ADHD Mums

17. QUICK RESET: How We Survive the 3–6PM Sh*t Show When Kids Are Coming Down Off Meds


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If your afternoons feel like a slow-motion train wreck — tears, yelling, slammed doors, and you hiding in the pantry with a chocolate bar — this episode is for you.

This Quick Reset speaks directly to the ADHD mums stuck in the brutal 3–6PM rebound window (or 3–9PM if your house is really on fire). When the stimulant meds wear off, the chaos ramps up — and suddenly the smallest request can launch a meltdown. Whether your child is screaming in the backseat or your teenager is giving you the silent treatment, this episode validates the unspoken truth: it’s not you, it’s the neurochemical whiplash.

Jane breaks down the reality of post-school dysregulation, explains why your child falls apart as soon as they get home, and shares real-life survival tools (not Pinterest-perfect routines) that actually help.

✨ IN THIS RESET, WE COVER:

  • What’s really happening when ADHD meds wear off (spoiler: it’s not “bad behaviour”)
  • Why the smallest requests trigger epic meltdowns
  • The connection between sensory build-up, emotional suppression, and after-school explosions
  • Why your child’s brain crashes when yours does too
  • The invisible rebound window: how to recognise it and adapt
  • School masking and why ‘safe’ doesn’t always look calm
  • The only two things that changed Jane’s afternoons (music + snacks, no eye contact)
  • Low-demand parenting that actually protects connection
  • Why the “put your lunchbox on the bench” battle isn’t worth it — and what to do instead


💭 This episode is for you if:
– You dread the school pickup more than the morning rush
– You spiral into shame after yelling — again
– You feel like the only mum hiding in her laundry at 5PM questioning everything

🎧 Listen now on your favourite platform and hit follow so you never miss a Reset.

🔗 Resources & Links:

  • Join the Facebook community: ADHD Mums FB Group
  • More resources & tools: www.adhdmums.com.au/shop

🔁 SHARE THIS RESET:
If this one hit hard, send it to a mum friend who’s also stuck in survival mode. Let her know: she’s not broken, she’s bracing.

Other Quick Reset Episodes:

  • S3E8 Advocating for Your Child Shouldn’t Break You — But It Often Does: Spotify | Apple Podcast
  • S3E10 Why am I bracing for impact when nothing is wrong?: Spotify | Apple Podcast
  • S3E12 I can’t stop snapping when my child does this one thing: Spotify | Apple Podcast 
  • S3E14 I Cancel Plans Because I Don’t Have the Energy to Fake My Personality: Spotify | Apple Podcast
  • S3E15 He wants the Maldives but we can't even manage the park: Spotify | Apple Podcast
  • S3E16 No meds, No plan, and no help..... but yet they're still calling us undiagnosed: Spotify | Apple Podcast
  • S3E18 Why you are bad at asking for help and what to do instead: Spotify | Apple Podcast


    🧠 TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
    ADHD rebound, parenting rage, stimulant medication, after school meltdowns, low-demand parenting, sensory overload, emotional dysregulation, school masking, post-med crash, parenting with ADHD, after school routine, co-regulation, ADHD parenting tips, medication wear-off, shutdown, parenting burnout, survival strategies, neurodivergent kids, rethinking routines, school trauma, ADHD mums.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    ADHD MumsBy Jane McFadden

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