Some Assembly Required

Is adult ADHD a gift or growth opportunity for parents? Or both? In this episode, Chad McDaniel, chief development officer at Wesleyan School, and Josh Thames, licensed professional counselor, share their experiences as parents with ADHD. Together, they discuss how ADHD parents abound with empathy, creativity, and connection while also addressing challenges like procrastination, time blindness, and executive functioning struggles.

Whether you're a parent with ADHD or co-parenting with someone who has ADHD, you'll find encouragement, practical strategies, and plenty of grace for the journey.

To learn more about Josh's counseling practice, visit the Thames Counseling website.

In this episode, we reference the following books:

• Hallowell and Ratey's Driven to Distraction
• Dawson, Guere, and Guere's Smart But Scattered
• Holderness and Holderness's ADHD is Awesome
• Becky Kennedy's Good Inside

Sometimes the best parenting advice comes from a colleague in the hallway, over a cup of coffee, or during a quick conversation between classes.

In this episode, our teachers and staff share the best parenting advice they've received from fellow employees. You'll hear funny stories, hard-earned lessons, and meaningful encouragement from people navigating many of the same joys and challenges you are.

Filled with laughter, wisdom, and a few "I needed to hear that" moments, this episode celebrates the relationships that remind us that parenting is a journey best walked together.

Homework can quickly become a nightly struggle when parents feel responsible for managing every assignment. In this episode, we explore strategies to support school-age children in ways that build independence, confidence, and learning.

You'll learn what age-appropriate homework support looks like at different grade levels, how to move from being a homework manager to a learning coach, and simple strategies that help children take ownership of their work. Whether your child is just beginning elementary school or navigating the increasing demands of middle and high school, this conversation offers practical tools to make homework a positive part of learning rather than a source of stress.

In this episode, we reference "What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew" by Dr. Sharon Saline. You can find that book here.

Parenting often feels like walking a tightrope between competing priorities. As parents, we want to provide comfort and security for our children, yet we know that growth often comes through challenge and discomfort. We seek to extend grace when they fall short, while also providing the discipline that shapes character and responsibility. And in a world filled with calendars, commitments, and activities, we strive to balance the benefits of well-planned schedules with the freedom and creativity that emerge through unstructured time.

In this episode, Chris Cleveland, Wesleyan's head of school, joins us to explore three healthy tensions every parent faces and why wisdom is found not at the extremes, but in the balance. Learn what scripture remids us about balance between extremes and how we as parents can embrace these tensions to help our children flourish in all areas of life.

The school year is on the horizon, so we are closing out July with our last summertime rewind for 2026: a discussion on not losing your mind in the mornings!

Our friends Karyn Vickery from Wesleyan School and Ellen Hill from The Schenck School, share a lot of wisdom and a lot of laughs from their experience first as moms and also as educators.

Chances are, if you have school-aged children in your house this summer, you may find yourself asking questions about managing devices and screentime. For many parents of tweens and teens, one of those questions is when to give your child their own smartphone.

Today we are replaying an episode from earlier this year. Sean Nestor and Joseph Antonio share their thoughts, both as educators and dads, on the four questions parents should ask themselves before their child has a smartphone.

This July, we are doing a summertime rewind to some of our favorite recent episodes that also feel timely when you're spending a lot of family time over the summer.

First up, understanding your parenting superpower through the Enneagram. What's your motivation? How do you engage with others in your household, particularly your children?

Listen in as our friend Melissa Thorson explains the Enneagram, how it can provide self-awareness, and how that awareness can transform the way you do life with others.

Being a dad is a joy, calling, and responsibility, and it's a role that often requires keeping a long run perspective. In this special Father’s Day episode, we surprise Glenn Archer by inviting his children, Whitney Archer White ’17 and Andy Archer ’16, to reflect on what it was like to grow up in his home and unpack the wins, challenges, and intentional choices that shaped their family.

Glenn serves as the Bible department chair at Wesleyan School, and his daughter, Whitney, leads high school ministry in Auburn. As part of the Savannah Bananas organization, Andy is a pitcher for the Loco Beach Coconuts. From New York trips and youth sports to teenage rebellion and discipline, they explore what it looks like to parent with purpose and how playing the long game can lead to meaningful, lasting relationships.

Between practices, homework, and packed schedules, family meals can feel impossible to prioritize. In this episode, we explore why gathering matters more than gourmet and how 5 family meals a week helps children build lasting attachment skills.

Ryan Rush, author and pastor at Kingsland Baptist Church, and Heidi Lloyd, high school counselor at Wesleyan, share research and personal experiences about the transformative power of family meals. From building stronger relationships to creating space for meaningful conversations, discover simple, realistic ways families can reconnect one meal at a time.

To learn more about Ryan's book and other meal-related resources, visit https://www.restorethetable.org/.

Independence was always the goal but letting go isn’t easy. Graduation marks a major transition, and not just for seniors. It is a major milestone for parents, too.

In this sweet conversation, our guest are two seasoned parents of adult children who bring a range of expertise to the table to share insight on what it means to prepare your heart for this next chapter. Together, we explore the tension of holding on and releasing, navigating the mix of pride and grief, and shifting from guiding your child to supporting them in a new way.

This episode offers encouragement and perspective for staying deeply connected while giving your senior the space to grow. Because after all, this isn’t just an ending. It’s the beginning of a new kind of relationship.