A podcast for Christian mamas of mixed-needs families with children who are neuro typical and neuro divergent. We discuss family culture, faith, and parenting joyfully even in the challenges of life.
DIY Zipper Bracelets: A Quiet, Wearable Fidget for Kids Who Stim
Fidget toys are wonderful, but buying lots of them gets expensive fast. In this episode, Terrie shows you how to make zipper bracelets. They're colorful, inexpensive fidgets your kids can wear all day and zip and unzip whenever they need to. They're quiet until they're in use, they don't draw attention, and they're simple enough for older kids to make on their own.
In this episode:
Why fidgets and stimming still matter for older kids and adults
The three supplies you need: zippers, clasp fasteners, and embroidery floss
How to cut, fold, and sew the ends so the bracelet won't come apart
Why a sharper needle works better than a blunt embroidery needle How to break in a stiff new zipper
Other ways to wear them, including as a double ring Using them as a family craft or a Christmas stocking stuffer
📚 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Supplies:
Zippers: https://link.amazon/B0cNSD0Cq
Clasp fasteners: https://link.amazon/B0fJ1B7Xf
Embroidery floss: https://link.amazon/B05DYjDAQ
Sharp large-eye needle: https://link.amazon/B00CLFv7F
Fidget toys we love:
ONO fidgets (great for teens and adults): https://getono.com/
Amazon favorites: https://link.amazon/B0iYgz9N5
https://link.amazon/B0jawEBJq
https://link.amazon/B0eyYL5Vw
Original tutorial and video: https://www.momsandcrafters.com/how-to-make-a-zipper-bracelet/ (She also has the products she used linked on her site so you can click from there as well. Scroll down on her page for the video demo) Join the conversation: What does your child use to fidget or stim? How do you handle it in public or at church? Share your quiet fidget ideas in the comments, along with any topics you'd like us to cover on a future episode.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
⏱ CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Fidget Toy Ideas
02:01 Step-by-Step: Making the Zipper Bracelets
03:21 Tips for Securing the Fidget Bracelets
04:56 Creative Uses and Variations of Fidget Bracelets
06:16 Encouraging Kids to Make Their Own Fidgets
07:12 Closing Remarks and Resources
🔗 CONNECT
Website: https://terriehellardbrown.com/
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-needs-mama-podcast/id1865657564
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5T3VUhFFpSQxfdOOGqwB6X?si=1ea25d34f095457b
Mixed Needs Mama and Sparking Everyday Discipleship are part of The Whole Family, encouragement for families raising kids with different needs.
#MixedNeedsMama #christianparenting #fidgettoys
9 Oct 2026
The Discipline Conversation I Wish I'd Had with My Kids
The Discipline Conversation I Wish I'd Had with My Kids
In a mixed-needs home, fair discipline doesn't always mean the same discipline. Terrie disciplined her children privately to protect their dignity, and she tailored consequences to each child. A favorite device taken away for five minutes reached her neurodivergent kids in a way timeout never did. For her social-butterfly daughter, staying home was the consequence that mattered most.
But there was a loophole she didn't see until her kids were grown. Her neurotypical daughter never saw her siblings being disciplined, so she assumed they were getting away with everything and that she was held to a higher standard. One conversation could have prevented years of hurt feelings.
In this episode:
Why private discipline protects your child's dignity and your relationship, and the blind spot it can create
Why neurodivergent kids often don't connect a consequence to what they did, and what to do instead
Matching consequences to each child's personality and needs
Why explaining the why builds true discipline, not just compliance, and reflects God's heart behind His boundaries
The family conversation about expectations and consequences that keeps siblings from feeling cheated
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Parenting and Discipline
01:52 Discipline Approaches in Public and Private
03:08 Different Needs of Neurodivergent and Neurotypical Children
04:19 Effective Discipline Techniques for Different Children
05:08 The Power of Explaining the 'Why'
06:24 Discipline as a Reflection of God's Heart
07:17 The Importance of Clarifying Discipline Reasons
08:32 Tailoring Discipline to Each Child
09:25 Having Ongoing Family Expectations Discussions
10:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Terrie is currently writing Parenting from God's Heart, which goes deeper into discipline as discipleship.
2 Oct 2026
Hygiene Struggles with Autistic Kids: What Actually Helps
Hygiene is one of the hardest things to teach when you're parenting kids on the spectrum. You teach it, they do it, and the next day it's like it never happened.
In this episode of Mixed Needs Mama, Terrie Hellard-Brown shares what has actually worked in her mixed-needs family, from potty training through the teen years and into adulthood:
• Why routines beat checklists for many neurodivergent kids
• The detangling brush that ended the hairbrushing battles
• Sensory-friendly options for teeth, periods, and cleaning chores
• "Clutter blindness": why your child may not see the mess, and how to teach them to
• Why patience and modeling matter more than reminders
Chapters:
00:00 Why hygiene is so hard to teach
1:40 Routines vs. checklists
02:04 Sensory-friendly hair brushing
05:05 Potty training, periods & sensory-friendly options
07:22 Teeth: electric brushes, rinse & checking in
10:00 Teaching laundry and chores
11:25 Clutter blindness: teaching kids to see the mess
13:33 Modeling the habits you want
14:26 Gloves and tools for germ-averse kids
15:16 What's worked for you? + closing prayer
What has helped your kids? Share it in the comments. Your idea might be exactly what another parent needs.
📚 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE.
🔗 Detangling hairbrush: https://link.amazon/B06dqz4zd
🔗 Potty training blog post: https://www.twentyonedandelions.com/blog/a-moms-guide-to-potty-training-your-child-with-special-needs
🔗 The Whole Family: https://thewholefamily.love
Mixed Needs Mama helps Christian parents in mixed-needs homes move from survival mode to sustainable peace.
#MixedNeedsFamily #AutismParenting #ChristianParenting
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