Beautifully Complex

The teen years have always been tough. There’s a ton of change coming at teens from all directions, as well as an ever-increasing expectation of independence, accountability, and responsibility. But it’s a much bigger challenge to be a teen today, with the added social complexity of instantaneous distribution and social media. It’s no wonder the tween and teen years often have an inherent lack of...

If there's one tool we all need for life in this world — kids and parents — it's calming techniques. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast I explain the role of the vagus nerve and our autonomic nervous system in getting us activated and feeling unsafe, and then list more than 20 tools and techniques to use for calming yourself or your child, by stimulating the vagus nerve to calm the nerv...

Is it will or skill? Behavior challenges often look on the surface like willful acting out, but rarely ever are. Behavior is simply a symptom of the “real problem” — the lagging skill, differences in neurology, dysregulation, or misunderstanding of others. Rather than judge and react to your child’s behavior and parent through a behavior lens, it’s paramount to take into account your child’s diffe...

If there’s one thing parenting kids with ADHD is, it’s unpredictable and inconsistent. We can be stressed by those characteristics and fight hard against them, or we can accept them and use them to our advantage. Seeing the ups and downs of this special brand of parenthood as an adventure and a perpetual learning and growth opportunity is how mom and blogger, Beth Grushkin, aka FuzzyMama, meets th...

A larger percentage of the ADHD population — kids and adults alike — struggle with sleep. Your child might have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep during the night, or both. When kids aren't sleeping, parents likely aren't getting adequate sleep either and that takes a toll on the entire family. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with sleep consultant, Melissa Dom...

We are all guilty of it. Blowing up at our kid at one time or another is inevitable, because we parents are human and we make mistakes. Of course, we don't want to blow up at our kids, and it certainly doesn't have to be part of our everyday family lives, and it shouldn't be. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking to psychologist and ADHD specialist, Dr. Marcy Caldwell about th...

It's no surprise that I'm a big fan of Brené Brown and her podcast, Unlocking Us — she's a woman of great wisdom and inspiration. I had an epiphany of sorts when listening to a recent episode on loneliness when her guest said, "We must feel good to do good." Everything I know about parenting kids with ADHD / autism and self-care instantly collided with this statement and provided a jolt of inspira...

Challenges with planning and organization are common among kids with ADHD. It shows up with messy bedrooms, lost items, missing or never turned in homework, not putting things away, etc. The consequences of disorganization aren’t just frustrating for kids, they’re frustrating for their parents, too.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with organizing expert, Laurie Palau of...

One of the biggest struggles with ADHD is executive functioning deficits. These are skills in the areas of planning and organization, problem solving, task initiation, working memory, self-regulation, and self-awareness. Many kids with ADHD are often two to three years or more behind same-age peers in these areas. And, yet, these skills are crucial to success both at home and at school.  In this e...

  Connection is one of the most important and powerful human needs. It provides a sense of safety, security, belonging, and fulfillment. And yet, we often struggle with making true, genuine connections. And our kids with ADHD/autism struggle with it far more. As this episode airs, we are under lockdown due to the Corona virus pandemic. You'd think this would provide so much more connection being s...

Connection is a fundamental human need, and one that holds an immense amount of power for individuals, even kids. Especially kids. And, when we're talking about kids with ADHD and/or autism, connection is often a struggle — socially or with family members, like parents. Feeling connected to others provides a sense of safety and security. We feel more at ease and less anxious when we feel connected...

Get curious and support your child in the struggles they have without judgement. With the knowledge we have about brain development and structure, we can better understand our kid's behaviors and the way they learn. We can also better understand their strengths and, in turn, lift their self -esteem. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with online reading strategist, Jean Har...

As moms, we think of self-care as selfish and frivolous. But self-care is so much more than a spa massage or a weekend away with your girlfriends. Self-care includes all eight dimensions of wellness: physical, spiritual, emotional, social, environmental, financial, intellectual, and career. That's true wellness, and it takes mindful awareness and some work. Remember, self-care isn't selfish... you...

  Many individuals with ADHD struggle with anxiety as well, wether it be an additional condition or the result of the challenges that come with ADHD. Anxiety is often misunderstood by parents and other adults in a child's life, and can feel like it should be easily rationalized away. But, those with anxiety know no amount of rationalizing can just "turn off" an anxiety attack. In this episode of t...

There’s a Buddhist saying: “What you focus on grows.” Has there ever been a truer statement? Yes, this is common sense when you think about it. But have you ever thought of this in terms of parenting and ADHD and/or autism? It’s easy to focus on something painful or uncomfortable. It’s difficult to let that discomfort be and focus on something else, something you’d much rather have grow. Let’s thi...

When you don't have ADHD yourself, it's really how to know how your child with ADHD thinks and feels. Even if you do have ADHD too, the experience is different for each individual with ADHD, meaning it's different for your child than it was and is for you. Yet, it's important for parents to know what life is like for your kids so we can help them thrive. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podca...

  I just finished the Finding Fred podcast, all about Fred Rogers, or Mr. Rogers as most of us know him. And I'm inspired! He was always telling children and his television audience, "I like you just the way you are." Remembering what that felt like when watching his show and diving deep into what that means and how we can apply it to our lives and our parenting, I realized that we and others in o...

There are three main elements to setting a foundation for success: (1) accepting and understanding that behavior is communication; (2) getting your mind right for raising a kid with ADHD, autism and/or other challenges; and (3) adopting a self-care regimen, including effective stress management. Listen in to learn more about each of these pillars of your success plan and how to create them for you...

Many parents struggle with wether or not to share their child's diagnosis with them. And even the decision to fill them in leaves many wondering what to say and when to have that conversation. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with psychologist, Emily King, PhD, about why having this conversation is important, when to have it, and what to say. This is your guide to telling...

The sex talk with your kids doesn't have to be nearly as painful as you imagine it. In this episode, Dr. Ari Tuckman walks us through the when, why, and how of this important conversation. We discuss starting the conversation about romantic relationships when our kids are young, how to talk about sex and sexuality with our teens, keeping our kids safe when they're prone to impulsivity and risky be...

What parents of kids with ADHD (and/or autism) want more than anything is for our kids to succeed. And, yet, success can be elusive with the many challenges and hurdles a neurodevelopmental disorder like ADHD adds. That's why providing opportunities for successes and wins for kids with ADHD must be a crucial part of your parenting plan. In this episode, pediatric neurologist, Dr. Sarah Cheyette, a...

Holidays are challenging for kids with ADHD, and for their parents. Schedules are different, excitement is high, big gatherings are routine, and that's the only thing that's routine. Yikes! This frenzy guarantees some struggle. It's really easy to get tangled up in the fallout of a lot of new things and people, a ton of sensory overwhelm (hello, Uncle Buck's loud voice and Aunt Mildred's heavily p...

There are few times more chaotic and stressful for families of kids with ADHD than mornings, especially school mornings. Kids with ADHD struggle with staying on task, time management, working memory, and many other executive functioning deficits that make mornings difficult — difficult to get out the door on time, difficult to get everything done, difficult to not lose your sanity. In this episode...

When you have a child with ADHD, almost all of your attention and energy naturally goes to that child — they're more intense and they're struggling. And yet, that child's siblings are likely struggling too. The experience of being the sibling to a child with ADHD, autism, or other special needs is hard, at the very minimum, but traumatic to many. On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm...

Our culture says that parents should be authoritarian and have control over their children. I call BS.  Authoritarian parenting and trying to control behavior with punishment and fear is bad parenting. I explain why that's bad parenting, and outline a better way in this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. We should be parenting individuals and celebrating individuality, not pushing for conformi...