In November 2023, our world shifted. One of our children came home—just 24 hours' notice, no preparation, no gentle transition. Just… “she’s coming back.” We didn’t question it. We embraced it. We opened our arms, our home, and our hearts, knowing full well the path ahead wouldn’t be easy. She was 14. So much had… Continue reading When Love Isn’t Enough (Or So They Say)
Author: TheGirlSpeaks
The Postcode Lottery of Child Protection: How Cornwall Council Is Failing Families
My Story My children have been placed in foster homes by Cornwall Council. Two of them now need to be moved — but there are no suitable placements available in Cornwall, especially for one child who has special educational needs (SEN), and another who is almost 16 years old. They could be sent anywhere in… Continue reading The Postcode Lottery of Child Protection: How Cornwall Council Is Failing Families
They Say It’s My Fault My Mind Is Broken
They say it’s my fault.That my mind is broken because I didn’t seek help.But how do you ask for help when you were taught your voice didn’t matter? As a child, I learned quickly that silence was safer. My pain was invisible to the people who were supposed to protect me. When I cried, they… Continue reading They Say It’s My Fault My Mind Is Broken
Family Court vs. Criminal Court: When Your Life Ends Up in Front of a Judge
Let’s be honest — if you’re googling the difference between Family Court and Criminal Court, chances are life is already heavy. You might be trying to protect your child. You might be dealing with someone who's hurt you. Maybe you’ve got court papers in your hand and a million questions in your head. You shouldn’t… Continue reading Family Court vs. Criminal Court: When Your Life Ends Up in Front of a Judge
The Family Court Gag: Why Silence Isn’t a Choice—It’s a Sentence
“Why don’t you just speak up?” We hear it all the time. From friends. From strangers. From people who think silence equals guilt. But here’s the truth: Speaking up in family court can destroy you.Not metaphorically—literally. If we talk about our own cases publicly, we risk being dragged back into court for contempt, slapped with… Continue reading The Family Court Gag: Why Silence Isn’t a Choice—It’s a Sentence
When Family Hurts: Choosing Peace Over Blood
They say the ones you trust most can hurt you the deepest. I used to believe that family — by blood — was sacred. That somehow, no matter what we endured, that connection would always hold. But I’ve learned that sometimes, those bonds break. And sometimes, they were never truly there to begin with. My… Continue reading When Family Hurts: Choosing Peace Over Blood
Be a Better Parent
Someone on TikTok recently commented,“Be a better parent.”Just three words. Simple. Sharp. Careless. And I wish it were that simple. I won’t sit here and deny my mistakes.I won’t pretend I didn’t fall apart.When my mental health collapsed, I made choices I wish I could undo. I caused pain—real pain—and I carry the weight of… Continue reading Be a Better Parent
When a Child Is Taken, a Whole Family Breaks
When social services take a child from their parents,they aren’t just removing one person from one home.They are ripping a thread from an entire tapestry.A living, breathing, tangled web of love, connection, and history. It is not just a child taken.It is their grandmother’s lullabies, their sibling’s late-night whispers, their uncle’s jokes, their cousin’s hugs.It… Continue reading When a Child Is Taken, a Whole Family Breaks
When Speaking Up Becomes a Weapon
They tell you to speak.To reach out.To be brave and ask for help.They urge you to be honest, to share your struggles, to show them you're trying. But what they don’t say—what they never warn you about—is what happens next. Because the moment you speak, your words stop belonging to you.They become evidence.Twisted.Framed.Used. That cry… Continue reading When Speaking Up Becomes a Weapon
Expected to Trust the Same System That Failed Me
I am expected to trust them.To cooperate.To sit in rooms and answer questions with calm and respect.All while the same system that failed me now questions my ability to parent. But where was that concern when I was a child?Where was their urgency when I needed protection, when I was growing up in fear, in… Continue reading Expected to Trust the Same System That Failed Me
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