ADHD Mums

Jane McFadden
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  • Mental Health
  • Updated weekly

Being a mum is hard enough. Being a mum with ADHD — or raising neurodivergent kids is a whole different level. ADHD Mums is the unfiltered, science-meets-reality podcast hosted by Jane McFadden, educational neuroscientist, advocate, and mother of three. This isn’t another polished parenting show with 'ten easy tips.' It’s real stories, confessions we’re not supposed to say out loud, and the research that explains why so many of us are running on empty. Every week you’ll hear: 🎙️ Confessions — raw, anonymous truths from mums navigating rage, burnout, and survival. 🧠 Expert insights — from neuroscientists, clinicians, and policy leaders on ADHD, autism, and mental health. 💬 Advocacy in action — exposing ADHD medication shortages, NDIS red tape, and the hidden costs mothers carry. With over 1 million downloads already tuning in from across the world, the podcast has already influenced ADHD reforms in Australia, been featured in national media, and pushed politicians to answer the questions mothers are asking. If you’ve ever screamed in the car, forgotten every form until the night before, or wondered if you’re the only one falling apart — this podcast is your proof that you’re not broken, you’re just telling the truth.

  1. I Planned the Day Off to Finally Get Things Done. By 11am I'd Done Nothing and Hated Myself for It

    5 days ago

    I Planned the Day Off to Finally Get Things Done. By 11am I'd Done Nothing and Hated Myself for It

    Have you ever told yourself you'll finally do the thing when it's quiet — and then the quiet came and you reorganised a drawer? Have you ever promised yourself the school holidays would be different, stacked up everything you were going to get done, and then spent the first Monday back staring at the wall and doing everyone's admin except your own? Have you ever been the most productive you've been all year on the last week of term, and then wondered why that woman never shows up any other time? What we cover Why your brain flies at the end of term and falls off a cliff the second the kids go back — and what's actually happening underneath itThe list in your phone called 'Monday' and the woman you've been promising people is coming — who has never once turned upWhy avoidance on a quiet day isn't laziness — and what your brain is actually doing when it picks the wrong task on purposeWhat happens when high arousal creates a debt — and why the free day might be the worst time to do the hard thingWhy 'I just need a quiet day with no interruptions' might be the trap you've been apologising for your whole lifeThe one thing that actually works — and why it involves finding a human and making them mildly expect something from you Free resources Energy Accounting Guide — https://adhdmums.com.au/product/adhd-mums-energy-accounting-guide/ Related episodes S3 — Sorry I'm Late, I Have ADHD. My Friend Has ADHD Too. She's Never Late — https://adhdmums.com.au/adhd-podcast-episodes/sorry-im-late-i-have-adhd-my-friend-has-adhd-too-shes-never-late/EP93 — When You Remove the Stress — https://adhdmums.com.au/adhd-podcast-episodes/when-you-remove-the-stress-and-start-wondering-whats-wrong-with-you/EP71 — When You Can't Relax Even When It's Quiet — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/why-adhd-mums-cant-relax/EP24 — QUICK RESET: The ADHD Myth of 'Just Try Harder' — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-24-quick-reset-the-adhd-myth-of-just-try-harder/EP49 — QUICK RESET: I'm Not Lazy — My House Doesn't Have a Memory — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-49-quick-reset-im-not-lazy-my-house-just-doesnt-have-a-memory/ 📬 Listener Questions & Community 🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice) Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead. Send a WhatsApp voice or written on 0403 457 313 Send a SMS voice or written on 0403 457 313 👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast References Barkley, R. A. (1997). Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: Constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. Psychological Bulletin, 121(1), 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.121.1.65 Volkow, N. D., Wang, G.-J., Newcorn, J. H., Kollins, S. H., Wigal, T. L., Telang, F., Fowler, J. S., Goldstein, R. Z., Klein, N., Logan, J., Wong, C., & Swanson, J. M. (2011). Motivation deficit in ADHD is associated with dysfunction of the dopamine reward pathway. Molecular Psychiatry, 16(11), 1147–1154. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2010.97 Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S. (2003). The dual pathway model of AD/HD: An elaboration of neuro-developmental characteristics. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 27(7), 593–604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2003.08.005

    14 min
  2. 4. They Took Away the Village and Handed Us the iPad. Then They Told Us Not to Use It.

    10 Jun

    4. They Took Away the Village and Handed Us the iPad. Then They Told Us Not to Use It.

    A friend came over the other day. She'd just done a week on the Sunshine Coast with her three kids, the whole pack-up by herself. We were sitting at my kitchen table doing that thing where you're laughing and crying at the same time. She couldn't get her kids to put the bins out because they were glued to their iPads. I said yep, same. The deeper problem isn't just the iPad. It's that someone pulled every single support structure out from under us, handed us a screen, and then put the guilt on top. What We Cover The Sunshine Coast kitchen table moment — the bins, the iPads, the laughing-cryingThe Christmas holidays Minecraft trap — how the rules got relaxed in December and what's still happening in MayThree things that have completely changed about parenting in the last 40 years that nobody updated us onWhy mums in 1990 weren't negotiating screen time — and what they had for free that we just don'tThe anticipatory regulation load — why parenting an ADHD child is three jobs stacked on top of each other, not oneThe dopamine input the world used to supply — and what happens when you take the iPad without replacing itWhy every screen time recommendation contradicts every other one, and the researchers fight each other publiclyWe are the first generation parenting through this. There is no generational wisdom on iPads. Nobody knows the right amount. Not the paediatricians, not your mother-in-law, not the friend down the road. Free Resources Surviving the Mental Load of the School Year: https://adhdmums.com.au/product/adhd-school-year-mental-load-kit/ Household Family Meeting Template: https://adhdmums.com.au/product/adhd-household-family-meeting-template/ Related Episodes S3 EP12 QUICK RESET: I Can't Stop Snapping When My Child Does This One Thing — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-12-quick-reset-i-cant-stop-snapping-when-my-child-does-this-one-thing/S3: When a Neuroscientist Says iPads Cause ADHD — And You Wonder if You've Damaged Your Kids — https://adhdmums.com.au/adhd-podcast-episodes/when-a-neuroscientist-says-ipads-cause-adhd-and-you-wonder-if-youve-damaged-your-kids/S2 EP22: Is It ADHD or Motherhood? — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-22-is-it-adhd-or-motherhood-solo-episode/S3 EP22 QUICK RESET: Why Self-Care Feels Like Another F*cking Task — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-22-quick-reset-why-self-care-feels-like-another-fcking-task/S3 EP45 QUICK RESET: The Biggest Lie Parents Believe During School Holidays — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-45-quick-reset-the-biggest-lie-parents-believe-during-school-holidays-this-is-what-everyone-does/ References & Further Reading Parent–child interaction load in ADHD households: Barkley, R. A., Anastopoulos, A. D., Guevremont, D. C., & Fletcher, K. E. (1992). Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Mother–adolescent interactions, family beliefs and conflicts, and maternal psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 20(3), 263–288. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916692The collapse of unsupervised childhood: Skenazy, L. (2021). Free-Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass. Movement: https://letgrow.orgThe case that screens are driving a youth mental health crisis: Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation. Penguin Press.The case that the panic is overblown: Etchells, P. (2024). Unlocked: The Real Science of Screen Time. Piatkus. (Named alongside Haidt because the two contradict each other — which is the point.)No strong causal evidence that screens cause ADHD: Levelink, B., et al. (2021). Association between recreational screen time and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. JAMA Pediatrics. Via: https://www.adhdevidence.org/blog/pair-of-large-u-s-cohort-studies-find-little-to-no-evidence-of-association-between-child-and-adolescent-adhd-and-digital-media-screen-timeInsufficient evidence for hard screen-time limits (2019 guidance): Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. (2019). The health impacts of screen time: A guide for clinicians and parents. (Note: this guidance was withdrawn in February 2024 — the position above is as of their 2019 publication.) 📬 Listener Questions & Community 🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice) Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead. Send a WhatsApp voice or written on 0403 457 313 Send a SMS voice or written on 0403 457 313 👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast

    22 min
  3. 4 Reasons You Can't Eat Breakfast Until the Kitchen's Clean. Why Most Advice Won't Work — and the One Thing That Will.

    1 Jun

    4 Reasons You Can't Eat Breakfast Until the Kitchen's Clean. Why Most Advice Won't Work — and the One Thing That Will.

    Listener Question Episode: Bec drops the kids at school, the kitchen's a mess, and she can't let herself eat breakfast until it's clean. Loads the washing on too — wouldn't want to waste time. She finally sits down at 11am. She's wondering if it's an ADHD thing or if she's just weird. She's not weird. She's been trying the wrong strategy on the wrong problem for years. What We Cover Bec's voicemail, the kitchen, the load of washing on while she eats, 11am breakfastWhy "you deserve rest, mama" advice slides right off — and why feeling worse after reading it isn't a personal failureThe four different drivers underneath one behaviour — same cry on the surface, completely different things going on insideA four-question audio quiz to figure out which one is the loudest in youWhy every behaviour you're stuck in is meeting a need — and you can't change it until you know which oneWhy my dad and my 80-year-old grandma chainsawing down a tree while telling each other to sit down haunts me — and why I'm watching my daughter start to do it tooThe advice isn't wrong. It's just for the wrong problem. Free Resources Facebook Group — come tell me and join the fun: https://facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast Energy Accounting Guide — https://adhdmums.com.au/product/adhd-mums-energy-accounting-guide/ Breaking Free from Unhealthy Habits Kit — for the loops you can't seem to break: https://adhdmums.com.au/product/breaking-unhealthy-habits-adhd-mums-kit/ Paid Resource ADHD Reset Workbook — Values, Energy & Planning: https://adhdmums.com.au/product/adhd-planner-and-values/ Related Episodes S3 EP35: You Were the Good Girl. That's Why You're Falling Apart Now — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-35-you-were-the-good-girl-thats-why-youre-falling-apart-now/EP49 QUICK RESET: I'm Not Lazy, My House Doesn't Have a Memory — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-49-quick-reset-im-not-lazy-my-house-just-doesnt-have-a-memory/EP71: When You Can't Relax Even When It's Quiet — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/why-adhd-mums-cant-relax/S3 EP59: The Red Pen Christmas — Stop Editing Yourself for Everyone Else — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-59-stop-editing-yourself-red-pen-christmas/EP72: You're Not Behind — You Learned to Carry Responsibility Too Early — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/youre-not-behind-you-learned-to-carry-responsibility-too-earlyEP81: The Hidden Cost of Being the 'Good Girl' — https://adhdmums.com.au/adhd-podcast-episodes/the-hidden-cost-of-being-the-good-girl-how-the-mental-load-became-ours/EP80: The Invisible Coordination Load — https://adhdmums.com.au/adhd-podcast-episodes/the-invisible-coordination-load-why-adhd-mums-carry-the-work-systems-wont/EP93: When You Remove the Stress and Start Wondering What's Wrong With You — https://adhdmums.com.au/adhd-podcast-episodes/when-you-remove-the-stress-and-start-wondering-whats-wrong-with-you/EP53 QUICK RESET: Self-Care Feels Nice. Self-Regulation Keeps You Alive — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-53-quick-reset-self-care-feels-nice-self-regulation-keeps-you-alive/ 📬 Listener Questions & Community 🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice) Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead. Send a WhatsApp voice or written on 0403 457 313 Send a SMS voice or written on 0403 457 313 👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast References Volkow et al. — Deficits in the brain's reward system in ADHD. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908193432.htm Furukawa et al. — Abnormal striatal BOLD responses to reward anticipation and reward delivery in ADHD. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3935853/ Aarts et al. — Reward modulation of cognitive function in adult ADHD: the role of striatal dopamine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25485641/ Panagiotidi et al. — Altered somatosensory processing in adult ADHD. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11323665/ Neurodivergent Insights — Sensory Overload in ADHD (cites Miller et al. 2017). https://neurodivergentinsights.com/sensory-overload-in-adhd/ Attachment Project — Unrelenting Standards / Hypercriticalness Schema. https://www.attachmentproject.com/early-maladaptive-schemas/unrealiting-standards/ Bay Area CBT Center — Unpacking the Unrelenting Standards Schema. https://bayareacbtcenter.com/unpacking-the-unrelenting-standards-schema/ IFS Institute — Internal Family Systems Model Outline. https://ifs-institute.com/resources/articles/internal-family-systems-model-outline Positive Psychology — Internal Family Systems Therapy: 8 Worksheets and Exercises. https://positivepsychology.com/internal-family-systems-therapy/

    45 min
  4. 106. He'll Eat When He's Hungry.' Three Years Later My Son Was in Hospital on a Feeding Tube with Tracy Jewel Constable

    18 May

    106. He'll Eat When He's Hungry.' Three Years Later My Son Was in Hospital on a Feeding Tube with Tracy Jewel Constable

    You take your child to the doctor. You tell them this isn't fussy, this isn't a phase. They tell you he'll grow out of it. Maybe it's his tonsils. Maybe you're anxious. Maybe your boundaries aren't strong enough. You leave the appointment knowing something isn't right, and starting to wonder if the something is you. What We Cover Why ARFID gets missed for years while professionals chase tonsils, grommets, and dental workWhat happens when every silver bullet surgery makes zero difference and the grief that followsThe cruise ship that didn't work, the buffet that didn't work, the Woolworths smuggling run that came too lateRefeeding syndrome — when your malnourished child's body goes into shock from being fedThe PEG surgery, the six-week wait that should've been six months, and a five-year-old dancing in the lounge room for the first timeThe cognitive impact of three years of malnutrition and the guilt of not pushing harder, soonerWhy mum's intuition keeps being right while siloed specialists keep passing the buckThe mental load of cooking the same crepe, the same rice mound, the washed meatballs — every single dayWhat it costs to keep advocating when no one believes you More About Tracy Free Resource Facebook Group — for parents in this loop who need other mums who get it: https://facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast External Support Tracy Mentions Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA)Butterfly Foundation Paid Resource The Meltdown & Shutdown Guide for Mums & Children https://adhdmums.com.au/product/navigating-meltdowns-strategies-for-parents/ Episodes on ARFID & Tracy's last episode S3 EP58: Things That Look Like Bad Parenting But Are Actually Neurodivergence (Tracy) — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-58-neurodivergence-and-parentingS2 EP81: You've Tried Everything… They Still Won't Eat: Real Strategies for ARFID at Home — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-81-youve-tried-everything-they-still-wont-eat-real-strategies-for-arfid-at-home/S3 EP46: ARFID, Eating Disorders & the Neurodivergent Body: What We Got Wrong (Marie Camin) — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-46-arfid-eating-disorders-the-neurodivergent-body-what-we-got-wrong/ 📬 Listener Questions & Community 🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice) Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead. Send me a WhatsApp voice message here: https://wa.me/61403457313 ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written) https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864 👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast

    30 min
  5. 104. When a Neuroscientist Says iPads Cause ADHD — And You Wonder if You've Damaged Your Kids with Amanda Moses

    11 May

    104. When a Neuroscientist Says iPads Cause ADHD — And You Wonder if You've Damaged Your Kids with Amanda Moses

    Sometimes the only thing that got you through the day was the iPad. And then you scrolled past a clip telling you screens are rewiring your kid's brain. Causing ADHD. Making them socially broken. And your stomach dropped. You weren't being lazy. You were trying to regulate yourself before you said something you'd regret. But the guilt arrived anyway. Right on cue. This week, Amanda Moses — senior psychologist, ADHD and autism assessor, the woman who actually trains other psychologists in this space — sits down to go through the Osher Günsberg clip line by line. The one with the neuroscientist claiming 'digital ADHD' is now the majority of cases. The one your mother-in-law sent you. The one that made you feel sick. Amanda brings the receipts. None of them say what he said they said. What We CoverThe 'digital ADHD' claim — and what the actual heritability research says (74-80%, by the way)Why your phone notification is not going to give you a heart attack, no matter how many amygdala fight-or-flight diagrams someone drawsThe 'still face' babies story — what the research actually shows about distractionWhy online connection counts — especially for autistic women, regional mums, and anyone who can't just 'turn up to playgroup'Why this kind of content hurts the women who can't afford a psych session and are already running on guilt About Amanda:Check out Amanda's Management Strategies for ADHD.Check out Amanda's social media here Amanda's References from this episode: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11472914/ https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306910 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1441191/full https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-022-02130-3#Sec25 Check out Related Episodes S2 EP82: ADHD or PTSD? Why So Many Women Are Misdiagnosed (Amanda Moses) https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-82-adhd-or-ptsd-why-so-many-women-are-misdiagnosed-with-amanda-moses/S3 EP34: Is It Social Anxiety — or Is It Autism (Amanda Moses) — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-34-is-it-social-anxiety-or-is-it-autism-with-amanda-moses/S3 EP4: The advanced ADHD + Neurodivergence Myths.. Busted — https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-4-the-advanced-adhd-neurodivergence-myths-busted/ 📬 Listener Questions & Community 🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice) Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead. Send me a WhatsApp voice message here: https://wa.me/61403457313 ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written) https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864 👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast

    30 min
  6. 103: When You Say 'I Don't Mind, Whatever's Easy' for Mother's Day — And Spend Sunday Cleaning Up Your Own Gifts

    6 May

    103: When You Say 'I Don't Mind, Whatever's Easy' for Mother's Day — And Spend Sunday Cleaning Up Your Own Gifts

    There's a script around Mother's Day that doesn't account for any of us. You're meant to want a candle, a coffee, a sleep-in, and to look visibly grateful at the end of it. If you can't name what you want, you're ungrateful. If you do name it, you have to manage it. If you stay quiet, you spend Sunday night cleaning up the wrapping paper from your own gifts. This episode is the one underneath that script. The maths nobody's saying out loud. The reason your brain blanks. And one small thing to try this Sunday — not to fix the year, just to notice what the silence is actually doing. This episode is for you ifHe asks what you want and your brain just stopsYou always say I don't mind, whatever's easy and then feel a bit hollow when Sunday's overYou've spent Mother's Days managing other people's mothers and have nothing left for your ownYou're a single mum and Sunday is just another Sunday, except this one's worseYou're grieving — your own mum, the version of motherhood you wanted, or bothYou've been telling yourself for years that you're just too sensitive Related episodesS2 EP88: I Made the Lunches, Booked the Table, and Still Felt Invisible (Mother's Day) S3 EP35: You Were the Good Girl. That's Why You're Falling Apart Now. S3 EP18 Quick Reset: Why You're Bad at Asking for Help and What to Do Instead 📬 Listener Questions & Community 🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice) Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead. Send me a WhatsApp voice message here: https://wa.me/61403457313 ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written) https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864 👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast

    18 min
  7. 101. RE-RELEASE: When You Stop Your ADHD Meds for the Baby — And the Pram Rolls Across the Car Park with Rodney Whyte

    29 Apr

    101. RE-RELEASE: When You Stop Your ADHD Meds for the Baby — And the Pram Rolls Across the Car Park with Rodney Whyte

    This podcast episode is not a replacement for individual medical advice and is general education only. You go to the mother's group, you don't put the brake on the pram, and it rolls across the carpark. Baby is fine. You are not. You're already the mum who decided — quietly, without asking anyone — that you wouldn't take your ADHD meds while breastfeeding. Because that's what good mothers do. This is the episode about what happens when 'just push through' stops being a plan. What we cover Why your prescriber freezes the second you say the word 'pregnant' and what to actually say backWhat the research actually says about traditional stimulants in pregnancy, and the gap between that and the kickback you've been gettingWhy pregnancy and breastfeeding aren't the same conversation, even though everyone keeps lumping them togetherThe Infant Risk Center, the resource your psychiatrist probably hasn't looked at that pharmacists rely onTrying to conceive, IVF, egg collection, and where ADHD meds actually sit in that timelineThe quiet self-sacrifice that tells you a thinking, regulated mother is somehow worse for the baby than an unmedicated, exhausted onePMS, perimenopause, antidepressants in the mix, and why ADHD is rarely just one medication, one decision, one answerMedication breaks, weekend breaks, and why being told to take them on the busiest days of your week isn't advice, it's a generic scriptIron, thyroid, glucose, constipation, and the unsexy stuff your wellness actually hinges on while you're carrying everyone else's Why this episode matters There is a whole layer of women who stopped their meds the day they saw two lines on a test, never asked the question out loud, and have been white-knuckling it ever since. Not because the evidence said to. Because nobody safe was available to talk to. Rodney has spent thirty years being that person on the other end of the phone, and most mums have never been told he exists. This episode is for you if You stopped your meds the second you found out you were pregnant and never asked anyone if you had toYou've been told 'we don't know enough' so many times you've started saying it to yourselfYou're breastfeeding and Googling at 2am because no one in the room will give you a straight answerYou feel guilty for wanting to be medicated, focused, and present, like that's the selfish versionYou're trying to conceive and quietly terrified that staying on your meds makes you a bad mother before you've even startedYou're the one who'd rather suffer than risk it, and you've been suffering for a while now Related product ADHD Medication Guide — https://adhdmums.com.au/product/a-guide-to-adhd-medication/ External links mentioned Infant Risk Center — www.infantrisk.comJean Hailes — https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/Better Health Channel — https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au 📬 Listener Questions & Community 🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice) Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead. Send me a WhatsApp voice message here: https://wa.me/61403457313 ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written) https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864 👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast

    35 min
  8. 99. When School Feels Too Much Too Early — Expectation Creep Explained with Rebecca English

    20 Apr

    99. When School Feels Too Much Too Early — Expectation Creep Explained with Rebecca English

    If you’ve ever sat in a school meeting hearing what’s ‘expected’… and thought ‘this feels like too much… too early’ — this episode is for you. Because sometimes it’s not subtle. It’s that quiet moment where something doesn’t sit right… but you’re told it’s normal. In this episode, we unpack what’s really happening when school expectations keep creeping up — academically, behaviourally, socially — and why so many kids are being asked to meet standards that don’t actually match where they are. 💭 This episode is for you if: – You’ve thought ‘this feels too much for their age’ – Your child is struggling, but you know they’re capable – You’ve been told ‘this is just how school is now’ – Your child is falling behind quickly and can’t catch up – You’re noticing stress, resistance, or shutdown around school – You’re questioning whether the system is actually the issue 🎧 Related Episodes When School Becomes the Trauma – School Series https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/s2-ep2-school-series-when-school-becomes-the-trauma-what-no-one-tells-adhd-parents/ Here’s the part most people don’t say out loud: If it feels too big… too fast… too much… that doesn’t automatically mean your child is the problem. Sometimes it means the expectations have moved and no one stopped to check who they were leaving behind. For more about Dr. Rebecca English https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/r.english 📬 Check out my Free Resources on Schools: The School Choice Kit https://adhdmums.com.au/product/the-school-choice-kit/ The School Complaint & Escalation Guide for Parents https://adhdmums.com.au/product/school-complaint-escalation-guide/ 📬 Check out my Paid Resource on Schools: Making School Work – Parent Guide ($20) https://adhdmums.com.au/product/making-school-work-parent-guide/ School Advocacy Hub of Resourceshttps://adhdmums.com.au/advocacy/ 📬 Listener Questions & Community 🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice) Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead. Send me a WhatsApp voice message here: https://wa.me/61403457313 ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written) https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864 👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast

    23 min
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About

Being a mum is hard enough. Being a mum with ADHD — or raising neurodivergent kids is a whole different level. ADHD Mums is the unfiltered, science-meets-reality podcast hosted by Jane McFadden, educational neuroscientist, advocate, and mother of three. This isn’t another polished parenting show with 'ten easy tips.' It’s real stories, confessions we’re not supposed to say out loud, and the research that explains why so many of us are running on empty. Every week you’ll hear: 🎙️ Confessions — raw, anonymous truths from mums navigating rage, burnout, and survival. 🧠 Expert insights — from neuroscientists, clinicians, and policy leaders on ADHD, autism, and mental health. 💬 Advocacy in action — exposing ADHD medication shortages, NDIS red tape, and the hidden costs mothers carry. With over 1 million downloads already tuning in from across the world, the podcast has already influenced ADHD reforms in Australia, been featured in national media, and pushed politicians to answer the questions mothers are asking. If you’ve ever screamed in the car, forgotten every form until the night before, or wondered if you’re the only one falling apart — this podcast is your proof that you’re not broken, you’re just telling the truth.

Information

  • Creator
    Jane McFadden
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    285
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Jane McFadden
  • Show Website
    ADHD Mums

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