Beautifully Complex

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 and Regulated Kids.com — because 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 and Regulated Kids.com — because 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 and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

Connection is one of the most important and powerful human needs. It provides a sense of safety, security, belonging, and fulfillment. And yet, we often struggle with making true, genuine connections. And our kids with ADHD/autism struggle with it far more. As this episode airs, we are under lockdown due to the Corona virus pandemic. You'd think this would provide so much more connection being stuck at home, but it really doesn't. We have to act with intention to create genuine connection. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I've listed 25 ideas to connect with your kids and family at home, right now, and at any time in the future.         Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

Connection is a fundamental human need, and one that holds an immense amount of power for individuals, even kids. Especially kids. And, when we're talking about kids with ADHD and/or autism, connection is often a struggle — socially or with family members, like parents. Feeling connected to others provides a sense of safety and security. We feel more at ease and less anxious when we feel connected. This means better behavior and a better sense of self and self-worth. I'm joined by Rebecca Brown Wright, creator of the Back-and-Forth Journal, for this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. Rebecca shares her journey to realizing that connection with her children is more powerful than discipline and correction, and how it improved her kids' behavior. We also discuss how you can build and nurture authentic connections with your kids, too. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

Get curious and support your child in the struggles they have without judgement. With the knowledge we have about brain development and structure, we can better understand our kid's behaviors and the way they learn. We can also better understand their strengths and, in turn, lift their self -esteem. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with online reading strategist, Jean Harville, about the neuroscience behind a positive, strengths-based approach, as well as the tools, strategies, and mindset to help your child thrive. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

As moms, we think of self-care as selfish and frivolous. But self-care is so much more than a spa massage or a weekend away with your girlfriends. Self-care includes all eight dimensions of wellness: physical, spiritual, emotional, social, environmental, financial, intellectual, and career. That's true wellness, and it takes mindful awareness and some work. Remember, self-care isn't selfish... you can only give your best to your kids and your family when you are feeling your best — feeling your best in all areas.   In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Kate Lynch of Healthy Happy Yoga about mama wellness. Not only do we talk about the dimensions of wellness and your mama mindset and self-compassion, but we offer many insights and strategies on how to shift your mindset, make wellness a priority, and fit it into your life. And, we're giving you permission to take care of you, Mama. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

Many individuals with ADHD struggle with anxiety as well, wether it be an additional condition or the result of the challenges that come with ADHD. Anxiety is often misunderstood by parents and other adults in a child's life, and can feel like it should be easily rationalized away. But, those with anxiety know no amount of rationalizing can just "turn off" an anxiety attack. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Psychologist, Dr. Dawn Huebner offers both insights for understanding anxiety, as well as strategies to help your child through the difficult challenges of anxiety.        Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

There’s a Buddhist saying: “What you focus on grows.” Has there ever been a truer statement? Yes, this is common sense when you think about it. But have you ever thought of this in terms of parenting and ADHD and/or autism? It’s easy to focus on something painful or uncomfortable. It’s difficult to let that discomfort be and focus on something else, something you’d much rather have grow. Let’s think about this in terms of parenting kids with ADHD. There’s a whole lot of challenging, uncomfortable, painful, negative stuff we can focus on. There’s so much we want to fix and improve to end our kids’ struggles. But, we have to be very careful, because it’s easy to focus on the challenges and then the negativity grows and takes over everything. Listen in to this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast for insights on the crucial task of shifting your mindset and focusing on the things you want to grow, and pushing ADHD and/or autism to a tertiary role.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

When you don't have ADHD yourself, it's really how to know how your child with ADHD thinks and feels. Even if you do have ADHD too, the experience is different for each individual with ADHD, meaning it's different for your child than it was and is for you. Yet, it's important for parents to know what life is like for your kids so we can help them thrive. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Dr. Dawn Brown of the ADHD wellness center about how to discover how your child thinks and feels. We cover a variety of perspectives and topics including development, intense feelings and big emotions, sensitivity and rejection sensitive dysphoria, dysregulation, meeting your child where they are, and more... Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.