In this episode, Lauren and Rina talk with mother, advocate and BBC commissioning editor Suzanne McManus on her neurodivergent family, the parenting approach she has learnt to adopt for her two autistic children and her mission to create positive change in her industry.

In this episode, Lauren and Rina talk with dance movement psychotherapist and mother Juliet Diener on building an inclusive community and working with disabled children and their families. Juliet shares her passion for what she does with her charity organisation icandance and how her personal family story has influenced the empathy and understanding she brings to the disabled young people she works with and their parent carer families.

In this episode, Lauren and Rina talk with teacher and mum Camilla Cook on how she left her home, job and life behind her during the COVID pandemic at the same time as coming to terms with the fact that her youngest daughter Sylva, had a yet undiagnosed genetic condition.

In this episode, Rina and Lauren talk with journalist and fellow podcaster Leisa Millar on the world of work as parent carers. Leisa is host of the SEN Mums’ Career Club podcast where she speaks with women in fascinating and diverse roles who are also parent carers and finds out how they make paid work work for them.

This week, Rina and Lauren talk with Rachel Pears about her experience as a 'sandwich carer'. Rachel describes the challenges of her diagnosis journey for her daughter (who has a rare genetic condition) while simultaneously caring for both her parents. As Rachel herself put it, she felt like she was competing in the “caring olympics”, but without any time for the training!

In the first episode of Series 3, Rina and Lauren talk with nutritionist, health professional and SEND mum Nicole Stephens. Nicole candidly shares how, despite her professional knowledge, she neglected to look after her own health and wellbeing in the early days before and after her daughter was diagnosed.

We are back! A quick hello from your hosts, Lauren and Rina to let you know that Series 3 will be coming out very soon.

We also have some exciting news. This series of the F**king Normal podcast will be sponsored by Hibi. A few months ago Hibi asked us if we'd be interested in them sponsoring us - we have always been adamant to remain independent and completely in control of our content, we have our own goals and objectives and will not compromise on those but when sponsorship was suggested from a team who very much share the idea of supporting parent carers and their families and working together with them – we agreed. It is an exciting new app, free to use being developed with and for families. On this trailer episode we speak with Hibi co-founder Sam Milliken-Smith on his connection to the SEND community, why he started Hibi and what he hopes it will do for families and carers.

In the final episode of series 2 Lauren and Rina take to the couch for a different kind of conversation with psychotherapist Charlotte Fox Weber. The discussion covers some of the emotional themes that come up again and again with parents of disabled children and Charlotte answers questions submitted by listeners.

Charlotte shares her professional and candid insight on topics like: the pressure to cope; the sneaky emotion that is guilt; asking for help; and how to deal with ongoing trauma. It is an illuminating conversation, peppered with vulnerability, wisdom and laughter.

In this week’s episode, Lauren and Rina interview the incredible social entrepreneur and campaigner, Tinuke Awe. Tinuke recounts her experiences raising her black autistic son and passionately describes the work that she is doing to challenge prejudice, create community and shine a light on her son’s identity. The group discusses the absence of role models and representation, the importance of finding community and how to tackle cultural barriers to acceptance of disabled children. It is an emotional and joyful conversation that veers between anger, tears and lots of laughter.

In this week’s episode Rina and Lauren discuss the importance of connecting with people who share your experience, building a community (hello the fkingnormal podcast!) and just how valuable this is for providing a safe space to cope through difficulties — together. They interview Australian author and advocate Melanie Dimmitt on her journey to accepting her less typical parenting path, what she learnt and what she has gone on to achieve to support others in a similar position.

Melanie discusses the initial feelings she had hearing her son’s diagnosis, her path to finding acceptance and how connecting with others in similar situations opened her eyes and prompted her to write her debut book. The group discuss their own routes to acceptance and how building support networks with others was the life line that they all needed. Melanie spoke candidly about what she first struggled with, but also highlighted just how relieving it was to find others that she could relate so deeply to.

This week Rina, Lauren and season one guest Gemma Sherlock, interview trained psychotherapist Emmett de Monterey on his extraordinary life and memoir ‘Go The Way Your Blood Beats.’

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at 18 months old, Emmett was raised by loving, accepting and liberal parents and yet he grappled for a long time with accepting his own identity. His feelings towards his disability, coupled with the realisation that he was gay made his early adolescence a difficult time in his life. This was further compounded by becoming a media sensation and ‘charity poster child’ for a ground-breaking gait surgery in the US.

In this episode, Lauren and Rina talk with artist and comedian Miriam Elia about living with the uncertainty that comes with her son’s diagnosis of Leigh syndrome. They discuss Miriam’s unique parenting approach and the profound impact that this has had on her entire family's story.

In this episode Lauren and Rina discuss neurodiversity and how we want the world to evolve, with the team behind the play ‘Just be Normal’ - Connor Pearce and sister's Emma and Sophie Jackson. The conversation includes a beautiful monologue performance from the play by Sophie, as well as each guest sharing their own personal experiences and their hopes and wishes for a more accepting and accessible world.

In this episode, Rina and Lauren talk with Jazz Manley about her experience of searching for answers and a diagnosis for her son Max. Jazz is very open about her own vulnerability and mental health struggles. She discusses her son’s difficult birth and the challenges she faced when he was young, when her concerns surrounding her son were not shared by others and she felt unheard.

In the first episode of our new series Lauren and Rina speak to performer and writer Bryony Kimmings. Bryony's son Frank is autistic and two years ago, she was also diagnosed with ADHD. They talk about Bryony’s parenting approach, discovering your own neurodiversity and how to balance a neurodiverse family with sometimes conflicting needs and wants. With her characteristic candour and wicked humour, Bryony describes how much she has learnt about herself and in doing so, how she has become a better parent to Frank as she drives to create their own neurodivergent utopia in their crumbling old country home.

It’s our series 1 finale and time to turn the tables on our hosts, Lauren and Rina are interviewed by our first ever podcast guest, the wonderful Genevieve. They discuss their experiences of pregnancy, birth and diagnosis with some key moments of acceptance, internal and external influences that helped, from language to being kinder to oneself, modifying parenting expectations and learning to not give a shit about what others’ think.

In Episode 6, we discuss Couples Relationships, with Clare and George, who are parents to Ada and Ivo and the impact that having a disabled child has on their relationship.

An eye-opening, heart-warming and hilarious account of this fabulous couple’s story. Covering everything from finding out you’re pregnant after the second date, moving in together after three months, to being told your child’s autism diagnosis, whilst pregnant with your second child.

A quick hello from our hosts to say thank you and remind you how to connect with us.

We want this podcast to be about connection and building community. So please get in touch with your feedback and ideas. Please tell us what you want to hear from us... Or answer the question we have posed - "What's your F**king Normal?" and share with us any unconventional, unique, beautiful or humorous examples of your daily parenting experience.

In episode 5 Lauren and Rina talk about a skill we have all had to develop as parents of disabled children – advocacy - with Mum of two and lawyer Caroline MacPake (Withers professionally).

Systems of support aren’t always automatically in place for disabled children and their families, and the world simply has not been designed for disabled people. As parents of disabled children, we have to champion, persuade and shout loudly on our kids behalf.