ADHD Mums

• 59. The Red Pen Christmas: How to Stop Editing Yourself for Everyone Else

  If you’ve already cried in a shopping centre car park — you’re not alone.In this raw and funny ADHD Mums Christmas episode, Jane breaks down why the season feels like an emotional Olympics for neurodivergent parents — and how to stop performing and start protecting your energy.This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing less on purpose.Using the ‘Red Pen’ approach, Jane shows how to cross out what doesn’t deserve you, protect your peace, and rebuild your energy budget before the season eats you alive.What You’ll HearWhy Christmas feels like a group project where no one else is helpingThe emotional cost of being the peacekeeper and why it’s not sustainableUnderstanding ‘energy accounting’ — how much each task, event, and expectation actually costs your nervous systemWhy saying no is a nervous system upgrade, not a moral failureScripts for setting boundaries at Christmas without guilt or dramaHow to tell the difference between peacekeeping and real inner peaceThe myth of the ‘perfect Christmas mum’ — and how to reclaim joy by doing lessThis Episode Is For You If…You’re already dreading the family group chat.You’ve promised yourself a “simple” Christmas before… and still ended up crying in the pantry.You’re trying to keep everyone happy — and losing yourself in the process.You want a calmer, more meaningful holiday season without the guilt.Key TakeawayYou don’t need another list — you need a red pen. Peace doesn’t come from keeping everyone calm. It comes from choosing what actually deserves your energy.🧠 Resources MentionedThe ADHD Mums Festive Bucket List — A workbook to help you cross out everything that doesn’t serve you this Christmas. 🆓 Free Resource: Energy Accounting Guide (Free Download) — Learn how to track your daily energy budget and stop overspending it.Overwhelm & Busy Seasons Kit — Your practical toolkit for surviving December without burning out.✨ Sign up for: The Xmas Festive F*ck List — A workbook to help you cross out everything that doesn’t serve you this Christmas.Related ADHD Mums Episodes🎧 Christmas Chaos: Hacks for Surviving Family Drama, Sensory Overload, and Picky Eaters!🎧 Stop People-Pleasing: The ADHD Mum’s Guide to Boundaries, Balance, and Breaking Free🎧 How to Handle Family Criticism About ADHD: Boundaries and Keeping Your SanityListen Now🎧 Spotify | Apple Podcasts | ADHDMums.com.auJOIN THE COMMUNITY:Have questions or...

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• 58. Things That Look Like Bad Parenting But Are Actually Neurodivergence

  When a child melts down in public or refuses to eat, the world sees “bad behaviour.” But often, what looks like defiance or poor parenting is actually neurodivergence — and a family doing their best in a system that doesn’t understand them.In this deeply validating conversation, Jane sits down with Tracey Jewel — author, advocate, and mum of a neurodivergent family — to talk about reframing “bad parenting” through a neurodiverse lens. From ARFID and sensory overload to the grief and joy of parenting differently, this episode challenges the idea of what a “good parent” looks like and celebrates authenticity over appearances.What You’ll HearTracey’s journey from reality TV to raising an ADHD + autistic son — and discovering her own diagnosisThe hidden grief of parenting a child who doesn’t fit the mould — and how to hold both love and loss at onceWhat ARFID really looks like in real life (and why it’s not just “fussy eating”)Why “structure” isn’t always the solution for neurodivergent families — and when it can become oppressiveThe difference between co-regulation and control: what actually helps during a meltdownHow to reframe “fairness” in families where everyone’s needs look differentThis Episode Is For You If...You’ve ever felt judged in public for your child’s behaviourYou’re raising an ADHD or autistic child and constantly second-guessing yourselfYou’ve wondered why “routine” doesn’t work for your family the way it seems to for othersYou’re craving a conversation that feels real, not sugar-coatedKey TakeawayWhat looks like chaos is often communication. When we stop chasing “good parenting” and start embracing true connection, our families thrive in their own rhythm — even if it doesn’t look like anyone else’s.Resources MentionedInclusive Mums Club — Tracey Jewel’s Perth-based and online community for neurodivergent families. Free membership and sensory-friendly events.ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) information — Raising Children NetworkDr Brené Brown — Atlas of the Heart and The Power of Vulnerability (on emotional awareness and co-regulation).Check out Tracey's IG: @traceyjewel_ify Related ADHD Mums Episodes🎧 The Emotional Load of Raising Neurodivergent Girls — And How to Lighten It — Finding compassion for...

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• 57. You’re Not Delusional — There’s Real Joy in Parenting a Neurodivergent Child

  Trigger WarningThis episode includes mentions of intrusive thoughts and parental burnout. Please take care while listening.Episode OverviewHave you ever gone from wanting to run away to feeling overwhelming love for your kids — all within five minutes? You’re not delusional. You’re devoted.In this raw and deeply relatable episode, Jane unpacks the wild emotional contradictions of raising neurodivergent children — the chaos, the guilt, and the strange, feral kind of joy that sneaks in when you least expect it.Drawing on the latest neuroscience and parenting research, she shares how joy isn’t mythical — it’s mechanical. There’s a recipe for it, and ADHD mums can learn to bring it back even in the middle of messy mornings and meltdown chaos.What You’ll HearJane’s honest story of one chaotic morning that spirals from meltdown to meaningWhy joy and rage can coexist — and what it means for ADHD brainsHow Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) shows us the three switches for joy: Autonomy, Competence, and RelatednessWhat the “Nowhere I’d Rather Be” study revealed about parents of autistic children finding real joy because of, not despite, their childrenPractical micro-shifts you can make today to feel joy again — even if your house is held together by hair ties and hopeThis Episode Is For You If...You love your child but sometimes feel like you’re losing your mindYou’ve ever cried in the car after drop-off, then felt deep love minutes laterYou’re craving joy but feel too exhausted to find itYou need a reminder that devotion, not delusion, drives your parentingKey TakeawayJoy isn’t a reward for getting everything right — it’s a survival instinct. It hides in micro-moments of choice, competence, and connection. When you flip those switches, joy finds its way back.Resources Mentioned Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Self-Determination Theory: Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.Schultz, W., Dayan, P., & Montague, P. R. (1997). Reward Prediction Error: Science, 275(5306), 1593–1599.Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow. Harper & Row.Dietrich, A. (2004). Neurocognitive Framing: Consciousness and Cognition, 13(4), 746–761.“Nowhere I’d Rather Be” (UK study on autistic parenting joy, 2023)Related ADHD Mums EpisodesThe Lipedema Op: The Invisible Illness You Weren’t Supposed to Notice — Finding identity beyond diagnosisListen Now🎧 Spotify | Apple | ADHDMums.com.auJOIN THE COMMUNITY:Have questions or want to connect with other ADHD mums? Join our supportive Facebook group here and dive into the conversation. No question is too small,

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• 56. ADHD Meds & Kids. Your FAQ answered

  💊 Why do ADHD meds seem like a miracle one week… and stop working the next?If you’ve ever sat there wondering if you’re failing because the meds don’t seem to work anymore — you’re not broken, and you’re not alone.In this episode, Jane tackles the most common questions ADHD mums ask about medication for kids. From appetite loss and 3PM crashes to puberty shifts and masking, we break down what’s really happening, why it feels so complex, and what meds can (and can’t) do.What We Cover in This EpisodeWhy ADHD meds can feel amazing at first — then glitch laterThe science behind appetite loss, afternoon crashes, and big emotionsPuberty, growth, and co-occurring conditions that change how meds landMasking at school vs meltdowns at home — and why it mattersWhy parenting burnout and school systems can’t be “fixed” by medicationReframing meds: support, not a cureThis Episode Is For You If…Your child’s ADHD meds felt like a miracle but “stopped working”You’re confused by side effects like loss of appetite or late-day crashesYou’ve blamed yourself for meds not doing enoughYou’re parenting through ADHD plus anxiety, autism, or sensory overloadYou need validation that you’re not failing — you’re navigating complexity✨ Listen now: ADHD Meds & Kids — Your FAQ Answered on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or adhdmums.com.au — because parenting ADHD with meds is hard enough without shame on top.Visit Dr Tommy Tran's website at https://www.drtommytran.com.au/JOIN THE COMMUNITY:Have questions or want to connect with other ADHD mums? Join our supportive Facebook group here and dive into the conversation. No question is too small, and I love answering in a group format!FOLLOW FOR MORE:Get daily tips, insights, and relatable content for ADHD mums by following me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTubeLEAVE A REVIEW:Love this episode? Your review means everything! It helps other mums find this content and feel supported. Let’s spread the word and make a difference together.COLLABS:For collaborations or speaking engagements, email me at [email protected] RESOURCES:Still unsure if ADHD or autism applies to you or your child? Take my recommended self-tests here.Mentioned in this episode:🎁ADHD MUMS PROGRAM LINK🎄Four short audios. One simple workbook. Plan Christmas your way — calm, doable, and actually includes you in it. 👉 www.adhdmums.com.au/planXmas: Sign Up Link

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• 55. CONFESSIONS: Things I Can’t Say at the Playground

  For ADHD mums, school pickup isn’t chit chat — it’s performance. The smiles, the nods, the weather talk. On the outside you look friendly. On the inside, you’re collapsing.In this Quick Reset, Jane unpacks why masking at the school gate feels so exhausting, how it impacts ADHD and autistic mums, and why it’s not about being unfriendly — it’s about survival.✨ What We Cover in This EpisodeWhy everyday small talk at school pickup can lead to masking, exhaustion, and car park tears.How chronic masking in social situations (play dates, birthday parties, pickup and drop off) leads to burnout and mental health struggles.Research on the Double Empathy Gap by Damian Milton, and why neurodivergent communication breakdowns are misunderstood.Jane’s ADHD Mum School Pickup Guide — practical insights for getting through without faking it.💛 This Episode Is For You IfYou’ve ever left school pickup early because you couldn’t fake one more smile.You collapse in the car after masking your way through birthday parties or play dates.You’ve been judged as rude, antisocial, or unfriendly — when you were just maxed out.You want to feel less alone in the invisible cost of social masking as an ADHD mum.📑 References & ResearchResearch on the Double Empathy Gap by Damian Milton.ADHD Mum School Pickup Guide.🎧 Listen now: Spotify | Apple | adhdmums.com.auJOIN THE COMMUNITY:Have questions or want to connect with other ADHD mums? Join our supportive Facebook group here and dive into the conversation. No question is too small, and I love answering in a group format!FOLLOW FOR MORE:Get daily tips, insights, and relatable content for ADHD mums by following me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTubeLEAVE A REVIEW:Love this episode? Your review means everything! It helps other mums find this content and feel supported. Let’s spread the word and make a difference together.COLLABS:For collaborations or speaking engagements, email me at [email protected] RESOURCES:Still unsure if ADHD or autism applies to you or your child? Take my recommended self-tests here.Mentioned in this episode:🎁ADHD MUMS PROGRAM LINK🎄Four short audios. One simple workbook. Plan Christmas your way — calm, doable, and actually includes you in it. 👉 www.adhdmums.com.au/planXmas: Sign Up Link

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