Why I Started Calm Cove Kids (From One Neurodivergent Family to Yours)

I'm Matt. Single dad, two kids at home, and I spend way too much time thinking about motorbikes and cars when I should probably be doing admin!

I grew up in Sydney and moved up to Brisbane before the kids came along. I've got Evie, who's 9, Sean, who's 13, and Grace, who's 15. I always knew something was different about how my brain worked, but I didn't get diagnosed until I was 39. Took a long time and a lot of misdiagnoses before anyone figured out what was going on. But that's a whole other story.

Evie has high sensory needs. I knew that from when she was a toddler, way before we ever got anything on paper. The sensory stuff, the emotional dysregulation, all of it was there early. And honestly, as a dad who's neurodivergent himself, I could just see it.

We've been through the back and forth with products over the years. Weighted toys, chew pendants, sensory balls, fidgets, noise-cancelling headphones, the lot. Some of it was great. A lot of it was of poor quality. What we eventually figured out is that Evie does her best regulating when she's drawing or colouring with headphones on in her calm space at home. That's her thing. Every kid's different though and half the battle is just finding what works for yours.

I've been the one managing all the appointments, the NDIS stuff, the therapists, and school meetings as many neurodiverse families know that takes a lot of your time. And now doing it solo, it's a lot. I won't sugarcoat that.

But here's the bit that actually made me start this business.

When you're trying to find the right sensory tools for your kid, it's expensive. And a lot of the time, you're buying stuff without really knowing if it's going to work or if it's even good quality. I found myself spending a fortune on trial and error; a lot of what we bought just wasn't worth what we paid for it, or it didn't work. Even though NDIS may cover some of the cost, it still affects the budget's bottom line.

My background before I was a stay-at-home dad was in spare parts and logistics warehousing. I know supply chains. I know what things cost to source. And I kept thinking, there has to be a better way for families to access this stuff without getting stung.

So I built the store I wished existed back when we were starting out.

Calm Cove Kids is simple. Quality products, fair prices, curated by someone who uses this stuff at home. If I wouldn't give it to my own kid, it's not going on the site. That's basically the whole filter.

I'm not a therapist or an OT. I'm just a dad who's been doing this for years and got sick of the options that were out there. If you've got questions about what might work for your kid, just send me a message. Happy to chat anytime.

For me personally, the gym and getting out on the bike are how I regulate. Everyone needs something. For Evie, it's art and headphones. For me, it's heavy weights and two wheels. The point is, we all need tools, and they shouldn't cost a fortune.

Matt 😊