In this episode, Mark is joined once again by the brilliant Jo Matthews for a cathartic, hilarious, and occasionally sweary dive into the unfiltered reality of parenting autistic, ADHD and PDA kids.

From "It's just a label" and "He’s fine with me" to "You just need to push them out of their comfort zone", this is part one of a two-part special on the unsolicited commentary we all get, whether it’s from strangers, family members, or well-meaning-but-utterly-wrong professionals. The kind of comments that pretend to be supportive but are really just dismissive, ignorant, or unhelpfully optimistic.

Together, Mark and Jo share personal stories, listener submissions, and a few moments of pure rage-laughter, as they unpack why these statements cut so deep – and how to push back with humour, honesty, and the occasional incredulous raise of the eyebrow.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 – Intro & Meet the Guest: Jo Matthews

06:00 – “It's just a label”

08:00 - The story of Rube Waddell

16:00 - "Stop Mollycoddling your child"

21:00 - "You let them win too much"

22:30 - "Can't you just make them do it?"

26:00 - "You should make their home life more unpleasant"

28:00 - "Your parenting is wishy washy"

31:00 - "Children just need boundaries"

36:00 - "You need to push them out of their comfort zone"

43:00 - "Are you too afraid to say no?"

48:00 - "How will they manage in the real world?"

52:00 - "Sometimes, it's a choice"

54:00 - "They're just trying to get their own way"

01:02:00 - "They're fine when they're with me"

01:07:00 - The Positives

01:09:30 - Neurodiversity Champions

01:12:00 - Tiny Epic Wins

01:14:30 - What the Flip?

01:17:00 - Wrap-Up & What’s Coming in Part Two

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

• Rube Waddell - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Waddell


• "Am I raising an arsehole?" episode of Neuroshambles -https://pod.link/1710455546/episode/a313c1057becbcd2e24d64c5bf94820e


• "The Explosive Child" book - https://drrossgreene.com/the-explosive-child.htm

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CONTACT US

📧 Email: hello@neuroshambles.com

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles

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CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com