Hello!

Thank you for joining us.

If you have children or a dog, you know that venturing out of your front door when you don't necessarily fancy it becomes a frequent occurrence.

If you have children AND a dog, it becomes a necessity.

There was a time when if my husband and I wanted to go out, we would put on our shoes and go out.

These days, as anyone with children can attest, it is a full-on logistical operation, requiring various pieces of hand luggage, spreadsheets, back-up plans and back-up plans to the back-up plans.

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We welcomed our son in 2020, during the global pandemic (Yeah, remember that!) Subsequently, going out with him in his first year of life was pretty easy, on account of the fact that it never happened.

In the years that followed, we had to adjust to various things, returning to the world, our own social and psychological anxieties and our son's emerging autism.

Now, we are not gym bunnies, sporting types, social butterflies or party animals, but what we can do as a foursome is go on walks and adventures. It's good exercise, a cheap(ish) day out and a great way to see parts of the country we never knew existed.

More of our story can be found here.

This blog was designed for families like ours, providing a guide to some of the walking routes we take or attractions we visit, shown through the lens of someone who has spent the last 5 years considering all potential meltdown triggers, access limitations, noise challenges and what we'd need to be physically and mentally equipped with to handle them.

Through my posts, I will be talking through where we went, what we did and the routes we took, in what I hope is a light-hearted and occasionally amusing read.

I will also be making notes on things that people with neurodiversities, disabilities and phobias would really like to know beforehand.

And what's to say this information can't be useful for anyone, regardless of how your brain works☺️.

Trigger Alert - A sensory, social or physical occurrence that may be overwhelming to an autistic person.

Accessibility Alert - An encountered obstacle or potential barrier that someone with a physical disability, medical condition or injury would need to consider.

Safety Alert - A location or situation where extra caution would be needed, especially with young children or vulnerable adults who may need additional attention to be kept safe.

Tip - Things that we've found helpful for keeping everyone happy, avoiding or calming meltdowns or just generally having a calmer day out.

🐾Paws for Thought🐾 - Moments where doggos may get agitated, scared or crazy.

Positive Note - Because not everything is to be feared or worried about, there's a lot of positives out there, too!

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I hope you find this helpful and that it gives you the will and the confidence to venture out, even when it feels like the most daunting thing in the world.

Ear defenders on, fidget toys in pockets, beige picnic packed, boots on...

Let's procrastinate a little longer.

But then,

Maybe one more coffee.

But then,

Let's do this!