I had one of those coaching conversations recently that I know so many parents will recognise instantly. The repeating, the arguing, the escalating, and that moment where you hear yourself and think, how did we get here again?
In this episode, I share a real-life coaching breakdown with a family navigating daily struggles around listening, transitions, and mealtimes. We unpack what’s really going on beneath the surface and, more importantly, how to interrupt those patterns in a way that actually builds skills instead of stress.
What You’ll Discover
- The One-Time Rule That Changes Everything: Why repeating instructions fuels escalation, and how moving straight to support builds real skills.
- Why Mealtimes Become Power Struggles: How negotiation, persuasion, and pressure create resistance, and what to do instead.
- Interrupting the Parent-Child Escalation Loop: Simple ways to recognise when you’re triggered and reset before things spiral.
What really stood out to me in this conversation is how much of parenting stress comes from patterns we don’t even realise we’re in. The request, repeat, argue, threaten cycle feels automatic, but once you see it, you can start to change it. And that shift, from trying to control behaviour to actually supporting skill development, changes everything.
This isn’t about getting it perfect. It’s about noticing where things are breaking down and trying something different with consistency and compassion. Because when we change how we respond, our kids get the chance to learn something new too.
If you need more support and want to join a tribe of other parents who get what you are going through - check out The ND Parenting Lab Support Group at happierbytheminute.com.
Conscious Parenting Your ADHD Child is produced by Urban Podcasts.