No one disputes that raising kids with ADHD is more challenging. There’s a definitive struggle that can often overwhelm parents and family. But, that doesn’t mean your parenting life and family journey has to be devoid of joy. Quite the opposite! Join me and the ladies of The Childhood Collective — Lori Long, Mallory Yee, and Katie Severson — as we discuss the process necessary for parenting with intention and creating joy. Learn to see the beauty of the storm.

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Very often people receive something we say differently than we intended them to. This is even more true for kids with neurodifferences like ADHD and autism. Kids who struggle with social skills, emotional awareness, a sensitized stress response, and an inflated sensitivity to rejection and criticism. Our parenting comes from the best of intentions and love, but it’s often received much differently than intended. Listen in as Penny highlights the pitfalls of unintended messages and outlines how to be more mindful of the ways your messages are received and interpreted to prevent inadvertently hurting our kids. 

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ADHD creates many hurdles to academic success, most often in the way of lagging executive functioning skills. It takes an ADHD-informed caregiver, coach, or tutor to truly help a student with learning challenges that stem from ADHD. And it’s also important to know when to keep challenging and when a student needs the pressure released. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with school counselor and the founder of Progress Parade, Laura Reber, about how to guide kids to turn their learning challenges into lifelong achievements. Spoiler alert! It isn’t all about academics. 

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We don’t want to change who our kids are, but we do want them to feel empowered to function well in our neurotypical world so they can build a fulfilling life for themselves. And the only way to do that is to see behavior as communication, understand the biology that triggers challenging behavior, and implement a systematic approach that uses those foundations as it’s core. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Penny and Sarah talk about their Behavior Revolution and the new system they developed to finally address behavior in a compassionate and informed way, grounded in brain science and honoring neurodiversity. If you struggle with your child’s behavior, this episode is a must listen. 

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The COVID pandemic has been hard on almost everyone in one way or another. It has changed us, and it has certainly changed our kids. Understood.org conducted a survey to get a clearer picture of how the pandemic has impacted kids who are different learners and different thinkers, like kids with ADHD. On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I welcome back Amanda Morin to share some results of their study and, most importantly, how to go forward from here to help restore the mental and emotional health of our kids. Going back to school isn’t going to be easy, so parents will need to talk with their kids and make plans to ease the anxiety and stress. Listen in to find out how. 

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Neurodivergent kids can often be picky eaters. And parents of picky eaters worry about their child’s health and wellness when their list of approved foods is very narrow and limited. However, there are things you can do to help picky eaters broaden their food horizon that don’t include bartering and threats (which don’t work anyway). In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with the author of Play with Your Food, Sarah Appleman. Sarah uses a sensory lens to understand food aversions and help kids become less tactilely defensive in small, incremental steps. Learn how to do that with your child as well as how to make sure you’re setting your kid up for success when it comes to food. Get ready to play with your food!

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Middle school is hard. There’s lots of development during that time, and lots of insecurity. All kids are struggling, but kids with ADHD have an additional level of difficulty when it comes to the social and emotional challenges of being a tween. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, certified professional school counselor, Phyllis Fagell, shares her strategies on helping kids navigate the innate challenges of middle school so they can thrive there, and beyond. 

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Teaching self-regulation can be tricky, especially with impulsive kids with ADHD who are often lagging in skills like social and emotional intelligence and self-awareness. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with Elizabeth Sautter about the Zones of Regulation, a tool and curriculum designed to teach kids of all ages to reflect on how their body is feeling and then use strategies to help regulate, when needed. Listen in to learn all about the Zones of Regulation program and how to use it with your child to build self-awareness and self-regulation. 

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Sensory processing is how we react to the world through our eight senses (yes, 8!). If you have a child with ADHD and/or autism, your child has some sensory challenges. I am thrilled to have the author of THE sensory guidebook, “The Out-of-Sync Child,” Carol Stock Kanowitz share a primer on sensory processing and how it affects our kids’ behavior. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, you’ll learn about all eight senses, what it looks like when a child seeks or avoids in each sensory area, and some activities to strengthen their sensory experience in this world. 

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Positive parenting is the foundation of the parenting approach I teach neurodiverse families. It is, by far, the most effective approach for kids with ADHD and/or autism. And yet, too much positivity can actually send the wrong message to our kids, and ourselves. Acting like things are all sunshine and roses when they’re clearly not, makes kids think we don’t see them and see their struggle. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m outlining the instances when positivity can actually become negative and sharing how to be mindful that your child is getting your intended message through balance and empathy. 

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