The Empowered Parent with Dana Baltutis
May 27, 2026 · 42 min · 10 segments
Send us Fan Mail Some parenting seasons are loud, messy, and relentless and you don’t even realise you’re surviving until you finally stop to…
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Dana BaltutisHostThanks, Dana.
Yeah.
A typical day was basically a military operation.
It was a strict military operation, and a day where one minor change could completely derail the whole day for Bradley.
The day started the exact second that Brad wake up, and there was no option to hit a snooze button or take a day off.
It was, "Here we are, and we have to keep moving forward." And I feel like I spent many years just trying to translate Brad's needs because he was non-verbal, and understand and represent him and help him to get those, what he needed.
Yeah, it w- it was giving 100% every single day, and there were some days that it felt like the results just weren't happening.
So tough time.
But when I look back on it, you know, we were both just trying to find our way in an unpredictable world.
We built a strong bond by becoming each other's safe place.
He made me feel safe, I made him feel safe, because there wasn't those other options for me, so yeah.

I love that, that, you know, you talked about, you know, military operation, and last week we talked about you having been in the military.
Yeah, totally, and, and having a m- military sort of style or carry over made me feel safe because after a while, Brad's procedures become predictable.
And I think that made me feel safe because I knew kind of what was coming.
But getting to that point was really challenging, and finding those patterns and that sort of stuff for me.
So I think that made us feel safe as well, each other feel safe, so yeah.

And I think for the listeners, as I know Brad as well, he really r- likes routine, doesn't he? He thrives in routine.

He needs variety, but it needs to be slow and predictable and building on what he's already got.
Yeah.
Unpredictability or sudden change can cause major anxiety for Brad.
You know, especially in those early years it was a big trigger sort of like thing.
Thanks, Dana.
Yeah.
A typical day was basically a military operation.
It was a strict military operation, and a day where one minor change could completely derail the whole day for Bradley.
The day started the exact second that Brad wake up, and there was no option to hit a snooze button or take a day off.
It was, "Here we are, and we have to keep moving forward." And I feel like I spent many years just trying to translate Brad's needs because he was non-verbal, and understand and represent him and help him to get those, what he needed.
Yeah, it w- it was giving 100% every single day, and there were some days that it felt like the results just weren't happening.
So tough time.
But when I look back on it, you know, we were both just trying to find our way in an unpredictable world.
We built a strong bond by becoming each other's safe place.
He made me feel safe, I made him feel safe, because there wasn't those other options for me, so yeah.

I love that, that, you know, you talked about, you know, military operation, and last week we talked about you having been in the military.
Yeah, totally, and, and having a m- military sort of style or carry over made me feel safe because after a while, Brad's procedures become predictable.
And I think that made me feel safe because I knew kind of what was coming.
But getting to that point was really challenging, and finding those patterns and that sort of stuff for me.
So I think that made us feel safe as well, each other feel safe, so yeah.

And I think for the listeners, as I know Brad as well, he really r- likes routine, doesn't he? He thrives in routine.

He needs variety, but it needs to be slow and predictable and building on what he's already got.
Yeah.
Unpredictability or sudden change can cause major anxiety for Brad.
You know, especially in those early years it was a big trigger sort of like thing.
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