By: Kane’s Ride or Die
There’s one thing guaranteed in life: we all die. Simple as that.
And when you’re raising a neurodiverse child, there’s another certainty: you will encounter a Karen.
You won’t plan for it. You won’t see it coming. But trust me—she’ll appear. Just like an unpredictable meltdown, a Karen will arrive when you least expect it, armed with judgmental looks and unsolicited wisdom.
Spotting a Karen in the Wild
You’ll know it’s her.
She’s the one who looks but doesn’t look—the sideways glance, the tight smile, the raised brow that says “Can’t you control your child?”
Or maybe she’s the tutter, the eye-roller, standing there in aisle 23 of Sainsbury’s while you’re doing your best to regulate an overstimulated child who’s just launched himself onto the floor next to the crisps.
Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll meet the most advanced kind of Karen—the one with the invisible PhD in Parenting. She’ll smile knowingly and drop the classic line:
“He’ll grow out of it.”
Ah yes, thank you, Dr. Karen of Absolutely No Qualifications. How could I possibly have forgotten that one?
A Karen’s Natural Habitat
Karens are everywhere—schools, supermarkets, playgrounds, waiting rooms.
They’ll appear at precisely the moment you’re hanging on by a thread, trying to coax your child back from sensory overload while pretending you don’t also want to cry into your reusable shopping bag.
But here’s the thing—Karens are part of the journey.
They’re like an unfortunate side effect of raising a neurodiverse child in a world that still doesn’t quite get it.
Built for Battle
What Karen doesn’t realise is that by the time she crosses our path, we’re already seasoned warriors.
We’ve survived sleepless nights, supermarket meltdowns, school meetings, and a thousand small battles no one else even sees.
We’ve learned patience that would make monks jealous and resilience that could power a small nation.
So yes, Karen, tut all you like.
Because while you’re sighing at the meltdown, we’re out here raising humans who see the world differently—beautifully, uniquely, powerfully differently.
A Final Word of Advice
To my fellow parents:
Remember—a Karen is for life, not just to sigh at the meltdown.
So hold your head high, roll your trolley on, and keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing brilliantly —even if aisle 23 doesn’t always agree.
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