When your child argues, negotiates, blames, or pushes back, it can be easy to get pulled into a debate and lose sight of what needed to happen in the first place. 

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor talks about how parents can “stay the course” when children and teens with ADHD resist reasonable expectations and responsibilities. Whether it’s brushing their teeth, completing schoolwork, doing a chore, attending an appointment, or following through on a commitment, the goal isn’t to win an argument. It’s to calmly keep the focus on what is healthy, important, and reasonable.

Dr. Taylor discusses common “detours” that can pull parents off course, including:

• Arguing and repeated pushback
• Negotiating to delay or avoid a task
• Blaming others or shifting responsibility
• Getting stuck in negativity
• Avoiding non-preferred or difficult tasks

You’ll also hear practical ways to respond without turning every expectation into a lengthy discussion. Dr. Taylor explains when to keep your response short, when to offer help getting started, when an accommodation may be appropriate, and how collaborative problem-solving can still allow you to maintain an important expectation.

The bigger goal is helping children learn that they can do hard things. Following through - even when something isn’t preferred - can help build responsibility, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment over time.

Companion Worksheet: There is a worksheet available here with this episode to help you identify the detours that tend to show up in your family and think through ways to stay the course while still supporting your child.

Listen in for practical strategies you can begin using at home right away.

Big emotions can feel like a storm, especially for children and teens with ADHD.

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor shares practical strategies to help kids stay anchored when emotions feel overwhelming.

Learn how visualization, simple breathing techniques, sensory supports, and the “small, medium, or big problem” framework can help children calm their bodies, put problems into perspective, and decide whether to accept, let go, communicate, problem-solve, or ask for help.

The goal isn’t to stop big feelings. It’s to help kids build the skills to move through them and make choices they can feel good about when the storm has passed.

Plus, download the FREE companion worksheet here to help your child or teen practice these strategies and create their own plan for navigating emotional storms.

Why do some emotions seem to go from 0 to 100 so quickly?

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor introduces Feelings Mind, a character from her Fostering Connection collection that helps children and teens better understand what’s happening inside them during emotionally charged situations.

Dr. Taylor shares a practical strategy, rooted in principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for breaking an emotional experience into four parts:

• Feelings: What emotions were you experiencing, and how intense were they?

• Thoughts: What were you thinking or telling yourself in that moment?

• Body sensations: What was happening physically? Tight shoulders? Clenched fists? A nervous stomach? Feeling hot, shaky, or jittery?

• Actions: What did you do in response?

Using the example of a sibling conflict, Dr. Taylor explains how this simple framework can help kids move beyond “They started it!” and develop greater awareness of their own emotional patterns.

You’ll also learn how to help children consider another person’s perspective and use what they’ve learned about themselves to make a different choice the next time a similar situation occurs.

In This Episode:

• How to help kids identify and name emotions
• Why disappointment can sometimes be hiding underneath anger
• How thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and behaviors are connected
• Why recognizing physical signs can help kids notice escalating emotions
• How to build perspective-taking during conflicts
• How to help kids think through what they could do differently next time
• Why active listening matters when helping children develop self-awareness

The goal isn’t to eliminate big feelings. It’s to help children understand themselves well enough to recognize what’s happening and begin making more intentional choices.

Access the downloadable worksheet here to support your implementation of these tips.

Why do some children seem to argue about everything? For many kids with ADHD, frequent arguing isn't about being defiant—it's often a sign of frustration, impulsivity, difficulty accepting disappointment, or feeling that something is unfair.

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor explores the underlying reasons children become argumentative and shares practical strategies to help them build greater self-awareness and emotional regulation. You'll learn how to identify common triggers, help your child understand their reactions, teach perspective-taking, and develop healthier communication skills.

Dr. Taylor also discusses the importance of helping children distinguish between small, medium, and big problems, accept "no" without escalating, and use calming strategies before responding emotionally. These conversations, held during calm moments, can help children replace conflict with collaboration and strengthen family relationships over time.

To help you put these strategies into practice, be sure to download the free companion worksheet. It walks you and your child through identifying common argument triggers, understanding what's driving the behavior, and practicing new ways to respond with greater awareness and self-control.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why children with ADHD may argue more frequently
• How to identify the real triggers behind recurring conflicts
• Ways to help children recognize fairness, frustration, and unmet expectations
• How to teach acceptance when the answer is "no"
• Strategies for helping children match their reactions to the size of the problem
• Practical calming and communication tools that reduce power struggles

🎧 Listen in, download the companion worksheet, and start helping your child move from arguments to more productive conversations, one step at a time.

When children feel they've been treated unfairly, retaliation can seem completely justified in their minds. Whether it's yelling, hitting, breaking a sibling's belongings, or trying to "get even," these moments can quickly escalate if we focus only on the behavior.

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor shares a practical, values-based approach to helping children and teens with ADHD move beyond revenge and develop healthier ways to respond to conflict. Learn how identifying core values, practicing active listening, and teaching concrete problem-solving strategies can help children build self-control, emotional regulation, and stronger relationships.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why children with ADHD may retaliate when they feel wronged.
• How to use core values to guide behavior and decision-making.
• Ways to help children pause before reacting.
• When retaliation may point to a larger family or classroom issue.
• How consequences, forgiveness, and empathy all play a role in long-term growth.

🎁 Free Download: Click here to access the worksheet that supports helping kids understand the anger behind retaliation feelings.

Children with ADHD often say exactly what they're thinking—not because they want to hurt others, but because the pause between thinking and speaking can be difficult. In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor introduces the concept of the social filter and shares practical strategies to help children and teens develop stronger social awareness and communication skills. 

Using memorable analogies like a firewall, a spam filter, and the soft ball vs. pokey ball, Dr. Tish explains how to teach children to pause, consider their audience, and think about how their words will be received. She also explores common social challenges such as sarcasm, tone of voice, gossip, unsolicited advice, disagreements, and repairing relationships when something slips through the filter.

Whether you're a parent, educator, therapist, or mental health professional, this episode provides simple, actionable tools you can begin using immediately to help children build healthier friendships and stronger communication skills. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why children with ADHD often speak before they think
• How to teach the concept of a social filter
• Three visual tools that make social communication easier to understand
• Why tone, sarcasm, and unsolicited advice often create social conflict
• How to help children repair social mistakes with confidence

Connect with Dr. Tish Taylor at https://www.tishtaylor.com and access the free worksheet here for this episode.

Subscribe to ADHD Connect for practical, evidence-based strategies that empower parents, educators, and professionals to help children with ADHD thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

Children with ADHD often say, "It's boring," "This takes too long," or "I don't want to do it." But what if the challenge isn't the task itself—it's learning how to persevere through it?

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor uses the classic fable The Tortoise and the Hare to teach a powerful lesson about persistence. She shares practical strategies that help children shift from wanting to finish quickly to understanding the value of slow, steady progress.

You'll learn how to help children:

• Build perseverance when tasks feel difficult or boring
• Break overwhelming assignments into manageable steps
• Replace negative self-talk with confident, encouraging thoughts
• Develop a mindset that supports long-term learning and success
• Recognize when emotional regulation needs to come before problem-solving

🎁 Don't forget to download the companion Perseverance Worksheet included with this episode! It's a simple, engaging resource to help children practice the skills discussed and reinforce the lesson that steady effort leads to growth.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, therapist, or caregiver, this episode offers practical tools you can begin using right away to help children with ADHD develop resilience, confidence, and the ability to keep going—even when the work feels hard.

Following directions seems simple - until it isn't. Many children with ADHD struggle when asked to stop what they're doing, transition to something new, or follow through on a request. What can look like arguing, ignoring, negotiating, or even defiance is often connected to challenges with transitions, emotional regulation, and the need for predictability.

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor explores why direction-following can be so difficult and shares practical strategies to reduce power struggles while helping children move toward cooperation. 

You'll learn:

• Why some children resist directions, even when they know what is expected
• How transitions and shifting attention contribute to arguing, ignoring, and pushback
• Simple prevention strategies that make following directions easier
• Why visual schedules, timers, and advance notice can reduce resistance
• How to acknowledge feelings without getting pulled into lengthy negotiations
• Ways to use choices and motivation to increase cooperation and follow-through

Whether you're dealing with morning routines, homework battles, leaving for appointments, or classroom transitions, this episode offers practical tools to help children follow directions with less frustration and fewer emotional blowups. Visit The ADHD Store and take the next step in your journey.

Children with ADHD often get stuck in a judgment, a feeling, or a belief that something is unfair. When thinking becomes rigid, it can impact emotional regulation, relationships, problem-solving, and everyday success.

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor explores three common areas where inflexible thinking shows up: labeling people ("They're mean"), rejecting situations ("I hate it"), and getting stuck on fairness ("It's not fair"). She shares practical strategies to help children develop greater flexibility of thought, including expanding vocabulary, using continuums instead of all-or-nothing thinking, and broadening perspective.

You'll discover how these simple but powerful tools can help children better understand situations, regulate emotions, and navigate social challenges with greater confidence.

In this episode:

• Why rigid thinking is common in ADHD
• How language shapes perception and behavior
• Strategies for moving beyond black-and-white thinking
• Helping children develop perspective-taking skills
• Practical tools for parents, educators, and professionals 

Bonus: Download the companion worksheet, Flexible Thinking, for reflection questions and practical exercises to help put these concepts into action.

For more ADHD resources, visit Dr. Tish Taylor at TishTaylor.com.

Big emotions can feel overwhelming for children with ADHD and for the adults supporting them. In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor explores the deeper reasons behind meltdowns, classroom disruptions, impulsive behaviors, and emotional outbursts. 

Rather than viewing these moments as simply “bad behavior,” Dr. Taylor encourages parents and educators to look at the whole child and ask an important question:

What’s driving the behavior? 

She discusses how emotional dysregulation, attention-seeking, academic frustration, peer dynamics, impulsivity, and sensory or movement needs can all contribute to disruptive behavior.

More importantly, she shares practical strategies for responding with calm, structure, and understanding while still maintaining healthy expectations and boundaries. In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why emotional regulation is such a challenge for many children with ADHD
• How to identify triggers and patterns behind meltdowns and outbursts
• The difference between attention-seeking and regulation struggles
• Practical classroom and parenting strategies that actually help
• How movement, sensory supports, and academic adjustments can reduce behavioral challenges
• Why staying calm and curious matters more than reacting emotionally

This conversation is filled with compassionate insight and realistic tools for parents, teachers, and caregivers navigating big emotions and challenging moments.

📄 Download the companion worksheet + episode guide here.

🎙️ Hosted by Dr. Tish Taylor | ADHD Connect Podcast