Janey-mai Henshall

On the outside, it looks like I’ve got it all together.

“You’re handling it so well.”

“I don’t know how you do it — I couldn’t.”

But what you don’t see is everything happening behind the scenes — the exhaustion, the overwhelm, the moments that feel like they might break me.

The truth is, some days look like the first slide… and some days look like the second.

Motherhood is not for the faint-hearted, and being a newly single mum to children with SEN can feel like a whole different level. Some days are hard. Some days feel completely impossible. Some nights blur into mornings, sleep is almost non-existent, and simply finding the strength to start another day feels like an achievement in itself.

But every single day, somehow, we get through it.

I’m incredibly lucky to have the most amazing support network around me — I genuinely couldn’t do this without them. Accepting help doesn’t make you weak, and needing support doesn’t mean you’re failing.

I share a lot of the happy moments on here, but this is your reminder that Instagram is just a highlight reel. Behind the smiles and the nice photos, there are also tears, overwhelm and days where I question how I’m going to keep going.

But I do keep going. We all do.

Not because we always feel strong, but because sometimes there isn’t another choice. Strength doesn’t always look strong — sometimes it looks like crying in the bathroom, asking for help, cancelling plans or just getting through the day.

I wouldn’t change my children for the world. Even on the hardest days, I feel so lucky to be their mum 🤍

If you’re quietly struggling behind the scenes, you’re not alone. A bad day doesn’t mean a bad life, and this chapter isn’t your whole story.

We’re all just doing the best we can — and that is enough.

Be kind. Celebrate the small wins. Hold your people close 🤍

#SingleMumLife #SENParenting #RealMotherhood #YouAreNotAlone #StrengthInStruggle