Over the weekend my son and I found ourselves sitting in a packed theatre in Auckland surrounded by the most wonderfully diverse crowd you could imagine.

Men in corsets, fishnet stockings and suspenders who were far braver than I am. People dressed head to toe as their favourite characters. And just about everyone singing along to the legendary songs and shouting the dialogue back at the stage.

“Dammit Janet!”

The Rocky Horror Show attracts some of the most fun-loving people on the planet. The whole place was joyful, chaotic and completely unapologetic.

And it reminded me of something I see in my work every single day.

Human beings are wonderfully different.

Different personalities.
Different strengths.
Different ways of thinking.

Yet when it comes to learning, we still often expect everyone to do it the same way.

This week I shared a piece about something I see all the time when learning becomes difficult. That moment when someone is trying… and then suddenly pulls back.

The pause.
The eyes drop.
The energy shifts.

If you'd like to explore this idea further:

Read the article:
Why We Shut Down When Learning Gets Hard
 

Watch the YouTube presentation:

A Small Moment Worth Celebrating

A Small Moment Worth Celebrating

On Wednesday 18 March at 3.30pm, I’ll be opening the doors at 11 Leyland Street.

You’re very welcome to pop in, have a look around, and see how I work. There’ll be some of the clay work my clients use to build understanding, a few practical resources, and time to talk.

It’s not just about cutting a ribbon. It’s about understanding how confidence is rebuilt when learning finally makes sense.

If you’d like to come along and celebrate with me, I would genuinely love to see you there.

Click here to RSVP

An Invitation to See Dyslexia Differently

I’m also hosting a private online screening of the award-winning documentary
Who Knew: Dyslexia is a Way of Thinking later this month.

The response so far has been incredible, and it’s been wonderful to see so many parents and educators wanting to understand learning differences more deeply.

This powerful film challenges the traditional view of dyslexia and highlights the strengths, creativity and unique ways of thinking that often sit behind learning differences. It’s an inspiring watch for parents, educators and anyone interested in understanding how different brains learn.

We are hosting three online screenings:

Tuesday 24 March – 7.30pm
Thursday 26 March – 7.30pm
Saturday 28 March – 3.00pm

If you’d like to join us, you can register here:

Because when we start recognising that different brains learn differently, everything begins to make a lot more sense.

There's also a short trailer available if you'd like to get a feel for the film first.  

If you’re doing some quiet thinking about learning or confidence this year and want to talk it through, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

Thank you for being part of this community and thank you for reading my newsletter.

Kindest regards,
Nikki

PS.If you’re finding that effort isn’t matching progress when it comes to reading, I’ve updated my free guide:

 Discover the Secrets to Stress-Free Reading

It’s designed to help you understand what might be getting in the way and what actually helps.
 

Dyslexia Unpuzzled
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

“He was fine at school.”

By 4pm, that version of him can look very different. The sharp response to something small. The refusal to engage. The mood shift that seems to come out of nowhere.

But let’s be honest for a moment.

You know what it’s like when your own brain has had enough. Some days there’s just so much going on that you cannot get your head in the game. You come home after a full day, rushing between appointments, juggling deadlines, trying to hold ten things in place at once. If you’re anything like me, it can feel like running around like a headless chicken, scattering bits everywhere and not really progressing anything. And on those days, if someone so much as looks at you the wrong way, you can feel that internal eruption building.

That’s not because you’re incapable.

It’s because you’re at capacity.

Children experience the same thing, only they don’t have the language for it. They’ve spent the day listening, processing, navigating social expectations, managing instructions that were given once and expected to stick. Some absorb it more easily. Some compensate quietly all day.

Both can look fine on the surface.

Working memory is limited. Executive function drains under pressure. If a child has spent six hours translating, adapting and holding themselves together, there is often very little left by the time they walk through the front door.

When evenings unravel, it isn’t usually defiance. It’s overload releasing.

Trying harder does not solve that. Reducing unnecessary strain does.

This is why clarity matters so much. Clear expectations. Clear steps. Clear communication. When learning aligns with how a brain processes information, effort becomes sustainable and confidence has space to rebuild.

Coming up: 

On Wednesday 18 March at 3.30pm, I’ll be opening the doors at 11 Leyland Street.

You’re welcome to pop in, have a look around, and see how I work. There’ll be some of the clay work my clients use to build understanding, a few practical resources, and time to talk. It’s not just about cutting a ribbon. It’s about understanding how confidence is rebuilt when learning finally makes sense. If you’d like to come along and celebrate with me, I would genuinely love to see you there. Click the link here to RSVP

I’m also exploring interest in hosting a local screening of the documentary Who Knew – Dyslexia is a Gift. Tentatively we have booked Tuesday 24th, Thursday 26th and Saturday 28th for an online screening.  More details to follow.
 
It’s a powerful and hopeful film that highlights the strengths, creativity, and leadership qualities that often sit behind different ways of thinking.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in attending, please let me know here. I’ll confirm details once I have a sense of numbers. 

There's also a short trailer available if you'd like to get a feel for the film first.  

If you’re doing some quiet thinking about learning or confidence this year and want to talk it through, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

Thank you for being part of this community and thank you for reading my newsletter.

Kindest regards,
Nikki

PS.If you’re finding that effort isn’t matching progress when it comes to reading, I’ve updated my free guide:

 Discover the Secrets to Stress-Free Reading

It’s designed to help you understand what might be getting in the way and what actually helps.
 

Dyslexia Unpuzzled
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

A very kind man in a truck stopped to take a photo of me outside my new office this week. It was windy, I felt slightly shy, and underneath it all was a familiar flicker of something I hadn’t expected. That old feeling of not quite being good enough.

There was a time in my teaching career when I would never have imagined standing outside my own space. I wouldn’t have said boo to a goose. I worried constantly about getting things wrong or upsetting someone. Being told off felt enormous, and I carried that more than I realised.

That kind of feeling builds over time.

I was talking to my sister-in-law about her son, a bright, energetic boy who often found himself in trouble for typical “boy things.” Over time, he began to hear the negative comments more loudly than the positive ones. According to AuADHD coach Kayla Oughton, some children may receive up to 20,000 more negative comments than positive ones by the age of ten. That accumulation shapes how they see themselves.

Those children grow up. If no one interrupts that narrative, it follows them.

This is why environment and clarity matter so much. Repeated correction without understanding doesn’t build resilience. It builds shame.

On Wednesday 18 March at 3.30pm, I’ll be opening the doors at 11 Leyland Street. But more than a ribbon, I’m hoping to open conversations about how we build confidence instead of eroding it.

The words we repeat to a child eventually become the words they repeat to themselves.

Let’s make sure the words they hear are the ones worth carrying.

If you’d like to come along and celebrate with me, I would genuinely love to see you there. Click the link below to RSVP

I’m also exploring interest in hosting a local screening of the documentary Who Knew – Dyslexia is a Gift. Tentatively we have booked Tuesday 24th, Thursday 26th and Saturday 28th for an online screening.  More details to follow.
 
It’s a powerful and hopeful film that highlights the strengths, creativity, and leadership qualities that often sit behind different ways of thinking.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in attending, please let me know here. I’ll confirm details once I have a sense of numbers. 

There's also a short trailer available if you'd like to get a feel for the film first.  

If you’re doing some quiet thinking about learning or confidence this year and want to talk it through, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

Thank you for being part of this community and thank you for reading my newsletter.

Kindest regards,
Nikki

PS. If reading is stressful in your household right now, I’ve also updated my free guide called:

 Discover the Secrets to Stress-Free Reading

It’s designed to help you understand what might be getting in the way and what actually helps.
 

Dyslexia Unpuzzled
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

There was a moment in my teaching career when I quite literally went cold.

I remember it clearly. The colour drained from my face.

I realised, all at once, that around a quarter of the kids in my class could not learn in the way I was teaching them.
Not because they weren’t bright.
Not because they weren’t trying.
But because their brains worked differently.

And in that moment, I knew something else too.

It wasn’t their fault.
It was mine.

These were wonderful children. Intelligent. Sporty. Creative. Curious. The kind of kids you enjoy teaching. And yet I had unknowingly let them down, simply because I didn’t yet understand how they learned.

They had been coping. Masking. Working far harder than anyone realised.

Including me.

Like many teachers, I had absorbed the belief that when learning was hard, the difficulty lived inside the child. More practice followed. More pressure followed. Quiet comparisons followed. And confidence slowly slipped away.

But the truth was confronting.

These children were not incapable of learning.
They were perfectly capable learners being asked to learn in ways that didn’t work for them.

And when that happens, the system responds by pushing harder, not by pausing to understand.

That realisation changed everything for me.

It’s why I couldn’t stay silent.
And it’s why Dyslexia Unpuzzled exists.

Not to fix children.
But to change how we see learning.

If this reflection resonates, I’ve explored this idea further in two pieces I’ve shared this week:

Watch the YouTube presentation here
Read the LinkedIn article: Smart Kids Who Hate Reading: What’s Really Going On
 

A thoughtful piece I’ve been following this week

Before I finish, I also wanted to mention how much I appreciated watching the documentary Who Knew Dyslexia Is a Way of Thinking.

I was able to join one of the recent online screenings, and it stayed with me. It reflected so many of my own experiences, and the experiences I see every day in the children, teens, and adults I work with.

What struck me most was how clearly it showed the intelligence, creativity, and depth that can sit alongside learning challenges, particularly when those differences are understood rather than pushed aside or misunderstood.

I’m now looking into ways to offer a screening of the film here in New Zealand, so families and educators have the opportunity to view it and talk about it together.

There’s also a short trailer available if you’d like a sense of the film before watching it.
 

And if reading is stressful in your household right now, I’ve also created a free guide called:

 Discover the Secrets to Stress-Free Reading

It’s designed to help you understand what might be getting in the way and what actually helps.

Until next time,
Nikki

P.S. If you’re doing some quiet thinking about learning or confidence this year and want to talk it through, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the National Street Rods event here in Hawke’s Bay.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my street rods and hot rods, so it was an absolute joy. Great people, some very cool cars, and that shared appreciation that only fellow enthusiasts really understand.

One of the events we joined was a drive in the 1940 coupe out to Cape Kidnappers. Not just to the end of the public road, but right up the private road. At the end, we parked up and walked a short distance to the lookout.

The views were magnificent. Right across the bay and beyond. The weather was superb, and the whole scene was pretty special.

I’ve seen Cape Kidnappers a thousand times since living in the Bay. But never from that perspective.

It genuinely stopped me in my tracks.

And it got me thinking.

So often in learning, we’re doing the same thing, the same way, over and over. Seeing the same struggles from the same angle. Trying harder, persisting longer, adding more effort, yet nothing really shifts.

But what if the learning isn’t the problem?

What if it’s the perspective?

Just imagine, for a moment, being able to approach the same learning in a different way. One that suits how your brain actually works. One that feels clearer, more interesting, and yes, even a little awe inspiring.

Sometimes nothing needs fixing.

Sometimes we just need a new vantage point.

That idea of perspective is exactly what led me to my latest article and YouTube presentation.

Over the years, I’ve watched many well-intentioned parents follow all the advice they’re given, try strategy after strategy, and still feel like something isn’t quite adding up. Not because they’re doing anything wrong, but because much of the advice assumes one way of learning fits everyone.

In my latest article, When Learning Advice Doesn’t Add Up: Understanding What Parents Really Need, I explore why so much learning advice misses the mark, what’s often being overlooked, and why clarity and understanding matter far more than doing more.

For those who prefer to listen and reflect, I’ve also shared the same ideas in a longer YouTube presentation.

You can explore them here, in whichever way suits you best:

• Read the article: When Learning Advice Doesn’t Add Up: Understanding What Parents Really Need

• Watch the YouTube presentation: When Learning Advice Doesn’t Add Up: Understanding What Parents Really Need

At the heart of both is a simple idea I keep coming back to in my work: when learning is designed to fit how someone actually thinks, things begin to make sense. Effort becomes more productive. Confidence grows. Progress feels possible again.
 

Before I finish, I also wanted to share something that’s sparked a lot of interest in conversations this week.

I recently had the opportunity to watch the documentary Who Knew: Dyslexia Is a Way of Thinking through an online screening, and it stayed with me.

It reflected so many of my own experiences, and the experiences I see every day in the children, teens, and adults I work with. What struck me most was how clearly it showed the intelligence, creativity, and depth that can sit alongside learning challenges, especially when those differences are understood rather than misunderstood or pushed aside.

Since mentioning it, I’ve had quite a few people ask about the film and whether there might be an opportunity to watch it themselves.

Because of that interest, I’m exploring the idea of hosting an online screening toward the end of March, so families and educators here in New Zealand can view it and talk about it together.

If this is something you’d be interested in, I’d genuinely love to hear from you.
Just reply to this email and let me know.

There’s also a short trailer available if you’d like a feel for the film before deciding.

And if reading is stressful in your household right now, I’ve also created a free guide called:

 Discover the Secrets to Stress-Free Reading

It’s designed to help you understand what might be getting in the way and what actually helps.

Until next time,
Nikki

P.S. If you’re doing some quiet thinking about learning or confidence this year and want to talk it through, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

Dyslexia Unpuzzled
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

This week, I’ve been working with a five-year-old girl who already “knows” her uppercase letter names.

On paper, it looks like she’s got them sorted.

But once we started making her letters with clay, something really important happened.
She didn’t just name the letters.
She understood their shapes.

By building the letters with her hands, the letter forms became clear and secure very quickly. Learning wasn’t something she had to remember. It started to make sense.

We’ve also been taking short breaks to play Snakes and Ladders.

At first, she wasn’t sure how to play. She didn’t really know what the dots on the dice meant, or how they related to the numbers on the board. Even though she could count and say her numbers, there wasn’t a clear understanding of why numbers mattered or how they worked.

It was a good reminder that being able to repeat something by rote is not the same as understanding it.

This also helps explain why maths has felt hard for her so far.
Not because she can’t learn.
But because the meaning hasn’t been made clear yet.

When learning is hands-on, visual, and meaningful, learning starts to make sense. Letters stop being abstract symbols. Numbers stop being random words. They connect to real experiences.

If this resonates, I’ve written a longer article that explores this idea more deeply:

 Before the Beginning: The Missing Step in Early Literacy 

And if reading is stressful in your household right now, I’ve also created a free guide called:

 Discover the Secrets to Stress-Free Reading

It’s designed to help you understand what might be getting in the way and what actually helps.

Nikki

P.S. If you’re doing some quiet thinking about learning or confidence this year and want to talk it through, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

This week, I’ve been working with a five-year-old girl who already “knows” her uppercase letter names.

On paper, it looks like she’s got them sorted.

But once we started making her letters with clay, something really important happened.
She didn’t just name the letters.
She understood their shapes.

By building the letters with her hands, the letter forms became clear and secure very quickly. Learning wasn’t something she had to remember. It started to make sense.

We’ve also been taking short breaks to play Snakes and Ladders.

At first, she wasn’t sure how to play. She didn’t really know what the dots on the dice meant, or how they related to the numbers on the board. Even though she could count and say her numbers, there wasn’t a clear understanding of why numbers mattered or how they worked.

It was a good reminder that being able to repeat something by rote is not the same as understanding it.

This also helps explain why maths has felt hard for her so far.
Not because she can’t learn.
But because the meaning hasn’t been made clear yet.

When learning is hands-on, visual, and meaningful, learning starts to make sense. Letters stop being abstract symbols. Numbers stop being random words. They connect to real experiences.

If this resonates, I’ve written a longer article that explores this idea more deeply:

 Before the Beginning: The Missing Step in Early Literacy 

And if reading is stressful in your household right now, I’ve also created a free guide called:

 Discover the Secrets to Stress-Free Reading

It’s designed to help you understand what might be getting in the way and what actually helps.

Nikki

P.S. If you’re doing some quiet thinking about learning or confidence this year and want to talk it through, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

Over the summer break, I spent time thinking about how I show up in my work and online.

Not because anything was wrong.
But because I noticed a mismatch.

In my day to day work with people, I am not particularly loud or directive.
I spend a lot of time listening.
Noticing patterns.
Helping people make sense of what they are seeing.

Online, I have often sounded more instructional than I actually am.

What I actually do most of the time is sit in the in between space with families, teenagers, and adults.

Where learning is not clearly “failing”, but not flowing easily either.
Where people sense something matters, but are unsure what to do next.

That work is quieter than advice giving.
It does not always look impressive.
But it is often what creates the biggest shift.

When people understand why learning feels effortful, pressure tends to soften.
Decisions become clearer.
Next steps feel more realistic.

This year, I want this space to reflect that way of working more honestly.

Less telling.
More noticing.
More room for uncertainty without urgency.

If you have been reading along quietly, this is the thinking that sits underneath what I share.

P.S. If this year has you reflecting on learning or confidence, you are welcome to get in touch if you want to talk something through.

Over the summer break, I spent time thinking about how I show up in my work and online.

Not because anything was wrong.
But because I noticed a mismatch.

In my day to day work with people, I am not particularly loud or directive.
I spend a lot of time listening.
Noticing patterns.
Helping people make sense of what they are seeing.

Online, I have often sounded more instructional than I actually am.

What I actually do most of the time is sit in the in between space with families, teenagers, and adults.

Where learning is not clearly “failing”, but not flowing easily either.
Where people sense something matters, but are unsure what to do next.

That work is quieter than advice giving.
It does not always look impressive.
But it is often what creates the biggest shift.

When people understand why learning feels effortful, pressure tends to soften.
Decisions become clearer.
Next steps feel more realistic.

This year, I want this space to reflect that way of working more honestly.

Less telling.
More noticing.
More room for uncertainty without urgency.

If you have been reading along quietly, this is the thinking that sits underneath what I share.

P.S. If this year has you reflecting on learning or confidence, you are welcome to get in touch if you want to talk something through.

As the year comes to a close and the pace finally slows, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting.

Not just on what I’ve done, but on what this year has taught me.

It’s been a year of learning in ways I didn’t expect. A year of moments that stretched me, challenged my thinking, and quietly reshaped how I want to work moving forward.

One of the biggest lessons has been this:
Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it’s the way it needs to be done.

There were times this year when I persisted out of habit rather than intention. Pushing through, getting things done because they needed to be done, even when it didn’t feel particularly satisfying or aligned.

What I’ve learned is that clarity doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from pausing, asking better questions, and being willing to try a different approach.

That lesson shows up everywhere in my work. In how people learn. In how confidence grows. In how understanding changes everything.

As we gathered with family over Christmas, I noticed something that comes up every year.
End-of-year certificates framed on the wall. Awards tucked into photo albums. School accolades shared as proud Christmas gifts.

Those moments are genuinely worth celebrating.
And they also bring to mind the children whose names are never called at assembly, no matter how hard they try.

That reflection, and stories I hear from families every year, are what led me to write this article:
When Your Child’s Name Is Never Called At Assembly

As I look ahead to the New Year, I feel a quiet sense of excitement. Not rushed or pressured. Just a feeling that things are coming together in a more intentional way.

There’s work happening behind the scenes. Ideas taking shape. And changes ahead that feel considered rather than hurried.

For now, I’m allowing space for that to unfold.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I’m really looking forward to the year ahead.

Have a good one.
Nikki

P.S. I’ll share more when the time is right. Some things are worth letting settle before they’re spoken out loud.

P.P.S. If the New Year has you reflecting on learning or confidence, I’m always happy to have a quiet chat about what might help.

As I write this, we're in that final stretch before Christmas.

The lists feel endless. The shops are busy. Budgets are stretched. And there's that familiar pull to chase the next shiny thing that promises to make life easier or magically fix whatever's been hard this year.

Whether it's the "perfect" gift, the must-have gadget, or the latest learning programme quietly whispering "this will finally help," it's easy to get caught up in it all.

I've been thinking a lot about where the real glimmers are in this madness.

Not the big, polished moments. The small, grounding ones.

The relief of school being finished. The pause when there's nowhere urgent to be. The moment people who've struggled all year can finally stop comparing themselves to everyone else.

For those who've found the year heavy, this break offers something precious: the chance to feel capable again.

Over the years, I've learned that real progress rarely comes from doing more or buying more. It comes when pressure eases and we're all given space to be ourselves again.

The Christmas break offers exactly that. Space.

Space for tired brains to rest. Space to reconnect with what we're actually good at. Space to remember that confidence doesn't arrive wrapped in shiny packaging or through another programme.

Whatever this season has held for you, I hope the days ahead bring a few small glimmers. A laugh. A quiet moment. A reminder that you don't have to fix everything right now.

She understood everything. School just couldn’t see it.

Erin Brockovich could answer questions verbally with ease. She grasped concepts quickly and deeply.

But when it came to written assessments, she consistently failed.

Not because she didn’t understand.
But because her intelligence didn’t show up neatly on paper.

School measured one narrow skill and almost missed her entirely.

Sound familiar?

How many children are sitting in classrooms right now, understanding far more than they’re able to show?
How many are labelled as struggling, when the real issue is how they’re being asked to prove what they know?

What if learning had been shaped around how their brain works, rather than forcing them into a system that never quite fit?

And what might have been different if they hadn’t spent years feeling “less than,” inadequate, or quietly defeated?

Every person deserves to feel understood and valued in their learning and work environment.

Watch her interview: Erin Brockovich: How Dyslexic Thinking won the biggest direct action lawsuit in US history.
 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

As this year winds down, I want to say thank you.
Thank you for trusting me with your questions, your worries, and your hopes for your children.

The work you do every day - advocating for your child, believing in them when school doesn’t, and showing up even when it’s hard -  matters more than you know.

As the year winds down, I’ve been thinking about how much I’ve learned, not just as a specialist, but as a human trying to juggle work, life, and everything in between.

One of my biggest discoveries has been noticing how often I used to push ahead simply because something “had to be done.” You’ll know this feeling. That moment you realise you’re no longer doing something with care or clarity. You’re just trying to get it off the list. And of course, the result never quite matches what you imagined. Cue frustration, hair pulling, and language best left unprinted.

This year, I finally paid attention to that pattern.

What I’ve learned is that there is almost always another way to do something. It might not be the quickest or the tidiest. It might feel uncomfortable at first because it isn’t the way you’ve always done it. But pausing long enough to look at a challenge from a different angle has saved me more time and stress than all my stubborn pushing ever did.

It’s funny how often we encourage our kids to try a new approach, yet we forget to do the same for ourselves.

So as we head into the final stretch of the year, I’m taking this reminder with me. There’s no prize for doing things the hard way. There’s real value in slowing down, choosing a better path, and allowing things to be easier.

Have a fantastic week
Nikki

P.S. Has this year taught you something unexpected too? I’d genuinely love to hear what shifted for you.

Subject Line: How one interview changed what I thought I knew about ADHD

This Week on Radio Hawkes Bay: A Conversation with Kayla Oughton

Last week I had the privilege of interviewing Kayla Oughton, a remarkable AuDHD coach and advocate for neurodiversity, on my regular slot at Radio Hawkes Bay.

What she shared opened my eyes in a new way. As someone who has worked with children, teens and adults with learning differences for decades, I thought I had seen it all. But Kayla helped me recognise traits and struggles I hadn’t fully understood before.

Thinking back to the students I taught who seemed “off track,” I now realise how hard it must have been for some of them. Sitting still when their brain needed movement. Trying to listen when their nervous system was overloaded. Feeling lost when they needed connection, not correction.

Since our conversation, I’ve already begun weaving Kayla’s insights into the individual programmes I offer. It’s made my approach more compassionate, more tuned in and more effective.

If you’re parenting, teaching or caring for someone with ADHD or neurodivergent learning, I believe this chat could make a difference.

 Tune in Tuesday at 3:00 pm on Radio Hawkes Bay or listen anytime here.

 If something Kayla said resonates with you, I’d love to hear what stands out. 

This week I realised something that surprised me.
After years of supporting adults with ADHD, I am finally noticing some of those traits in myself.

It started with conversations. Adults telling me they lose whole chunks of meetings, zone out when they do not mean to, or sit through long discussions and catch only the highlights. And as they spoke, I found myself thinking… yes. That is me too.

Like many adults, I never connected the dots. I assumed ADHD looked like something else. But the more I learn, the more I see how differently it shows up in grown ups. Often it looks like mental overload, drifting attention or that busy internal noise that never fully settles.

So lately I have been watching my own patterns with curiosity, not judgement. And I realised I already use tools that quietly keep me afloat.

One of the simplest is Google Keep.
I use it during the day to capture ideas and sort them into headings. And at night, I do a quick brain dump so I am not lying awake planning tomorrow when I should be sleeping. Everything goes into one place, and my brain finally switches off.

If any of this feels familiar, you are in very good company.

I have recorded two new videos this week that you may find helpful.

One is a short, practical clip called 5 Simple Workplace Fixes That Actually Help ADHD Brains, and it covers five tiny changes that make a big difference in the workplace.
YouTube Short: https://youtube.com/shorts/oyf-F-Gbg5g

The other is a deeper look at ADHD in the workplace and the hidden challenges adults often face:
Full YouTube Presentation Here: https://youtu.be/OQ2q-0utWG8?si=DzdifowPSnSXQINm

I really enjoyed the long weekend. I even managed a bit of spring cleaning, though it didn’t take much persuasion to get out and about and make the most of our coveted four-day weekend here in Hawke’s Bay. There’s something about slowing down that helps you reset, reflect, and focus on what truly matters.

For me, that’s helping families understand learning differences like dyslexia and finding ways to make learning less stressful and more successful at home.

Don't forget: Masterclass – Wednesday 29 October at 7.00 pm (NZT)

Get ready for 29 October! Go on, take a break from getting your costume ready for Halloween and join me for something even more rewarding.
My next masterclass is going live, and it’s going to be a good one.

Surprisingly Simple Ways to Help Your Struggling Learner Succeed

This session is designed for parents who want real, practical tools that make learning calmer, easier, and far more effective. We’ll unpack what’s really happening when children struggle with reading or writing and explore simple ways to help them feel safe, confident, and capable again.

It’s being advertised publicly, but I’m holding seats first for my email readers.

Want in?
Simply reply YES to this email and I’ll save you a spot.  

And if you can’t make the masterclass live, this week’s YouTube episode dives into the real signs of dyslexia that parents often miss. You can watch it by clicking the link below:

https://youtu.be/OQ2q-0utWG8?si=VMVP2x9NlKSERdI0

Ever sat beside your child while they struggled with a word they knew yesterday and felt your heart sink?

Most parents have. You want to help, but you also want to stay their parent, not their teacher.

The “I hate this,” “It’s not fair,” or “I don’t want to do homework” moments can wear you down.
What looks like resistance is usually just tiredness and frustration.

And here’s the thing. Trying to take on the teacher role at home rarely works.
Not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because the way kids are taught now is completely different from how we learned. Phonics, code, structured literacy??? It’s a whole new language that most of us have no clue about.

What your child really needs isn’t another lesson.
It’s you. Calm, connected, and confident in how to support them without taking over.

This week, I’ve written about how to do exactly that. Simple, practical ways to support your child without turning your dining table into a classroom.

You can read the article >>HERE<<

And if you’d like to go a little deeper, join me for my free online masterclass
Surprisingly Simple Ways to Help Your Struggling Learner Succeed
Wednesday 29 October at 7.00 pm

This session is all about giving parents practical, confidence-building strategies that make learning at home calmer, easier, and more effective. We’ll talk about what really works at home and how to make learning feel safe again.

Simply reply to this newsletter and I'll send you the link.

Or, if you prefer to watch and listen, I’ve recorded a YouTube presentation on this topic. You’ll hear the same key ideas, plus some extra insights from my sessions with families. to watch, click in the link below.

And if it resonated with you, feel free to forward this on to someone else navigating the same journey.

Watch the latest episode here: https://youtu.be/UAHGEiTLXHI

Over the weekend, I stepped away from everything and disappeared into the countryside near Kawerau. We made it out to Matatā, where the hot rod event had transformed the seaside settlement into a symphony of rumbling V8 engines and gleaming chrome.

I caught up with people I hadn't seen in years and spent most of the time as a very happy passenger in a stunning Pontiac. The year and specs? They escaped me entirely! I was too busy soaking up the ride.

But here's what stayed with me: stepping outside the usual rhythm reminded me how desperately our brains need time and space. Not just to relax, but to genuinely reset and return to clarity.

It also reinforced something I've been sharing with families recently:

When stress hijacks your thinking, it feels like your brain has packed a bag and left without notice.

But here's what most people don't realise, stress bursts typically only last a couple of minutes. The wave feels enormous in the moment, yet it passes faster than we think.

Next time you feel that rising overwhelm, try this: Set a timer for two minutes. Pause. Breathe. Just wait.

By the time that wave passes, your problem-solving brain is back online. The fog lifts. And suddenly, the next step feels not only clearer, but completely manageable.

If you missed last week's YouTube presentation where my son Carl and I share our own lived experiences of stress and unpack how to flip the switch from panic mode to problem-solving mode.

And if it resonated with you, feel free to forward this on to someone else navigating the same journey.

Watch the latest episode here: https://youtu.be/d0L07xa4P0M

You know that magical feeling when you finally stop, breathe, and just let yourself be?

That’s where I’ve been: taking time out, hanging with my grandkids, getting messy, laughing hard, and forgetting what day it is. It’s been the exact brain break I needed after a massive term, and I feel so much better for it.

And now that I’m recharged, I’ve created something I know many parents have been waiting for:

“How to Get Help for Learning Challenges: What Parents Need to Know First.”

This brand new video and article walk you through where to begin, how to get the right kind of help, and what to know before making any big decisions. It’s real, clear, and full of the things I wish every parent had from the start.

You can read or watch it >>CLICK HERE<<

There’s also a whole library of helpful articles on my site that you can explore anytime.  >>CLICK HERE>>

I hope this gives you the clarity and next steps you’ve been looking for.

Josh was 10 years old and still couldn’t read. Whenever it was his turn, panic would set in. He’d dash to the toilet, sharpen a pencil, shuffle papers, anything to escape the spotlight. Sometimes a kind friend would whisper the words, helping him get by.

On the outside, it looked like nothing was wrong. But inside, Josh was battling embarrassment and fear of 'losing face' in front of his peers.

Kids are masters at hiding what they can’t do. They don’t want to look “dumb.” They don’t want to disappoint. But the cost is huge. Every time they cover up, they slip further behind and start believing they’re “not smart.”

When I started working with Josh, things took a new turn. For the first time, he was given tools that actually made sense to the way his brain works. Bit by bit, the letters stopped being a jumble and began to come together. The day it finally clicked, the look of pride on his face is something I’ll never forget.

This is why I do what I do. Not because kids aren’t trying hard enough, but because they need an approach that works for them.

This is exactly why so many parents wonder: where do I even start when I know something’s wrong but can’t quite put my finger on it? Today, we’ll look at what to do first if you’re worried your child is struggling, and how to get the right kind of help.

You can watch it here; https://youtu.be/aaCjd6IjtTg?si=HUi9kIskyswc4CpV

For many people with dyslexia or learning differences, the hardest part isn’t the reading or writing, it’s the embarrassment that grows around it.

It often starts in school. A child tries their best, but the strategies they’re taught don’t work for the way their brain learns. Soon there are meltdowns after school, battles over homework, and then embarrassment.

That embarrassment can look like avoiding reading, becoming the class clown, or lashing out when classmates call them “dumb.” Deep down, what hurts most is the fear of being embarrassed in front of their peers. Over time, that fear chips away at their confidence and sense of self-worth.

And it doesn’t stop there.

I’ve worked with adults who never applied for promotions because they feared being “found out,” even though they were brilliant problem-solvers. Others avoided meetings because reading aloud felt like reliving their worst school memories.

You can see the weight they’ve carried for years in the lack of confidence, the fragility, the constant second-guessing.

So how do we break the cycle?

The first step is realising it was never about intelligence. It was about a mismatch between how they were taught and how their brain processes information.

Everything shifts the moment they see reading doesn’t have to feel impossible. It can finally make sense.

That’s when fluency improves, confidence grows, and the embarrassment begins to lift.

If you’ve seen this struggle in your child, your students, your colleagues, or even yourself, please know it doesn’t have to stay this way.

That’s why I created my free online masterclass: Surprisingly Simple Strategies to Support Struggling Learners.
Wednesday 17 September | 7.00 PM NZT

In this session I’ll share practical strategies you can use straight away to make reading, writing, and maths less of a battle and more of a breakthrough.

Spots always fill quickly, so if this feels important, please reply to this email, DM me or simply >>CLICK HERE<< to register and I'll send you the details.

I see this all the time in my work: children who look fine on the surface but are quietly struggling inside. That’s why this week on my YouTube channel, I’m sharing a new video on how to spot those hidden struggles in kids and teens — the subtle signs parents and teachers often miss.

You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/fr85qi2RAQw?si=fWUCCVf3jPz5HVTi