Lovely evening soundtrack tonight: crying children, barking dogs, and fireworks that sound like incoming artillery. Nothing says “celebration” quite like mild panic and earplugs all round.

I’ve stopped getting the bus from Waterloo to the City and started walking instead. 40 mins each way. For health reasons. Specifically: a deeply committed relationship with ice cream.

Free school meals? Served. Nurseries? More. School libraries getting a big refill. 📚 But the therapy lifeline that helps adopted kids un-learn the chaos wired into their brains, still dangles off the funding cliff. Secure the fund so every child can heal and play. #SpendingReview #ASGSF

#SpendingReview in two acts: Act 1 🎉: NHS power-up, shiny new buses, social homes unlocked & free school meals Act 2 😬: Disability support quietly thrown in the bin That’s like treating everyone to pizza, then yanking the chairs away. Let’s scrap the cuts so everyone gets a seat at the table.

We urgently need a cross-departmental impact assessment on the ASGSF cuts. Once policymakers see how costs shift directly to DWP and NHS CAMHS budgets, the false economy becomes clear. #ASGSF #AdoptionPoverty #JoinedUpThinking

@lisamainwaring.bsky.social Might you share (again) :) Good trouble for children formally looked after or in kinship families. Sign the petition. Join the March. May 3rd, 2025. asgsfprotest.com?fbclid=IwY2x...

@civilsociety.bsky.social @cwva.bsky.social @lisamainwaring.bsky.social @kattenbarge.bsky.social @lewisgoodall.com @newfamilysocial.bsky.social @kaleighwatterson.bsky.social @shropshirestar.com @ukfundraising.bsky.social @financialtimes.com We would appreciate your support in raising awareness❤️

A truly insightful article about the threat to the ASGSF fund which will affect many thousands of #adoptive families from @lisamainwaring.bsky.social #ASGSF #AdoptionSupport #AdoptionMatters metro.co.uk/2025/03/17/s...

Please share this onwards, raising awareness of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (#ASGSF) is, and how crucial it is for our children and our whole families it continues - thanks so much to @lisamainwaring.bsky.social for getting this out there! metro.co.uk/2025/03/17/s...

New 2025 dates for our free #PersonalIndependencePayment #PIP and #DisabilityLivingAllowance #DLA sessions now out! Please see the flyer for details - I'll post links below too :) Please share far and wide so we can reach as many families as possible. (Message us for a PDF of the flyer with links)

Mini stampede of deer in #BushyPark this morning, courtesy of one very enthusiastic, yappy dog, legs going like the clappers, owner nowhere to be seen. I can only assume his name was FENTON?! (Because, let’s be honest, history does have a way of repeating itself) #DogonTheLoose

Anyone else been ghosted by the Three mobile network today? My phone has basically turned into a very expensive clock. I haven’t been able to make or receive calls or texts all day. #threenetworkdown downdetector.co.uk/status/3/

Out two nights in a row-still life in the old girl yet! Tonight: a surprise birthday screening of ‘Stop Making Sense’. David Byrne? What a showman. Also, weirdly Cillian Murphy vibes in a few shots. Same hair, same intensity!

This is a thread about unpaid #carers and (I’ll be honest with you - I’m doing this with tears in my eyes) it’s in response to the broader questions that potential entrants to my #curae literary prize for writer-carers have dmd me with. I couldn’t walk by. Apologies for repetition and please share ❤️

Just took the Christmas tree down & now the room looks massive. Like we’ve gained an extension! Came back late last night from our trip t'up north & today I went full tornado mode: decorations down, tree undressed, house nearly decluttered. Satisfying but sad - goodbye Christmas, hello space!

Shoutout to McDonald’s for their magical #ReindeerReady app! 🎄🦌 The kids were in awe watching the reindeer eat the carrots they left out. It brought so much Christmas magic into our home. Brilliant use of tech to spark joy and imagination! #ChristmasMagic #FamilyMoments

Christmas isn’t complete without Some Like It Hot. Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, & just enough mischief to keep things merry and bright!

Word of the day (of course) is ‘scurryfunging’, from US dialect: the frantic attempt to tidy the house just before guests arrive.

This is a great infographic and will be helpful for all professionals and families too. It’s useful for all adults to reflect on also. www.theottoolbox.com/emotional-re...

Water bills are set to rise by over a third in the next five years, hitting the poorest families relying on inadequate Universal Credit hardest. The government must set out plans for the review of Universal Credit it committed to in its manifesto urgently. www.theguardian.com/money/2024/d...

The Dominique Pelicot case shows us a hard truth: these weren’t “monsters” - they were ordinary men. Male violence isn’t rare or isolated; it grows from a culture that quietly devalues women. Change starts with how we raise our sons, how we model respect, and what we refuse to tolerate.

Here is a piece I wrote recently www.thebookseller.com/comment/quer... & @the-bookseller.bsky.social kindly made it open access. I’m currently writing some short guides for mentors working on creative writing courses on #SEN & I’d like your help and would like to explain why that is. Read on!

True luxury is found in the simplest moments.

School email: Send baby photos to show how your child has grown! Ah, yes - the classic ‘baby photos’ request. Unfortunately, our adopted son’s origin story starts a wee later. Might just send a photo of him holding a sign that says: “I arrived fully assembled.” #NotAllBeginningsComeInBabyPics

Why is it always mums who get the school calls when things go sideways? Tried to enjoy a rare office social today - two calls! Meanwhile, my husband’s at home, and I’m acting as his secretary. Does he have an invisibility cloak, or just a really impressive "Do Not Disturb" sign?

After a 25-week wait (who’s counting?), we finally got my eldest's DLA! No letter, no email – just a hefty deposit into my bank. For a moment, I thought I'd hit the jackpot. A quick call to the DWP revealed it was a back payment. A small win, but oh-so-satisfying!

Disney+ just told me my subscription’s going up to £129.90 in 2025. It was £79.90 in 2023 - a 62.5% increase. I wish my salary would rise that fast, but it’s more like Sleeping Beauty… no prince in sight. At this rate, I’ll be wishing on a star - or for a fairy godmother to pay my bills. #Disney+

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed so thoughtfully to the research behind this piece - and to @lisamainwaring.bsky.social for her excellent write up.

Recommended to anyone for anyone (except those who don’t want to see the world through the eyes of others who may share complex and difficult stories).

In Adoption Today, I talk about adoption poverty & the ripple effects of early trauma. It’s a deep dive into why we’re exhausted, broke & fighting endless paperwork. Teamed up with @newcastleuni.bsky.social @thebelayfoundation.bsky.social @sarahfry.bsky.social. Please share to help others #Adoption

Supposed to be at a Xmas gathering but illness is throwing an exclusive party at chez Mainwaring. The youngest’s tonsils are inflamed with festive rage & I’m cultivating a chest infection in full decor mode. Raising tissues & paracetamol instead of fizz. There in spirit!

What a cracking idea- cosy crime for kids is perfect for Xmas!

My son’s school nativity is about to kick off! He’s not only mastered his lines but everyone else’s too. I’m half expecting him to moonlight as the director, whispering prompts from the wings!

Scotland scraps two-child benefit cap. NEF research shows abolishing this UK-wide could lift 1 in 7 children out of poverty by parliament's end. It's not just moral - it's economic sense. Long-term savings of up to £39bn outweigh £2.5bn initial cost. Time for Labour to act. #EndTwoChildLimit

I had my 5 year old’s parents' evening. The teacher? Couldn’t stop saying how *lovely* he is. Lovely this, delightful that, lovely, lovely, LOVELY. Like, we get it, Miss Smith, you’ve got a crush on my 5-year-old. Are we talking about the same child who *licked* the remote last night to “clean it”?

I agree - it’s made me a warrior too, but one that cries most days under the huge burden of trying to hold down a job while caring for my adopted SEND kids with developmental trauma. Will the government’s ‘Back to Work Plan’ finally support mums like us? Real change is overdue #SEND #Adoption

If I may? This is gold dust. Have a look #writingcommunity

This is not Valencia, this is the town Tenbury Wells UK. There are very real consequences for all of us of ignoring 40 years of warnings from NASA & the world’s leading scientists. Reminder: as the planet heats, the atmosphere holds more moisture meaning rainfall intensity increases. #climatechange

This is the Met office graph for rainfall in the UK over the last 185 ish years. You can clearly see it is going up. Climate change is real & caused by humans as every university on Earth says. Ignore Russian bots & brainwashed morons who try to convince you otherwise #StormBert

we also soon be opening for fiction and non-fiction submissions ... details and guidelines can be found here: oleada.io/publication/...

FREE Trampoline COLLECTION ONLY PLEASE!

Mixed feelings about #COP29Azerbaijan. $300bn/yr promised for developing countries to fight #climatechange – sounds big, but it's nowhere near enough. They asked for $1.3tn. Low-income nations are hit hardest by a crisis they didn’t cause. This must be a start, not the end. #ClimateFinance

A local Facebook group, posted a vintage gem asking, "Who’s the lass in the photo?" Spoiler alert: It’s me. But here’s the kicker: I don’t remember anybody in the photo (apparently they were classmates). I can’t be the only person who doesn’t remember a soul from their school days? Help me out here!

Just discovered this whilst researching my historical fiction novel based in the 1880’s. Love it!

This is how to handle a stage invasion! #class

Isn’t it hilarious how a song can launch you back in time? Watching BBC Four’s ToTPs & feeling like it’s 1992! I left my cosy village for uni - zillions of miles away. Can’t remember yesterday but I can clearly recall jamming to The Smiths while bashing out an essay! 🎶😂 m.youtube.com/watch?v=_2s9...

At bedtime tonight. 5-year-old: Mummy, school gived me snaffle tickets! Me: Oh, you mean the Christmas raffle tickets! I’m don’t have any cash, but I’ll sort tomorrow. 5-year-old: It’s okay, Mummy my piggy has of shiny coins! #HeartMelts

John Prescott was a colorful & unforgettable politician, a larger-than-life figure who brought charm to the political stage. Many politicians fade away but Prescott’s presence was refreshing. His legacy will bring warm chuckles for years to come. www.ft.com/content/0dc2...

Understanding #DevelopmentalTrauma

Big day at the DWP yesterday! Met with Ministers Stephen Timms & Andrew Western to chat all things PIP/ UC reform. Vibe: Positive & productive. The tea? Biscuits were missing, but conversation more than made up for it. Change is brewing! ☕ #PIPReform #CoProduction #DisabilityRights #antipoverty