Guest Expert

What I Wish My Mom Knew When I Was a Kid with ADHD

It's no secret: parenting a complex child can be difficult. Things are constantly changing and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Over the course of one kid’s childhood you end up with a patchwork of strategies for tackling problems.

So what are the basics that every mom needs to know about ADHD (and all the other complex challenges that tend to come with it)?

Jessica McCabe, host of "How To ADHD" on YouTube, has some insights on this topic. You see, Jessica is now a grown-up, and she teaches people (of all ages) how to manage their ADHD. It took her a while to figure things out, but now she’s sharing it with others -- and doing an amazing job!

In this interview, she takes a few minutes out of her busy podcast schedule to talk with Elaine about what she wishes her mom had known when she was young. In a nutshell, she wants parents to know that while you are trying your hardest to untangle the best path for your kids, your kids are trying to figure things out, too!

"Support me, but don’t do it for me" Jessica says from the outset.

Parents will naturally want to make sure their kids avoid failure and all the difficulties that come with it, but that doesn’t always help them in the long term.

If you don't let your kids fail when the stakes are low, it can leave them without the skills they need to cope in the real world when there is no safety net.

Striking the balance between supporting and enabling is tricky, especially since things are constantly changing. Still, as Jessica puts it, “they’re never going to be ready, but the world is going to happen anyway.” She wishes her mom had really understood that her diagnosis had an impact far beyond her forgotten homework.

From giving kind words of validation to talking about how to manage attention in multi-kid households, Jessica shares insights that will speak to every parent of a complex child.

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Truly, it’s clear from this interview that conscious parenting can shape your child's future.

To hear more of what Jessica wishes her mom knew about ADHD when she was a kid, listen to this interview and get some great tips on what you can do to support your kids (and ultimately, yourself)!

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