Summer with SEND: Grace, Not Guilt

Let’s be honest, summer with SEND children isn’t always the easy, breezy season it’s made out to be. The longer days can bring more sensory overwhelm, disrupted routines, and pressure to somehow make “core memories” every day.

At SEND Meadow, I’m not here to hand you an activity calendar or suggest daily crafts. I’m here to say this:

You don’t need to do more. You just need to give yourself grace.

✋ There Is No “Right” Way to Do Summer

Some families thrive on outings, theme parks, and day trips. Others need slow starts, quiet moments, and the option to change plans at the last minute.

If soft play is too loud, skip it.

If the park is always a disaster, stay home.

If pyjama days are all that work right now, lean in.

That’s not laziness or giving up. That’s knowing your child and working with their needs, not against them.

🎥 Bring “Out” In

If going out is too much, bring the experience home. A few things that can work:

• A cinema night at home with cardboard popcorn boxes (you can buy them online or reuse ones from the real cinema) and homemade tickets so it still feels like an event.

• A games afternoon, you don’t have to do prizes or have structure, just connection.

• Camping in the garden for a night (with no pressure to stay out all night, they can come in when they need to).

Simple tweaks. Zero stress. And often, far more successful.

💬 Accept Help (If You Can)

If a family member or friend offers support, take it, even if it’s just an hour. Let them bring a meal, play with your child, or sit with you while you vent.

And if in-person help isn’t available, online spaces can make a big difference. Facebook groups, forums, and local SEND WhatsApp chats can be a lifeline on tough days. Sometimes just hearing “same here” from another parent is enough.

🧡 Messy, Real, Enough

SEND parenting in the summer doesn’t look like the Instagram version. It’s noisy, chaotic, full of big feelings and absolutely beautiful in its own messy way.

Let this be the summer where you:

• Say yes to the help.

• Say no to things that don’t work.

• Let go of guilt.

• Celebrate the wins, however small.

You’re not behind. You’re not doing it wrong.

You’re doing it your way. And that is more than enough. You’ve got this!

And on the days that don’t go to plan, the ones where nothing quite works and everyone’s on edge, don’t kick yourself. You are doing your best, in a world that wasn’t designed with SEND families in mind.

You are enough, even on the tough days. You’re showing up, you’re caring deeply, and you’re doing whatever’s best for your child and your family.

Just don’t forget to factor you in too! Your needs, your rest, your peace: they matter just as much.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about the new term ahead, or unsure how your child’s EHCP will hold up in September, I’m here. Whether you need advice, reassurance, or just someone who gets it, SEND Meadow is always a message away.

Be gentle with yourself. 🌼

Bryony