For many families, the moment the Christmas tree comes down marks more than the end of the festive season. It signals a shift in energy, routine, and expectations within the home. The lights are packed away. The decorations return to the loft. School bags are repacked. Alarms are reset. And suddenly, the pace of life changes again. For neurodivergent children, and for the parents supporting them, this transition can feel surprisingly heavy.

What many parents don’t realise is just how much their own emotional state influences their child’s ability to calm themselves. This is where co-regulation comes in.

Summer holidays… for many families, they’re a time of ice creams, sandy toes, and memory-making moments. But for families with neurodivergent children, they can also bring a very different kind of heat - the emotional kind.

This blog was inspired by a powerful talk I heard at One Church, Gloucester  on Sunday 18th May 2025. Adam Mansfield spoke beautifully on...