Dear ADHD Family Coach: recent publications

All articles where Dear ADHD Family Coach is mentioned

Q: “My 9-year-old was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I’m struggling with how to tell her about her diagnosis. I don’t want her to feel shame or believe something’s ‘wrong’ with her.

Ned Hallowell treating kids Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: “Help! How Can I Manage Multiple Bank Accounts?”

Q: “I have multiple checking and savings accounts for personal use and for two small businesses. I do not know a great way to keep these accounts balanced. I have been using the old-fashioned techniques of pencil and pen in my registers, but it takes me half a day to complete for all my accounts.

treating adults Dear ADHD Family Coach finances & budgeting

Q: “My Family Thinks I Hoard Because I Collect Stuff. I Disagree.”

Q: “My family thinks I have hoarding tendencies, but I disagree. I like to collect sentimental or meaningful things, but I’m not like the hoarders you see on TV. My items are displayed, and you can walk into rooms.

treating adults Dear ADHD Family Coach clutter

Q: “My Teen Has Poor Time Management Skills. How Can I Help Her ‘See’ Time?”

Time Management MomHi Time Management Mom:I love that you want to show her and not tell her. Visualizing time is no easy task since it’s not a physical object. Think about it: You can’t see or hold time in your hands.

Can I (I) treating kids Time Management Dear ADHD Family Coach

Q: “What Essential Study Habits Does My College Freshman Need to Adopt?”

works in college. When you’re in high school, your days tend to follow a similar schedule and they are “bookended” – beginning and ending at the same time each day.

treating kids Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: “I’m Feeling Hopeless About My Child’s Future (and Ashamed to Acknowledge It)”

LCTHi LCT:I know that, quite often, I say that certain questions truly hit home. None more than this one.As you know, (and I feel it’s an important reminder) my story wasn’t always so inspiring.

treating kids ADHD experts Dear ADHD Family Coach

Q: “How Can I Get My Family to Maintain Household Clutter Routines?”

ADHD momHi ADHDMom:As you know, it’s not only difficult to find organizing systems that work for you and your family; it can be nearly impossible to maintain the ones you create if you don’t have everyone onboard. Here are a few of my favorite tips to get you started.1. Be certain everything has a home. There is no hope of keeping clutter from piling up unless everything that lives in your home (and I mean everything) has a home.

Can I (I) treating adults Dear ADHD Family Coach clutter

Q: “What Does ‘Be Yourself’ Mean for Adults with Fractured Self-Esteem?”

– NoNameHi NoName:At first glance, this question seemed very straightforward. For me, ‘be yourself’ means to be unapologetically you.

treating adults Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

“Q: When I Check Homework and Schedules, My Teen Calls Me a Nag!”

Q: “Twice a week, I make my 14-year-old daughter sit down with me to show me her planner and assignments. She gets so angry when I do this.

treating kids Dear ADHD Family Coach routines

“Q: I Think I Have ADHD. My Parents Don’t.”

NervousHi Nervous:I want to applaud you for reaching out and asking for help. Even for adults, it’s not easy to identify the right course of action or the most appropriate next steps when you think you have ADHD.

diagnosing kids Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

“Q: What Are the Best Planners for ADHD Brains? Paper or Digital?”

— PlannerMomHi PlannerMom!I thought long and hard about how to answer this question. Why? Because to know me as an academic/life coach for teens and college students is to know that I’m 100% on the “YOU-figure-out-the-best-systems-and-strategies-that-work-for-you” bandwagon.

Time Management Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

“Q: Can Any Alarm Clock Clobber My Child’s ADHD in the Morning?”

Q: “My daughter uses Google for her alarm every morning but sleeps through it. Does a digital or analog alarm clock work better for kids with ADHD? Is there a particular brand or model that you would recommend?” – ADHDMomHi ADHDMom!We know through research and personal experience that children with ADHD have difficulty waking up and becoming alert and motivated.

Sleep treating kids Dear ADHD Family Coach

“Q: What If Your College Study Buddy is Super Distracting?”

Q: “My daughter just started her freshman year at college. She has ADHD and has found that working in the library really helps her stay focused and motivated.

focus Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

“Q: Could a 504 Plan Improve My Child’s Executive Dysfunction?”

Q: “My middle schooler has executive function deficits. She is back in school face-to-face and is having a hard time doing work in class.

Improve My 504 Plan accommodations Dear ADHD Family Coach

“Q: How Can I Prioritize My Brain Dumps Into To-Do Lists?”

Q: “I am overwhelmed by my to-dos. I just dump everything I need to do on one page and there is no rhyme or reason to how I list what I need to do.

Can I (I) to-do lists Dear ADHD Family Coach CommissionsEarned

“Q: My Deep Kitchen Cabinets Are a Terrible Abyss.”

Q: “Our kitchen cabinets are just awful because I can’t see anything in them. They’re set up like a pantry closet that is really tall and the shelves are super deep.

treating adults Dear ADHD Family Coach organization

“Q: Shouldn’t My Child Sit at a Quiet Desk for Homework?”

ADHD and/or executive dysfunction need to move around to initiate, focus, and stay on task. So perhaps your daughter prefers the floor since she can lie down, spread out, and move around.[Get This Free Download: Homework Ideas That Work]Homework is usually the last thing our children want to be doing after a long day at school.

treating kids homework Dear ADHD Family Coach

“Q: Why Can’t My 10-Year-Old Remember to Make His Bed?”

MMRMomHi MMRMom:I’m thrilled to be answering your question as we spend a lot of time in our Order Out of Chaos community talking about executive age. Let me explain.If your son has ADHD, then he also has executive functioning challenges.

executive functions Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: How Can We Get Our Child to Stop Lying?

Q: “My daughter (11) has a pattern of not telling the truth. She will be quite convincing — even with this Momma, who has a well-honed lie meter.

Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts ADHD and Lying

Q: What Are the Real College Dorm Room Essentials for a Teen with ADHD?

—WilmingtonNCMomHi WilmingtonNCMom:I remember all too well getting my son ready to go away to college. It was a balancing act.

Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts ADHD in College

Q: I Need Homeschool Organization Advice for a Mom with ADHD!

Q: “We’ve decided to homeschool our two children (10 and 13) for the new school year and I want to try to get a jump on setting up our classroom. I’m not very organized (I’m the one with ADHD!) and don’t know where to start.

Dear ADHD Family Coach homeschooling getting organized

Q: My Child’s in a Bad Mood Every Morning!

Q: “My daughter is very moody. It seems like she wakes up, you say something to her, and she yells at you.

Dear ADHD Family Coach routines emotional dysregulation

Q: How Can We Slay Our Kids’ Messy Bedroom This Summer?

Hi ShortSpaceMom:Children’s bedrooms are usually small, often shared, and must be multi-functional – storage unit, homework station, play space. It’s not easy to keep the clutter at bay and the room organized.

Dear ADHD Family Coach clutter organizing your child

Q: I’m Overwhelmed by Starting the Project That Will Reduce My Overwhelm!

fatigue and overwhelm, so that we can actually finish the project?” – ADHDMumUKHi ADHDMumUK:Project planning is daunting — especially for those with ADHD. There are endless steps to organize and plan, details that need remembering, decisions to be made, and loads of activation required.

Dear ADHD Family Coach organization ask the experts

Q: Does My Child with ADHD Have Selective Hearing?

Remembering MomHi Remembering Mom:What you are describing is working memory, which is an executive functioning skill often impacted by ADHD. It’s the ability to hold on to new information and have it stored in the brain so you can pull it out and use it (even at a later time) when needed.

executive functions Dear ADHD Family Coach Memory

Q: How Can We Streamline Our Morning Routine with an Eye to Fall?

Q: “I’m worried about the Fall, when we my girls will go back to in-person school and need to be on a morning schedule. They will never get out the door on time! My younger daughter gets caught up in the mornings, always going back to her room for her socks or shoes or something else.

Dear ADHD Family Coach routines ask the experts

Q: What’s the Best Way for My Child to Study for Final Exams?

– FinalsMomHi FinalsMom:Getting organized to study for final exams is sometimes more difficult than the actual studying part. I work with students all day long helping them build their study skill set and it can be quite overwhelming.

Dear ADHD Family Coach CommissionsEarned ask the experts

Q: What Electronic Planners Work for Students with ADHD?

Hi Lulu:I’m never a fan of pushing any type of organizing or planning system on anyone. Different systems work for different individuals.

teens with ADHD Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: Should I Hire a Professional Organizer?

Hi Overwhelmed Wilma:There is a lot to unpack here. And since I don’t know the details of your circumstances (what is causing the disorganization, who else lives in your home with you, what systems you have already tried, etc.), I’m going to give you some general organizing tips that I hope will spark some solutions for you.#1: Everything Needs a Home. It’s been said that clutter is delayed decision making.

Dear ADHD Family Coach organization clutter

Q: How Can I Remember to Take the ADHD Medication That Helps Me Remember Things?

ADHDMomHi ADHDMom:You are not alone! Juggling a daily medical to-do list along with home and family responsibilities can overwhelm even the most organized person. Though you might be struggling now, I believe you can create systems and strategies that may help streamline your health management.

Can I (I) Dear ADHD Family Coach medication ask the experts

Q: I Need Family Vacation Ideas That Will Delight, Not Overwhelm

– TravelingMomHi TravelingMom:I’m so excited for you! There is nothing like grabbing a precious opportunity to spend one-on-one time with your child – whether it’s a one-hour lunch date or a week-long road trip. I remember taking my son when he was 16 on a similar road trip.

Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts holidays & travel

Q: How Can I Help a Hoarder Who Resists New Ideas and Methods?

hoarding behaviors, and it’s frustrating and painful for the whole family.Since I don’t know all the circumstances – Was there an emotional trigger that led to the impulse purchasing? What is it specifically about your cleaning methods that your sister doesn’t like? Is the clutter specifically in your sister’s room or has it taken over the common living areas? – I’m going to focus on the best way for you to approach your sister in this process. But before we dive in, there are two important points I would like to mention.First, I want to help you understand how your sister may be thinking about her possessions.

Can I (I) Dear ADHD Family Coach clutter Hoarding

Q: Will My ADHD Introvert Be Lonely and Isolated in High School?

Hi BayAreaMom:Your question really resonated with me as I hear this a lot from my parent coaching clients. They are unsure if they should be doing more to encourage more social interactions or step back and let their children lead the way.

teens with ADHD Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: My Child Asks ‘Why’ Constantly and I Can’t Handle the Defiance!

Why do I have to do that? Why can’t you do it? Why does it have to happen now? I find it so frustrating, and I feel that she is being really defiant. I get angry and then it escalates and what I need her to do doesn’t happen.” – FrustratedMomHi FrustratedMom:I answered countless “why” questions while my children were growing up… and I still do.

defiance Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: How Can My Teen Find an ADHD College Coach?

Hi PreparingToLetGo:I’m thrilled to be answering this question! I work all day long with students and see first-hand the benefits of an ADHD coach in helping students feel more empowered and in control. The right coach can teach a student the skills they need to be successful in learning and in life.Notice that I said the “right” coach.

Dear ADHD Family Coach ADHD coach College

Q: What’s the Best Way to Study for Middle-School Exams?

Washington University, more than 83 percent of students choose to re-read their notes or textbook. Why is that? It’s an easy way out. Re-reading is super passive.

Washington middle school Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: What’s the Best Planner for a Student with ADHD and Dysgraphia?

Q: “I have trouble pushing a paper calendar or planner for my son, who has dysgraphia. When we’ve tried in the past, it’s gotten messy very quickly because it’s hard to keep up with changes and details.

school & learning Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: Should We Update My Child’s IEP for Online Learning Hurdles?

their IEP accommodations need to change as well. So my short answer is… yes!Here is the longer answer: As the parent, you are in charge now.

IEP accommodations Dear ADHD Family Coach

Q: How Can I Tackle ‘The Great Bedroom Clean-Up’ with My Teen?

GeorgiaADHDMomHi GeorgiaADHDMom:I’m so proud of YOU! The constant parent-child struggle over bedrooms isn’t necessarily always the kid’s fault (despite what parents may think).

Can I (I) Dear ADHD Family Coach organizing your child ask the experts

“Q: How Can I Get My Parents to Take ADHD Seriously?”

Hi ConfusedTeen:I want to applaud you for reaching out and asking for help. Even as an adult, it’s never easy to identify the right course of action or the most appropriate next steps when you think you have ADHD.

Can I (I) teens with ADHD Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: How Can She Focus with Distracting Roommates Around All the Time?

– CollegeMomHi CollegeMom:Living with roommates is tough – especially for college students with ADHD. Getting used to living in a small, shared space definitely takes compromise, trial and error, and lots of planning.

Dear ADHD Family Coach ADHD in a Pandemic ask the experts

Q: How Can I Improve My Kids’ Work-at-Home Environment?

– ADHDGirlMomHi ADHDGirlMom:Relying solely on our own internal motivation to get stuff done is exhausting – and not sustainable. Especially now, it’s critical to set up your environment so it communicates to you that it’s time to get moving or motivated.

Can I (I) Dear ADHD Family Coach ADHD in a Pandemic ask the experts

Q: How Do I Get Rid of Stuff I Don’t Use But Worry I’ll Miss?

Q: “I want to try to clean up my house in the New Year. I’m holding on to a lot of stuff I got on vacations or that was given to me as gifts.

Dear ADHD Family Coach clutter ask the experts

Q: Should I Let My Teen Pull All Nighters?

–ExhaustedHi Exhausted:Before I dive in, I need to ask a question: You say that “it’s exhausting!” But for whom? Is your daughter complaining that she is exhausted each morning or are you exhausted by how and when she gets her work done? As you also state, your daughter has a strong work ethic and does well in school.

High school Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: Does My Son’s Study Music Really Help Him Focus?

– nomusicmomHi Nomusicmom:The short answer is yes. Your son is telling you he needs to listen to music to help him attend and initiate.

teens with ADHD Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: My Teen is Flooded with Assignments Every Monday!

Q: “What do you recommend for time management when your student’s online assignments get mass assigned at the beginning of the week and are all due at the end of the week at midnight? It’s a nightmare!”So many students today are feeling overwhelmed by the volume of work assigned through online learning. I am hearing similar questions from many parents in our Order Out Of Chaos community.Most of my students get easily overwhelmed by the volume of work they are assigned…especially all at the same time.

middle school homework Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: How Can I Organize My Diabetes Supplies Without Losing Anything?

–DenverthreeHi Denverthree:I applaud you for truly wanting to take care of yourself. You are on the right path by creating effective and streamlined organizing solutions for your diabetes supplies.Here are a few steps to follow:1. Categorize your supplies. Place items that are used together in the same category and keep them in a logical location.

Can I (I) Family Dear ADHD Family Coach ask the experts

Q: Why Does My Child Procrastinate?

– FrustratedMomHi FrustratedMom:The key to managing procrastination is to truly understand why you do it in the first place — not an easy task, I know, and even more difficult for students with ADHD. I can offer you all kinds of tips, tools, strategies, and systems for your son, but none of them will be truly effective until he understands his roadblocks.

Dear ADHD Family Coach CommissionsEarned ask the experts