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I’m a mum to two Autistic children. As a solo parent living in a regional town in New South Wales, support has always been hard to access and even harder to fit around the needs of my family.
For a long time, I felt like I was parenting on my own. Living regionally meant fewer services, longer travel times, and not many opportunities to connect with people who understood what my life looked like day to day.
It felt lonely.
Then another parent told me about Belongside Families. At the time, I was just looking for something, anything, that might make this journey feel less isolating.
I started joining Virtual MyTime peer groups from home. No travel. No arranging childcare. No pressure.
Having free, online peer groups I can access from home has made a big difference. It means I can ask for advice, share wins and challenges, or chat when things feel heavy, all without needing to travel or organise childcare. And I can connect with other parents who really get it, even though they live hundreds of miles away.
It just worked for me and for my family. And over the past year, I’ve attended more than fifty peer groups, webinars and workshops.
One of the things that matters most to me is that Belongside is built by families for families like mine.
It is comforting to know that the people involved have faced similar challenges and are sharing what helped them along the way. Support feels different when it comes from other parents who have been through similar situations. It feels real and reassuring in a way that is hard to find anywhere else.
MyTime sessions have become a safe and welcoming place for me. I never have to explain or justify my experiences, and there is a shared understanding that makes it easier to talk about both the highs and the hard moments. Being able to have open, honest conversations with people who genuinely understand has lifted so much of the weight I had been carrying on my own.
Being part of Belongside has made a huge difference for me as a parent. I feel less isolated, more confident, and more supported than I have in a long time.
Even on the tough days, it helps to know there is a community I can reach out to, people who listen, encourage, and remind me I’m not doing this alone.
For me, that has meant everything.
About Olivia
Olivia is a solo parent living in regional NSW and mum to Claudia (24), Luke (6) and Lenny (4). She has over ten years’ experience in early childhood education, which she now brings into homeschooling her two youngest boys, both Autistic. Olivia enjoys creating sensory-rich, play-based learning tailored to their strengths and interests. She also mentors for Autism Little Learners and cares deeply about being a voice for people with disability. Her passion for inclusion began with a special connection she formed early in her career with a child who had a rare genetic condition—an experience that has stayed with her ever since.