Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!

Does your child seem years ahead in one area and years behind in another?
Maybe they can explain incredibly advanced ideas but forget assignments. Perhaps they can talk endlessly about history, coding, science, or another passion—but struggle socially, emotionally, or academically in ways that don't seem to match their intelligence.
Your child may have what is known as a twice-exceptional, or 2e, profile.
In today's episode, Jenny talks with Sam Young, founder and Head of School at Young Scholars Academy, about what it really means to be twice-exceptional and why these children are so frequently misunderstood.
You'll learn why giftedness and learning differences can coexist, the three ways twice-exceptionality can become masked, and how asynchronous development affects children's academic experiences, friendships, emotional regulation, and confidence.
Sam also explains why constantly focusing on deficits can leave children believing something is wrong with them—and what parents can do instead.
You'll hear practical ideas for:
Identifying and communicating your child's strengths
Using interests to build executive-function skills
Understanding why kids may fall apart after school
Creating more flexibility around how children learn
Exploring whether your child may be twice-exceptional
Building a supportive team around your child
Helping your child develop a strengths-based identity
The goal isn't to ignore areas where children need support.
It's to make sure their struggles don't become the only story they hear about themselves.
Learn more about WeThrive Learning:WeThriveLearning.com
Schedule a free consultation:Visit WeThriveLearning.com to explore support for your child through educational therapy and ADHD/executive-function coaching.
Join our Facebook community:Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!
Learn more about Sam Young and Young Scholars Academy:YoungScholarsAcademy.org

School pressure. Social pressure. Activities. Friendships. College planning. Family expectations.
For many kids and teens, it can feel like there's always something they should be doing—and for students with ADHD, managing all of those demands can become especially overwhelming.
In this episode, Jenny Drennan breaks down what stress can actually look like in children and teens and shares four practical ways parents can help their child decompress and regulate during busy seasons.
We discuss:
Signs your child may be more stressed than they realize
Why procrastination and avoidance may be signs of overwhelm
How stress and sleep affect executive functioning
Why ADHD symptoms can become harder to manage during stressful periods
Physical activity as a stress-management strategy
Creating an environment that supports decompression
Creative outlets that help kids process emotions
Relaxation and reflection strategies
Helping kids balance academics and extracurriculars
Reducing social comparison and social-media pressure
Teaching kids how to say no
Modeling healthy stress management as a parent
Remember: the goal isn't to remove every stressful experience from your child's life. It's to help them recognize stress, respond to it, and gradually build strategies they can carry into adulthood.
Need additional support?
WeThrive Learning provides virtual one-on-one educational therapy and ADHD/executive-function coaching for students.
Visit WeThriveLearning.com to learn more or schedule a free consultation.
And join our Facebook community, Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, for more parent education, resources, and support.

You may hear “parent involvement” and immediately picture volunteering in an elementary classroom or attending every school event.
But involvement can look very different—especially as your child gets older.
In this episode, Jenny talks about the powerful role parents play in shaping their child’s relationship with school and learning. Your child may not always show it, particularly during the teen years, but your interest, attitude, and involvement still matter.
For children with ADHD and other learning differences, staying connected to school can be especially important. Parents may sometimes pull away because communication with teachers has become stressful, their child frequently gets in trouble, or every interaction with school seems to focus on what is going wrong.
Instead, Jenny encourages parents to think of themselves, their child, and their teachers as a team.
You’ll learn how parent involvement can help support:
School engagement and attendance
Confidence and self-esteem
A healthier attitude toward learning
Stronger parent-teacher relationships
Better communication between home and school
Self-advocacy and independence
More consistent homework and study routines
Jenny also shares practical strategies you can begin using at home, including creating a dedicated learning space, establishing routines, attending school activities when possible, communicating what you’re noticing at home, and gradually helping older children take greater ownership of communication with their teachers.
The goal isn’t to become more involved in every detail of your child’s education.
It’s to stay connected enough that your child knows: their learning matters, their experience matters, and you’re there to support them while they learn how to advocate for themselves.
If your child is avoiding school, becoming overwhelmed by homework, struggling with organization or learning, or experiencing declining confidence, WeThrive Learning may be able to help.
Visit WeThriveLearning.com to learn more about Educational Therapy and ADHD Student Coaching or to schedule a free consultation.
You can also join our Facebook community, Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, for more strategies and support.
 

Sometimes the things we do because we love our children—checking, reminding, rescuing, fixing, planning, and protecting—can unintentionally make it harder for them to develop confidence and independence.
For parents who already experience anxiety, raising a child with ADHD can amplify those instincts even more.
In this episode, Jenny discusses how parental anxiety can influence the emotional climate of the home and the way we respond to our children. She shares her own experience seeking support for anxiety and learning to loosen perfectionism, tolerate uncertainty, and become more flexible as a parent.
You'll hear about:
How children pick up on a parent's stress, tone, and body language
Why anxiety can sometimes look like micromanaging or over-functioning
The connection between parental worry and rescuing
Why repeatedly stepping in can undermine a child's autonomy
How ADHD can make children especially sensitive to emotional cues
Why allowing appropriate discomfort and natural consequences matters
How perfectionism can take away from warmth and connection
The importance of modeling flexibility and healthy coping skills
Why getting support for yourself can ultimately support your child
How to begin shifting from managing everything for your child to helping them develop their own tools
The goal isn't to become a perfectly calm parent. It's to become more aware of when anxiety is driving your parenting decisions and learn healthier ways to respond.
When we work on our own ability to tolerate uncertainty, regulate emotions, and let go of some control, we give our children more opportunities to practice doing the same.
 
If school, executive-function challenges, ADHD, or learning difficulties are creating significant stress for your child, they may need more than reminders and encouragement.
At WeThrive Learning, our educational therapists and ADHD/executive-function coaches work one-on-one with students to help them develop the skills they need to approach learning with greater independence and confidence.
Visit WeThriveLearning.com to learn more or schedule a free consultation call so we can talk about what's happening with your child and what type of support may be most helpful.
You can also join our Facebook community, Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, for practical strategies and conversations with other parents navigating ADHD.

Why can a child with ADHD make friends but have a much harder time keeping them?
Friendships require far more executive function than we sometimes realize. Reading social cues, taking turns in conversations, remembering to respond to texts, making plans, handling changes, managing disappointment, and understanding someone else’s perspective can all be challenging for children and teens with ADHD.
In this episode of Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, Jenny breaks down some of the reasons social situations can feel difficult for kids with ADHD and shares practical ways parents can help build these skills without making every interaction feel like a correction.
You’ll learn how to use modeling, perspective-taking, role-playing, teacher collaboration, and everyday social opportunities to help your child better understand themselves and others.
We also discuss an important reminder for parents: your child doesn’t need 20 friends to be socially successful. One or two meaningful, supportive friendships may be exactly what fills their cup.
In this episode:
Why maintaining friendships can be difficult for children with ADHD
How executive functioning affects social skills
Why kids with ADHD may misinterpret social cues or other people’s intentions
The connection between emotional regulation and friendship challenges
How to address interruptions without shaming your child
Ways to practice perspective-taking
Why difficult conversations are often better revisited later
How role-playing can prepare kids for social situations
Ways teachers can support your child socially
How to create natural opportunities to practice friendship skills
Why quality friendships matter more than popularity
If your child is struggling with ADHD, executive functioning, motivation, organization, learning, or becoming more independent at school and at home, WeThrive Learning provides individualized support for neurodivergent students.
Visit WeThriveLearning.com to learn more or schedule a free consultation.
And join our Facebook community, Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, for ongoing strategies and support for raising a child with ADHD.
 

Does your child become defensive, angry, tearful, or overwhelmed whenever you offer feedback even when you are trying to be gentle?
Children with ADHD often experience more correction, redirection, and reminders than their peers. Over time, they may begin expecting criticism, which can make even small comments feel like rejection or personal failure.
In this episode, Jenny explains why criticism can feel so intense for children and teens with ADHD. She discusses rejection sensitivity, emotional flooding, extreme self-talk, and the difficulty some children have separating their behavior from their identity.
You will also hear practical ways to reduce conflict and help your child receive feedback without feeling ashamed or attacked.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why children with ADHD may experience feedback as a threat
How rejection sensitivity can appear at home and at school
Why children use phrases such as “I never do anything right”
How emotional flooding affects reflection and problem-solving
Why tone, timing, and connection matter
How to replace criticism with curiosity-based coaching
What it means to connect before you correct
How to become your child’s coach rather than the referee of every mistake
When children feel connected, supported, and emotionally safe, they are better able to reflect, learn, and build the skills they need.
Learn more about WeThrive Learning and schedule a free consultation at WeThriveLearning.com.
You can also join our Facebook group, Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence, for additional strategies, encouragement, and support.

The transition back to school can feel exciting, overwhelming, and unpredictable—sometimes all at once.
For children and teens with ADHD, a new school year may bring changes in routines, teachers, expectations, friendships, transportation, homework, and extracurricular activities. These changes can increase anxiety and make it harder for students to manage time, emotions, and responsibilities.
In this episode of Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, Jenny Drennan, founder of WeThrive Learning, shares five practical strategies families can use to create a smoother back-to-school transition.
You’ll learn how to:
Build predictable morning and evening routines
Review schedules so your child knows what to expect
Communicate effectively with teachers
Help your child visualize and manage time
Review school or college accommodations
Create space for conversations about anxiety and big emotions
These strategies are designed to reduce overwhelm while helping children become more confident, prepared, and independent.
WeThrive Learning provides individualized educational therapy and ADHD and executive-function coaching for students from fourth grade through college.
Visit WeThriveLearning.com to learn more or schedule a free consultation call with Jenny.
You can also join the Facebook group Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence! for practical strategies, encouragement, and support.

Your child understands the assignment.
They know the answer.
They may even be one of the strongest thinkers in the room—but they still need significantly more time to respond or finish their work.
That is the reality for many children with slow processing speed.
In this episode of Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, Jenny explains:
✨ What slow processing speed actually means✨ Why it has nothing to do with intelligence✨ Signs parents may notice at home✨ Why children often fall apart after school✨ Helpful accommodations and home strategies✨ How to reduce rushing, frustration, and conflict
Your child may not need to “try harder” or move faster. They may need an environment that gives their brain enough time to show what it knows.
Listen to the full episode and learn more about individualized student support at WeThriveLearning.com.
Schedule a free consultation or join our free parent Facebook group Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence! for more support!

Why does my child keep lying—even when I already know the truth?
For many parents, lying can feel personal. It can leave you frustrated, worried, and questioning whether you can trust your child.
But what if the lie is only part of the story?
In this episode of Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, Jenny Drennan explores the reasons children and teens lie and why understanding what is happening underneath the behavior can completely change how parents respond.
For children with ADHD and executive function challenges, impulsivity, working memory difficulties, shame, and fear of disappointing others may all play a role. Teens may also lie as they test boundaries, seek independence, navigate peer pressure, or try to protect their social relationships.
In this episode, you'll learn:
✨ Why lying can be a normal part of child and adolescent development
✨ How impulsivity and ADHD may contribute to dishonesty
✨ Why a child may genuinely plan to complete a task—even when they haven't done it yet
✨ How shame and fear of punishment can make children more likely to hide the truth
✨ Why parents sometimes unintentionally “invite the lie”
✨ How peer pressure, independence, and low self-esteem may influence dishonesty
✨ What parents can do to create a safer environment for truth-telling
✨ Why praising honesty can help encourage future honesty
The goal isn't to ignore lying or remove expectations around honesty.
It's to become curious about what is driving the behavior so you can address the actual problem—not just react to the lie.
🎧 Listen now to better understand why your child may be lying and learn how to build more honesty and trust in your relationship.
Need additional support for your child?
WeThrive Learning provides educational therapy, executive function coaching, and ADHD coaching for students with ADHD, learning differences, and executive functioning challenges.
🌐 Visit WeThriveLearning.com to learn more or schedule a free consultation.
💬 Join our Facebook community, Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, for more practical conversations and strategies for parenting children with ADHD.

Is your child constantly comparing themselves to other kids, feeling discouraged by school, or questioning their own abilities?
For many children with ADHD, executive function challenges, and learning differences, everyday struggles can slowly impact how they see themselves. When learning feels harder, organization feels overwhelming, or mistakes seem bigger than they are, self-esteem can take a hit.
In this episode of Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, Jenny Drennan shares three research-backed ways parents can help strengthen their child's self-esteem through everyday interactions.
You'll learn:
✨ Why connection is the foundation of your child's self-esteem
✨ How giving your child undivided attention can help them feel seen, heard, and valued
✨ Why parents should normalize struggle instead of quickly rescuing or fixing
✨ How allowing children to problem-solve builds confidence and resilience
✨ Why praising effort, persistence, and strategies can be more powerful than praising grades or talent
Jenny also explores subtle ways parents may unintentionally chip away at a child's confidence—from constantly asking about grades to jumping in too quickly when something feels hard.
The goal isn't perfect parenting. Small shifts in how we connect, respond to mistakes, and talk about effort can help children begin to see themselves differently.
🎧 Listen now and discover three simple ways to help your child build confidence from the inside out.
Need more support for your child?
WeThrive Learning provides educational therapy, executive function coaching, and ADHD coaching for students with ADHD, learning differences, and executive functioning challenges.
🌐 Visit WeThriveLearning.com to learn more or schedule a free consultation.
💬 Join our Facebook community, Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, for additional tools, conversations, and support for parenting children with ADHD.