The Invisible Life of Us

Welcome to the joyous, messy, colourful world of parenting kids with additional needs

By: Kate Jones, Mandy Hose

Narrated by: Kate Jones, Mandy Hose

Kate Jones and Mandy Hose have experienced the highs and lows of parenting - and they wouldn't change a thing. The pair met a decade ago and bonded over their premature twins with additional needs, and their remarkable capacity for love, laughter and swearing like a trooper. As the mothers grew closer, however, they confided that they felt 'on-the-floor lonely' sometimes because nobody was talking about what life was like for families like theirs. It was time to give their community a voice.

So began Too Peas in a Podcast, a weekly conversation in which the two friends discuss the surprises, the challenges and the joys of parenting twins with additional needs. It was meant to support other multiple-birth mums and mums of kids with disabilities, but they were shocked to discover therapists, doctors, nurses, teachers, even people without kids were also listening.

Now, Kate and Mandy are sharing their story on the page, delving deeper into the issues they care about and offering reassurance for those navigating a child's disability. They write candidly about what it's like to receive the initial diagnosis, how they perceive their children's lives have been impacted by their additional needs, how their own lives have changed, and those of their family and friends. Above all, they convey their immense love for their children and the happiness they have brought into their lives.

With their signature empathy, honesty and compassion, the Too Peas invite you into their world to laugh, cry and make a difference.

A Beautiful Book

I loved this book. The raw honesty of these ladies and their grace in telling their story is inspiring. I enjoyed listening to this book but also felt as though it taught me empathy and understanding. I'm glad that they've decided to tell their story and I'd highly recommend this book.

Don't feel invisible now

I smashed through this wonderful audio book. I loved the authentic experiences that these two ladies shared. There is such warmth, joy, and passion in their voices. Let's hope that some of the great ideas can be implemented in the world for people with disabilities and neurodiversity. Highly recommended.

Not just for special needs folks

This book is the story of Kate + Mandy, who are the originators of the wildly popular Too Peas in a Podcast, which is their sometimes joyous, sometimes heartbreaking story of a life with additional needs children.

Their stories are different - one expected her twins to be healthy and deliver as close to term as possible, while the other knew there were complications from early on and was struggling to just keep her babies growing inside her day by day. However, both suffered complications with the ensuing stays in NICU/SCN for their babies.

They candidly tell their stories - not their children's stories - in this book. The struggles to cope, the search for a diagnosis and the neverending therapy, the devastating comments that people make about their beautiful children, and ways to respond to same. The importance of finding your tribe and the support they can provide to you.

I personally am childless, but Kate + Mandy have changed my life and my attitudes towards those around me whose life challenges are different to my own. Their infectious laughter, their joy in their children, as well as their tears, has taught me that it's okay to laugh and cry my way through life and that I may actually be better for it. Others - doctors, therapists, parents, teachers and more have loved and benefitted from this book and listening to the podcast.

This book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to laugh and cry and become a better person in the process.