the ones is King Julian

00:36:28.739 --> 00:36:32.579
from Madagascar. So I'll be like, Maurice, get

00:36:32.579 --> 00:36:35.539
me my towel. I need my towel. And they'll be

00:36:35.539 --> 00:36:38.019
like, oh, that mom, she's at it again. Does that

00:36:38.019 --> 00:36:41.340
help with giving instructions to PDAs to make

00:36:41.340 --> 00:36:45.070
that be kind of fun in that way? become an accent

00:36:45.070 --> 00:36:47.289
because then it's not mom asking me to do it

00:36:47.289 --> 00:36:50.670
it's king julian or you know it's sometimes it

00:36:50.670 --> 00:36:54.010
can help sometimes yeah it just again it depends

00:36:54.010 --> 00:36:57.829
on where that nervous system is at and you get

00:36:57.829 --> 00:37:00.969
good at going no humor is not going to work now

00:37:00.969 --> 00:37:03.769
like this just needs to be held and heard and

00:37:03.769 --> 00:37:06.429
all those sort of things yeah but yeah king julian's

00:37:06.429 --> 00:37:09.010
been working quite well for a while the other

00:37:09.010 --> 00:37:12.230
thing that i do often is i'll have fake tantrums

00:37:12.230 --> 00:37:15.449
and i'll be like like throwing the pillow off

00:37:15.449 --> 00:37:17.929
the bed and I say, I can't do this anymore. Like

00:37:17.929 --> 00:37:20.329
I'm too tired. And he'll just be looking at me

00:37:20.329 --> 00:37:23.170
laughing or shaking his head going, you're so

00:37:23.170 --> 00:37:25.550
ridiculous. You know, again, it just gets them

00:37:25.550 --> 00:37:29.010
laughing. And that's an outburst for you as well.

00:37:29.070 --> 00:37:32.869
That's a very safe outburst for a parent to actually

00:37:32.869 --> 00:37:35.550
have, because then you can kind of throw yourself

00:37:35.550 --> 00:37:37.389
around a little bit. You're grounded in that.

00:37:37.429 --> 00:37:39.050
You can throw things because you probably actually

00:37:39.050 --> 00:37:40.809
do want to throw things and scream a little bit,

00:37:40.829 --> 00:37:42.510
but you're not doing it in anger. You're doing

00:37:42.510 --> 00:37:45.090
it, no. enjoy but you're still releasing that

00:37:45.090 --> 00:37:48.389
energy aren't you yeah very good tactic yeah

00:37:48.389 --> 00:37:51.989
yeah that works well i used to say i used to

00:37:51.989 --> 00:37:54.750
say to my my pdf when he was little because he

00:37:54.750 --> 00:37:58.550
a very um rule policey if because of the anxiety

00:37:58.550 --> 00:38:00.809
and i'd say show me the rule book where does

00:38:00.809 --> 00:38:03.469
it say in there that this this is absolutely

00:38:03.469 --> 00:38:06.369
what we have to do and he'd be like it's here

00:38:07.980 --> 00:38:10.559
can you help me to see it like so again there's

00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:13.780
playful ways to sort of question you know is

00:38:13.780 --> 00:38:16.039
this is this a fact or is this a tricky thought

00:38:16.039 --> 00:38:18.519
that you're having and we can sit with the tricky

00:38:18.519 --> 00:38:20.780
thought but we might also be able to find a more

00:38:20.780 --> 00:38:23.739
positive one that's actually more aligned and

00:38:23.739 --> 00:38:28.619
factual than what is going on so um yeah those

00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:33.079
yeah that was amazing you're full of such great

00:38:33.079 --> 00:38:35.159
advice there'll be lots of parents listening

00:38:35.159 --> 00:38:37.690
and lots of parents will be totally relating

00:38:37.690 --> 00:38:40.670
to everything you are saying about what it's

00:38:40.670 --> 00:38:44.809
like to live and parent a PDA. What's something

00:38:44.809 --> 00:38:47.969
that you would want all of them to know or to

00:38:47.969 --> 00:38:52.570
hear? Yeah, I think one, I would say, trust your

00:38:52.570 --> 00:38:56.730
intuition about what they need and don't be afraid

00:38:56.730 --> 00:39:00.329
to ask for help. And if you feel like it's not

00:39:00.329 --> 00:39:03.650
the right help. keep going because you know I've

00:39:03.650 --> 00:39:06.690
got quite a few kids on my caseload who had seen

00:39:06.690 --> 00:39:10.769
other OTs previously and they just didn't they

00:39:10.769 --> 00:39:14.849
don't know about PDA or that's not their cup

00:39:14.849 --> 00:39:17.550
of tea I guess and so they're coming to me having

00:39:17.550 --> 00:39:20.610
a not so great experience and then when they

00:39:20.610 --> 00:39:23.030
see that things can be playful and it can be

00:39:23.030 --> 00:39:25.409
child -led and they're like this is so different

00:39:25.409 --> 00:39:28.780
and But the thing is, even for the minority that

00:39:28.780 --> 00:39:31.239
aren't PDAs, I work in the same way anyway, because

00:39:31.239 --> 00:39:35.260
it's so empowering for children. And I think

00:39:35.260 --> 00:39:39.300
the things, like when I think back to when we

00:39:39.300 --> 00:39:43.239
were in school can't and some of the bigger aggressions

00:39:43.239 --> 00:39:45.880
that were happening, we were thinking, oh, this

00:39:45.880 --> 00:39:48.599
is just PDA. This is just PDA. And it actually

00:39:48.599 --> 00:39:51.199
wasn't. It was grief. So the other thing to remember

00:39:51.199 --> 00:39:55.679
is it's not always PDA, but sometimes we think.

00:39:56.139 --> 00:39:59.179
It's all just nervous system disability and where

00:39:59.179 --> 00:40:02.119
they're at but they have other really valid feelings

00:40:02.119 --> 00:40:05.139
too and we need to be looking out for some of

00:40:05.139 --> 00:40:08.980
those because I think as a group of children

00:40:08.980 --> 00:40:12.460
they do experience quite a bit of trauma as well

00:40:12.460 --> 00:40:15.980
because as a child you don't get a lot of autonomy

00:40:15.980 --> 00:40:20.280
and choice and even with really parents. that

00:40:20.280 --> 00:40:22.679
are well -meaning and are doing their best, there

00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:24.360
are things that are going to happen that, you

00:40:24.360 --> 00:40:28.639
know, it's, I think, yeah, a really tricky thing.

00:40:29.039 --> 00:40:32.420
And just that, you know, I think you can have,

00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:34.840
there's a lot of talk about radical acceptance

00:40:34.840 --> 00:40:38.019
and I think that is very much needed as well.

00:40:38.760 --> 00:40:42.019
But you also, like, this is just my personal

00:40:42.019 --> 00:40:45.119
values. I just have, I'm a very hopeful person

00:40:45.119 --> 00:40:48.420
and I have a lot of gratitude and I think you

00:40:48.420 --> 00:40:52.760
need. all three of those things you need to be

00:40:52.760 --> 00:40:55.360
able to as we talked about before witness the

00:40:55.360 --> 00:40:59.500
small wins and be able to see yeah your your

00:40:59.500 --> 00:41:02.940
child as a whole person just as they are and

00:41:02.940 --> 00:41:06.559
know that they are growing and changing that

00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:08.820
neuroplasticity does exist it won't take away

00:41:08.820 --> 00:41:12.199
the PDA but nothing stays the same ever it'll

00:41:12.199 --> 00:41:14.500
shift and it might be minute it might be minute

00:41:14.500 --> 00:41:18.099
but there will be a shift and a change As I said,

00:41:18.119 --> 00:41:21.599
try and create community for yourself because

00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:24.579
it can be so isolating if you're stuck in the

00:41:24.579 --> 00:41:28.039
house and just feeling like nobody understands

00:41:28.039 --> 00:41:33.820
this and you're alone. There are many families

00:41:33.820 --> 00:41:37.440
in exactly your situation and the more we can

00:41:37.440 --> 00:41:40.199
take the shame away from what's going on and

00:41:40.199 --> 00:41:43.559
talk about it because there's no possible way,

00:41:43.639 --> 00:41:47.309
I don't think, for... two nervous systems or

00:41:47.309 --> 00:41:50.010
three to be at such a heightened place buffering

00:41:50.010 --> 00:41:52.289
off each other all the time without one or more

00:41:52.289 --> 00:41:55.449
people going into burnout it's just it's not

00:41:55.449 --> 00:41:59.190
possible and yet you can be doing everything

00:41:59.190 --> 00:42:04.010
that you can at home and school might not be

00:42:04.010 --> 00:42:08.449
on board and It's a tricky path to walk and,

00:42:08.489 --> 00:42:10.969
yeah, trying to make those decisions as to, you

00:42:10.969 --> 00:42:12.989
know, whether you homeschool for a period of

00:42:12.989 --> 00:42:17.170
time and try and re -engage. It's really hard

00:42:17.170 --> 00:42:22.409
to find what works. But I think, yeah, it's,

00:42:22.409 --> 00:42:27.210
yeah. But, yeah. And I just respect PDA parents

00:42:27.210 --> 00:42:30.429
so much. Like I just, yeah, they're some of the

00:42:30.429 --> 00:42:33.329
most, yeah, really beautiful people. Yeah. And

00:42:33.329 --> 00:42:37.840
they wholeheartedly. believe and advocate for

00:42:37.840 --> 00:42:43.539
their children so well so well yeah i think that's

00:42:43.539 --> 00:42:45.980
one thing that pda does really well is it actually

00:42:45.980 --> 00:42:49.780
nurtures such beautiful parenting like i have

00:42:49.780 --> 00:42:52.719
met so many wonderful parents of pda is that

00:42:52.719 --> 00:42:56.239
just know their children so well advocate for

00:42:56.239 --> 00:42:58.760
their children so well manage their needs just

00:42:58.760 --> 00:43:00.920
almost effortlessly like they might have never

00:43:00.920 --> 00:43:04.309
been taught this stuff officially They just know

00:43:04.309 --> 00:43:08.489
how to say certain things, how to portray, you

00:43:08.489 --> 00:43:10.269
know, whatever it is they need to do. They just

00:43:10.269 --> 00:43:13.570
find these beautiful ways. And I'm constantly

00:43:13.570 --> 00:43:17.409
learning from the amazing parenting of PDAers.

00:43:17.469 --> 00:43:20.260
So, yeah, credit. If you're listening to this

00:43:20.260 --> 00:43:22.559
and you believe your child is a PDA, diagnosed

00:43:22.559 --> 00:43:25.420
or not, we just think you're doing such an incredible

00:43:25.420 --> 00:43:27.500
job. And if you're listening to this and you're

00:43:27.500 --> 00:43:30.179
not sure if your child is or not, good PDA practice

00:43:30.179 --> 00:43:33.219
is just good practice. So whether you're a teacher

00:43:33.219 --> 00:43:35.639
or a parent, maybe try some of this stuff. Look

00:43:35.639 --> 00:43:39.280
at the PDA Society. Look up, you know, good PDA

00:43:39.280 --> 00:43:42.400
practice. It genuinely is good practice. It wouldn't

00:43:42.400 --> 00:43:45.260
do any harm to any other child or student if

00:43:45.260 --> 00:43:47.559
you test it out. these things it just lessens

00:43:47.559 --> 00:43:50.619
anxiety it gives them more autonomy um and it

00:43:50.619 --> 00:43:53.960
just makes it more fun to teach them parent them

00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:55.360
and all of those kind of things so it's just

00:43:55.360 --> 00:43:57.699
good practice so if you're in doubt don't be

00:43:57.699 --> 00:44:00.320
in doubt of the strategies just test them out

00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:02.980
and yeah you will see that kind of connection

00:44:02.980 --> 00:44:05.539
building that anxiety reduce for sure thank you

00:44:05.539 --> 00:44:07.800
so much alicia talking about community i think

00:44:07.800 --> 00:44:10.360
social media is such a beautiful part of that

00:44:10.360 --> 00:44:13.230
now you know you might not have full understanding

00:44:13.230 --> 00:44:15.610
in your family or you might the school might

00:44:15.610 --> 00:44:19.010
not understand um you might not have a partner

00:44:19.010 --> 00:44:21.050
who really understands your children and it can

00:44:21.050 --> 00:44:23.989
be really isolating as you said but the beauty

00:44:23.989 --> 00:44:27.670
of social media is that people in the UK can

00:44:27.670 --> 00:44:30.670
follow you and people like you that are across

00:44:30.670 --> 00:44:33.309
the world that are living you know walking in

00:44:33.309 --> 00:44:36.030
their steps living there really similar life

00:44:36.030 --> 00:44:38.489
to them and giving really beautiful and honest

00:44:38.489 --> 00:44:41.630
an account of your life and i love your account

00:44:41.630 --> 00:44:44.429
for that it's regulation nation for those of

00:44:44.429 --> 00:44:46.789
you that want to go and follow on instagram where

00:44:46.789 --> 00:44:50.460
else can people find you Yeah, just Regulation

00:44:50.460 --> 00:44:53.039
Nation. I'm also on Facebook, but to be honest,

00:44:53.179 --> 00:44:56.760
I don't go there very often. I find Instagram's

00:44:56.760 --> 00:44:59.679
just easier format, but my business is super

00:44:59.679 --> 00:45:02.659
sensational therapy services. So you will find

00:45:02.659 --> 00:45:05.280
me on Facebook if you would prefer more formal,

00:45:05.340 --> 00:45:07.539
but mostly everything happens through Regulation

00:45:07.539 --> 00:45:11.019
Nation. And I don't mind DMs. I get asked all

00:45:11.019 --> 00:45:13.119
kinds of questions and sometimes I can answer

00:45:13.119 --> 00:45:15.460
them. Sometimes I can't, but I don't at all mind.

00:45:15.559 --> 00:45:18.139
Cause yeah, I am about building community. Yeah,

00:45:18.219 --> 00:45:20.460
absolutely. It's the only way and it's the beauty.

00:45:20.599 --> 00:45:22.639
It's the best thing about social media. I'll

00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:24.980
also leave those links in the description below

00:45:24.980 --> 00:45:26.320
as well if you want to check those out. Thank

00:45:26.320 --> 00:45:28.380
you so much for joining me today, Alicia. I have

00:45:28.380 --> 00:45:30.500
loved having this conversation. It's so important.

00:45:30.719 --> 00:45:34.119
And I, for one, my homework, if you will, is

00:45:34.119 --> 00:45:36.739
to just find the silly. I think that is just

00:45:36.739 --> 00:45:41.219
so, such a cheap, easy, accessible tool that

00:45:41.219 --> 00:45:44.380
we've all got. And yeah, I just need to... I

00:45:44.380 --> 00:45:46.260
need to do it more. I need to find the silliness.

00:45:46.380 --> 00:45:48.579
And yeah, that's what I'm taking from this conversation.

00:45:48.679 --> 00:45:51.260
So thank you for that. No problem. You can find

00:45:51.260 --> 00:45:54.699
your own King Julian. You know it. I like to

00:45:54.699 --> 00:45:58.659
move it, move it. Yeah, perfect. Thanks so much.
