Beautifully Complex

If your child has ADHD (or is on the autism spectrum), behavior is likely top of mind for you. They act in ways we don’t understand, find inappropriate, or don’t approve of when we view behavior through the traditional behavior lens. Brain-based science now helps us understand behavior and how our autonomic nervous system — our physiology — drives how we feel and how we respond to how we feel.   In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, psychologist and behavior expert, Mona Delahooke, PhD, explains Dr. Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory and how to harness an understanding of the autonomic nervous system to appropriately and positively address behavior challenges. While everything we discuss is backed by brain science, we’ve broken it down into simple terms. This conversation is one that all of us can understand and includes proven strategies to implement with your child right now.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 self-confidence. I’m talking to psychologist, Dr. Melanie McNally about supporting self-confidence in our teens and young adults on this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. Dr. McNally offers loads of insights about healthy self-confidence and outlines several strategies for parents to help their kids manage anxiety and improve self-confidence. And this conversation is perfect for parents of younger kids too — start young because they’ll all be teens one day.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 nervous system. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 differences — physiological brain-based differences — and let that guide your parenting. This is what licensed clinical social worker, Eileen Devine, calls a brain-based lens. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Eileen and I discuss challenging parenting paradigms and shifting your mindset to parent through a brain-based lens. This is the ultimate in parenting the child you have, and raising happy successful kids. Listen in now!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 the challenge of raising two boys with ADHD with courage and passion. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Beth and I discuss how a creative and adventurous perspective have helped her to keep going— to keep rising after challenges knock her off her feet. She also shares what she has found to be most important for her kids and family, including sleep, nutrition, screen time, out-of-the-box parenting, and modeling what we want to see in our kids. The struggle is real, and Beth acknowledges that while providing strategies and hope to help you keep going.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 Doman, about all things sleep. We discuss why sleep challenges arise, strategies to help your kids fall asleep and stay asleep, and even how to get kids sleeping in their own beds. If your child (or you) struggle with sleep, this is an episode not to be missed. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 the reasons we blow up at our kids with ADHD, and strategies to blow up less and how to handle it when we do blow up. They keys are mindful awareness, co-regulation, empathy and validation, and connection between parent and child. Listen in now to get Dr. Caldwell's expert insights and strategies to improve your interactions with your kids. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 inspiration. a big part of what I teach parents is summed up by this quote — we do have to feel good to do our best for others, and for ourselves. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I take a deep dive into why this quote is so important for parents like us, and discuss how to use this quote as one of your parenting and self-care guides. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 Simply B Organized. Join us as we discuss how everyone learns and processes differently, how to communicate with your child so they are clear on expectations and processes and open to hearing your suggestions, implementing routines to improve organization, and Laurie’s top five tools and strategies for anyone to get and stay organized. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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 episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with educational therapists and hosts of the Learn Smarter Podcast, Rachel Kapp and Stephanie Pitts. Listen in to learn how to identify lagging executive functioning skills in your child, as well as how to improve and accommodate these deficits.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.