Raising ADHD: Real Talk For Parents & Educators

Apryl Bradford, M.Ed
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Parenting

Raising a child with ADHD can feel overwhelming—meltdowns, school struggles, medication decisions, and the constant fear you’re doing it wrong. Raising ADHD is the podcast for parents and teachers who want clarity, strategies, and real-life support. Hosted by Apryl Bradford, M.Ed. (former teacher and ADHD mom) and Dr. Brian Bradford, D.O. (Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist), this show cuts through the myths and misinformation about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Together, Apryl and Dr. Bradford bring both lived experience and clinical expertise to help you: Understand what ADHD really is (and isn’t)Navigate school challenges and partner with teachersMake sense of medication options without the jargonSupport your child’s strengths while tackling everyday strugglesFeel less alone and more empowered on this journey Each week, you’ll hear practical tips, the latest insights from the field, and conversations that validate what you’re living through. Whether you’re dealing with emotional outbursts, executive function challenges, or the stigma that still surrounds ADHD, you’ll find real talk and real help here. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I doing this right?”—this podcast is your answer.  Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical or psychiatric advice and should not replace professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed professional with any questions you may have regarding your child’s health or behavior.

  1. 34m ago

    Why Reward Charts Don’t Work for ADHD Kids (and the 3 Fixes That Make Them Work)

    Send us Fan Mail ADHD reward charts fail for three fixable reasons: the reward’s too far away, the goal’s too big, or you’re rewarding a skill you never taught. How to make charts actually work. You made the chart. The adorable one off Etsy. Your kid picked the prize and was all in Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday they couldn’t care less and you’re refereeing meltdowns over unearned stars. The chart ends up in the trash. Here’s the thing: reward charts really do work for ADHD kids. We’re just using them wrong. Reward charts are one of the most proven tools in evidence-based ADHD behavior support, so if yours keeps failing, the chart isn’t the problem, the way it’s being used is. In this episode I break down the three biggest mistakes parents make with ADHD reward charts and discipline charts, and the fix for each. Mistake one, the reward is too far away for a brain wired for immediate feedback (that’s delay discounting). Mistake two, the goal is too big, so we reward “get ready for school” when that’s really a dozen executive function skills stacked together. And mistake three, the one I see constantly, we reward a behavior we never actually taught. I bring in my old classroom model, I do, we do, you do, and show how my Points to Progress method reinforces small steps instead of demanding perfection. We’re not rewarding perfection. We’re reinforcing progress. What you’ll learn Why a reward chart is a tool inside a system, not a strategy that fixes behavior on its own.Mistake one: why Friday is forever to an ADHD brain, how delay discounting kills motivation, and why immediate points win.How to build in daily spend-and-save so the reward is never too far off.Mistake two: why “get ready for school” is a dozen skills, not one, and how shaping breaks it down.Why a bar set too high turns a reward chart into one more reminder of what your child can’t do.Mistake three: rewarding a skill you never taught, and the I do, we do, you do model that fixes it.The Points to Progress method: reinforcing the baby steps toward independence instead of demanding the finished behavior.How to write goals that hold up in a court of law, like “get dressed with one reminder,” so the rules never shift.Building a no-cost reward store your child actually wants, and why earned points are never taken back.What to do when your child doesn’t earn their points, and how to read a run of missed points as information.Timestamps 00:00 When reward charts fall apart 03:21 Mistake one: the reward is too far away 08:45 Mistake two: the goal is too big 11:24 Mistake three: rewarding a skill you never taught 17:44 Make points valuable with a reward store 20:15 What to do when points aren’t earned 22:14 Your quick-win baby-step plan 24:05 Recap: reinforce progress, not perfection Read the full transcript https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531405/episodes/20061886-why-reward-charts-don-t-work-for-adhd-kids-and-the-3-fixes-that-make-them-work#transcript One thing to do next Before you redesign the chart, find out which executive function skills your child is strong in and which need support, so you know what to actually reward. Take the free Executive Function Check-In at raisingadhd.org/quiz. Coming up next week Dr. Bradford joins me to talk about how to talk to your kids about their behavior. Hit follow so it lands the moment it drops. Resources and related episodes Free Executive Function Check-In quiz: raisingadhd.org/quiz Ep35: Why Consequences Don’t Work for ADHD Kids, And What to Do Instead Ep33: ADHD Executive Function in Real Life, Why Checklists Fail and the Scaffolding System That Actually Works Ep22: ADHD Morning Routine Chaos, How to Find Your Battle Zone and Fix It Find me on Instagram: @raisingadhd_org Hosts I’m Apryl Bradford, a former classroom teacher with a master’s in education and mom raising a child with ADHD. I host the Raising ADHD podcast.

  2. 4d ago

    Why Your ADHD Child Won’t Listen: The Brain Science Nobody Explains

    Send us Fan Mail Why won’t your ADHD child listen? It’s not defiance. The brain science behind listening, plus the hear-focus-understand-remember-do framework and how to help. You’ve said it three times. “Go get your pajamas on.” Nothing. You say it a fourth time, louder, and now you’re the one who yelled and they’re asking why you always yell. Before you decide your child is ignoring you on purpose, let’s look at what’s actually happening in their brain. One of the most asked questions in ADHD parenting is why won’t my child listen. In this episode I go past the usual executive function answer and into the research, two studies on how the ADHD brain processes sound and spoken instructions. You’ll learn why your child can physically hear you and still not follow through, why they can repeat an instruction back word for word and still not do it, and why they often don’t ask for help because they don’t realize they didn’t understand. Then I give you a simple framework, hear, focus, understand, remember, do, so you can find the exact spot where listening breaks down and match the support to it instead of just repeating yourself louder. What you’ll learn Why “why won’t my child listen” is the wrong question, and the one to ask instead.What the research shows about how the ADHD brain directs attention toward important sounds, and why your voice can get lost in the noise until you yell.Why ADHD is less about being distracted by everything and more about difficulty locking onto the sound that matters.The difference between understanding the basic facts and deeper comprehension, and why “go clean your room” asks for more than your child may realize.Why your child often can’t recognize when they haven’t understood an instruction, so they don’t ask for clarification.The working memory gap: why they can repeat your instructions back perfectly and still come downstairs having done only one of the four things.The hear, focus, understand, remember, do framework for finding where listening actually breaks down.How to match the support to the breakdown: getting attention first, making instructions specific, shortening steps, or helping them start.The foundational four for almost any ADHD struggle: pause, get curious, support the skill, connect and repair.Timestamps 00:00 The real question behind “why won’t my kid listen”  01:00 What the research says beyond executive function  02:26 Study one: how the ADHD brain handles auditory attention  06:23 What that looks like at your kitchen counter  09:25 Study two: listening comprehension and working memory  20:20 The framework: hear, focus, understand, remember, do  25:20 Matching the support to the breakdown  28:05 The foundational four and your next step Read the full transcript https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531405/episodes/20042858-why-your-adhd-child-won-t-listen-the-brain-science-nobody-explains#transcript One thing to do next Pick the one battle you’re sick of having, mornings, homework, screens, or bedtime, and let me walk you through where your child is actually getting stuck. The ADHD Reset is a seven-day program you can do in under ten minutes a day. Get it at raisingadhd.org/reset. Resources and related episodes The ADHD Reset, a 7-day program for the one battle you’re sick of having: raisingadhd.org/reset  Ep27: Executive Function Skills and ADHD, Why Your Child Can’t “Just Do It”  Impulsive Behavior in ADHD, Why Your Child Has No Pause Button and How to Build One  Ep19: Stop Sitting in Mom Guilt, How to Repair With Your ADHD Child After You Lose It  Find me on Instagram: @raisingadhd_org Hosts I’m Apryl Bradford, a former classroom teacher with a master’s in education and mom raising a child with ADHD, alongside my husband Dr. Brian Bradford, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

  3. Oct 21

    ADHD Discipline: Stop Punishing the Same Behavior Over and Over

    Send us Fan Mail Consequences don’t work for your ADHD child because they’re not instructions. Why bigger punishments backfire, and the hold-teach-reinforce shift that builds real skills. ___________________________________________________________________ Hit their brother, lose the iPad. Miss the homework, lose the screen. The consequence doesn’t land, so next time you make it bigger, then bigger again. If you keep escalating and keep having the same fight, the problem isn’t the size of the consequence. Description This is the companion to last week’s “you’ve tried everything” episode, so start there if you missed it. Today I dig into why consequences keep failing for ADHD kids. We’ve blurred consequences and punishment, and we’ve started believing that if the punishment is upsetting enough, our child will choose better next time. The trouble is a consequence can tell a child something matters, but it can’t hand them a skill they don’t have yet or can’t reach in the moment. Using a gym analogy we all recognize, I unpack why knowing what to do and doing it consistently are two different things, then give you the shift that actually works: hold the limit, teach the replacement, and reinforce the progress, not the perfection. I also walk through my five-level skills ladder, the exact approach I used to turn our morning routine around. Inside this episode The difference between a consequence and a punishment, and why that distinction changes everything.Why escalating punishments backfire, and what a consequence actually can and cannot do.The gym analogy: why you hit snooze even knowing exercise is good for you, and what that reveals about your child.The perfection trap, and why we expect kids to go from struggling to flawless overnight.The three-part shift: hold the limit, teach the replacement, reinforce the progress.How to teach a replacement skill through calm, playful role-play before the next blowup.The five-level skills ladder, from “I remember for them” to true independence.Why the environment, not your reminders, should do more of the work as your child climbs the ladder.Why progress isn’t a straight line, and why a skill used Tuesday may still need reminders Wednesday.The bigger goal: raising capable kids who understand how their brain works, with their self-esteem intact.Timestamps 00:00 When consequences stop working 01:36 Consequences versus punishment 04:26 The gym analogy and the perfection trap 09:45 Hold the limit, teach the replacement 16:28 The five-level skills ladder 24:30 Raising capable kids with self-esteem 27:34 Pick one battle and reset Read the full transcript https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531405/episodes/19998043-why-punishment-fails-kids-with-adhd-and-what-to-do-instead#transcript One thing to do next Pick the one battle you’re sick of having, mornings, homework, screens, bedtime, and let me walk you through it. The ADHD Reset is a seven-day program where you pick one battle, figure out where your child is actually getting stuck, and learn what to try next, in less than ten minutes a day. Get it at raisingadhd.org/reset. Resources and related episodes The ADHD Reset, a 7-day program for the one battle you’re sick of having: raisingadhd.org/resetLast week’s episode: You’ve Tried Everything With Your ADHD Child and Nothing Works, Here’s Why Ep22: ADHD Morning Routine Chaos, How to Find Your Battle Zone and Fix It  Find me on Instagram: @raisingadhd_orgHosts I’m Apryl Bradford, a former classroom teacher with a master’s in education and mom raising a child with ADHD, alongside my husband Dr. Brian Bradford, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

  4. Sep 21

    You've Tried Everything With Your ADHD Child and Nothing Works. Here's Why

    Send us Fan Mail Tried every ADHD strategy and nothing seems to work? ADHD behavior problems often continue because we’re solving the wrong problem. Learn how executive function challenges can drive behavior and how to find the real breakdown underneath it instead of stacking more strategies. _______________________________________________________________________ Checklists, reward charts, timers, visuals, consequences, laying it all out the night before. You've saved 47 Instagram posts telling you 47 different things to do, and you're still standing by the door at 7:42 asking where the shoes are. What if the problem isn't that you haven't tried enough? If you've tried everything and nothing sticks, this episode challenges the whole approach. The issue usually isn't that you haven't tried enough strategies. It's that you tried too many, too fast, without figuring out what's actually breaking down. I break down the strategy loop that keeps parents stuck, why "can't get out the door" is an outcome and not a problem, and the difference between a child who's unwilling and a child who's struggling. Then I share the shift that changed how I handle the battles in my own house: stop being the firefighter and start being the detective. Your child's hardest moments aren't just something to make disappear. They're information. Pick one battle, watch it for a few days before you try to fix it, and let it tell you what's really going on. Inside this episode Why we're drowning in ADHD strategies, and why more advice isn't the answer.The strategy loop: how one problem turns into 14 failed fixes.Why "can't get out the door" is an outcome, not a problem, and the ten different breakdowns that could be underneath it.Why the same checklist helps one child and does nothing for another.Knowing is not doing: why your child can know exactly what to do and still not do it in the moment.A real missing-assignment story, and how many hidden steps sit underneath "just turn in your homework."Why consequences are not instructions, and what a consequence actually can and cannot do.The one question to start asking: is my child unwilling to do this, or struggling to do it?How to think like a detective instead of a firefighter, and the questions that turn a battle into information.The one-battle experiment: pick your hardest battle zone and just watch it for a few days before fixing anything.Timestamps 00:00 When nothing works anymore  00:55 The promise of quick fixes  03:15 Getting stuck in the strategy loop  04:55 Find the breakdown underneath  08:40 Knowing is not doing  09:55 The missing assignment problem  13:40 Consequences are not instructions  16:20 Unwilling or struggling?  17:45 Think like a detective, not a firefighter  20:10 Pick one battle and watch  21:45 A look at what's coming next Read the full transcript https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531405/episodes/19839900-you-ve-tried-everything-with-your-adhd-child-and-nothing-works-here-s-why#transcript One thing to do next Pick your one battle zone this week, mornings, homework, screens, or bedtime, and just watch it for a few days before you try to fix it. Notice when it starts, what happens right before, and where your child gets stuck. That information is the whole point. Coming up next week If consequences worked, you wouldn't still be having the same battle. Next week we dig into why consequences keep failing for ADHD kids and what to reach for instead. Resources and related episodes Free Executive Function Check-In quiz: raisingadhd.org/quizEp35: Why Consequences Don't Work for ADHD Kids, And What to Do InsteadEp27: Executive Function Skills and ADHD, Why Your Child Can't "Just Do It"Ep22: ADHD Morning Routine Chaos, How to Find Your Battle Zone and Fix ItFind me on Instagram: @raisingadhd_orgHosts I'm Apryl Bradford, a former classroom teacher with a master's in education and mom raising a child with ADHD, alongside my husband Dr. Brian Bradford, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

  5. Sep 14

    ADHD and School: How to Get a 504 or IEP (Even When the School Keeps Stalling)

    Send us Fan Mail 504 vs IEP for ADHD, explained by a former teacher. What each plan is, who qualifies, how to request an evaluation in writing, and what to do when the school stalls. ____________________________________________________ A mom messaged me this week. Her medicated third grader was on the honor roll last year. This year he's dropped to a 68 in his favorite subject, coming home drained, and the school's answer to three years of asking for help is still "let's try this first." If that's you, this one's for you. If you've ever felt confused about the difference between a 504 and an IEP, or gotten the runaround when you asked for help, this episode breaks it all down. As a former teacher and a mom, I walk through what a 504 plan actually is, what an IEP adds on top of it, and who qualifies for each, straight from federal law and the U.S. Department of Education's own guidance. I bust the two myths that trip parents up most, that a medicated child or a child with passing grades can't qualify, and I give you the exact five-step process for requesting an evaluation in writing, including what to do when the school refuses or hides behind RTI. The throughline: you can be calm and persistent at the same time, and that combination is far more powerful than anger. Inside this episode What a 504 plan is: a civil rights protection that changes the environment around your child, with real ADHD accommodation examples.Why an ADHD diagnosis is generally presumed to substantially limit major life activities, so you don't have to prove your child is "disabled enough."The medication myth: why a school legally must evaluate your child as if the medication were removed.The grades myth: why a child earning A's can still qualify, because the standard is substantial limitation, not failure.What an IEP is and how it goes further: specialized instruction, related services, measurable goals, and stronger legal protections.Who qualifies for an IEP under the "other health impairment" category, and why the discrepancy model does not apply to ADHD.The clean way to tell them apart: a 504 changes the environment, an IEP changes the education itself.The five-step process to request an evaluation, starting with the single most important move: put it in writing.Why looping in the district's 504 coordinator changes the room, and how to find that person.What to do when the school refuses: prior written notice, procedural safeguards, and the one sentence that restarts the process.Why RTI cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation, with the exact Department of Education guidance to cite.Timestamps 00:00 A mom hits the wall at school  02:08 Teachers aren't the enemy, and a quick disclaimer  03:40 504 plans explained, with ADHD examples  08:08 Eligibility myths about medication and grades  10:51 IEPs explained and what they add  13:51 Who qualifies for an IEP  16:10 How to request an evaluation  18:14 Handling a refusal with prior written notice  20:23 Why RTI can't delay an evaluation  24:18 Be calm, persistent, and prepared  27:56 The free download and final encouragement Read the full transcript https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2531405/episodes/19791858-adhd-and-school-how-to-get-a-504-or-iep-even-when-the-school-keeps-stalling One thing to do next Grab the free download: a list of ADHD-specific 504 accommodations plus the five questions to ask before your next 504 meeting, including the exact language to use when the school pushes back and where each one is grounded in federal law. Get it at raisingadhd.org/504. Resources and related episodes Free 504 accommodations list and meeting questions: raisingadhd.org/504Part 3 of the back-to-school series: How to Talk to Your Child's Teacher About ADHD (Start the Year as a Team) Ep24: ADHD School Behavior Problems, Why Nothing's Changing and the Framework That Will Find me on Instagram: @raisingadhd_orgHosts I'm Apryl Bradford, a former classroom teacher with a master's in education and mom raising a child with ADHD, alongside my husband Dr. Brian Bradford, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

  6. Aug 24

    The ADHD Middle School Transition: How to Help Your ADHD Child Survive (and Actually Grow in) Middle School

    Send us Fan Mail The ADHD middle school transition is a real risk point. Why symptoms spike, why medication isn't enough, and how to build the executive function bridge your child needs. __________________________________________________________ One or two teachers becomes six or seven. One classroom becomes a locker, a schedule, and a pile of deadlines. Somewhere along the way we started calling this "be more independent," walked our kids to the edge of a cliff, and hoped they'd grow wings on the way down. Let's build the bridge instead. Middle school is not elementary school with bigger kids. It's a major jump in executive function demands, and the research calls it a genuine risk point for kids with ADHD. In this episode I put on my former junior-high-teacher hat and walk through why symptoms can actually spike at this transition, why medication doesn't teach planner skills, and why parent involvement matters just as much now as it did in elementary school even though this is exactly when everyone tells you to back off. Then I reframe middle school as a practice window, the years before grades count, and give you a simple plan: pick one invisible skill, make it visible, practice it in a calm moment, and scaffold it for the first month. The core message: middle school success can't rest on reminders and hope. It rests on explicitly teaching the skills middle school suddenly demands. Inside this episode Why the move to middle school is a research-backed risk point, and why inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity can bump up right at this change.Why medication creates access to skills but does not teach a child to use a planner, manage a binder, or track six teachers' assignments.What scaffolding actually looked like in elementary school, and why all of that invisible support disappears overnight.Why writing the assignment in the planner is only the first link in a long chain of skills, and how every link can break.Why parent support tends to drop right when the research says it should stay steady, and how your role shifts from supervising to skill coaching.The three coaching questions that build time management and planning: what do you have, when will you do it, and how long will it take.A simple after-school rhythm: short rest, quick planner check while the day is fresh, then decompress or start.How to build a color-coded organization system without buying out the Amazon school aisle.How to find and fix the one link in the chain that keeps breaking, from lost homework to blank planners.Teaching time by measuring it, breaking big projects into visible next steps, and giving your child scripts for asking for help.Timestamps 00:00 Why middle school feels like a cliff 04:25 Why this transition is a risk point for ADHD kids 08:16 What elementary scaffolding really looks like 12:07 The planner is a chain of skills, not one skill 14:43 Why parent support drops right when it shouldn't 18:54 Independence is the goal, not the starting point 22:17 A simple after-school rhythm 28:01 Build a color-coded system 31:43 Fix the one link that keeps breaking 33:47 Teach time by measuring it 35:50 Scripts for asking for help 37:51 Your one-skill experiment for this week Read the full transcript https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531405/19682546-the-adhd-middle-school-transition-how-to-help-your-adhd-child-survive-and-actually-grow-in-middle-school/transcript One thing to do next Take the free Executive Function Check-In to see which of the eleven skills your child is strong in and which need support, so you know exactly which one to scaffold first. Get it at raisingadhd.org/quiz. Resources and related episodes Free Executive Function Check-In quiz: raisingadhd.org/quizEp27: Executive Function Skills and ADHD, Why Your Child Can't "Just Do It"Ep33: ADHD Executive Function in Real Life, Why Checklists Fail and the Scaffolding System That Actually WorksEp8: How to Help Your ADHD Child Actually Get Their Homework Done Without the Nightly BattlesImpulsive Behavior in ADHD, Why Your Child Has No Pause Button and How to Build OneFind me on Instagram: @raisingadhd_orgHosts I'm Apryl Bradford, a former classroom teacher with a master's in education and mom raising a child with ADHD, alongside my husband Dr. Brian Bradford, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

  7. Aug 18

    How to Talk to Your Child's Teacher About ADHD: Start the Year as a Team, Not the Punishment Department

    Send us Fan Mail How to talk to your child's teacher about ADHD and start the year as a team. A former teacher's plan for one clear goal, positive feedback, and no double punishment. _________________________________________________________________ You're already bracing for it: the email, the phone call, the note in the folder. You can't sit beside your child all day, so the school tells you what went wrong and leaves you wondering what you're supposed to do with it once they walk in the door. Here's how to close that gap. This is Part 3 of the back-to-school series, and it's the one I can speak to from both sides, as a former teacher and as a mom. Today is about the teacher relationship: how to start the year as a team instead of waiting for the first hard email, and how to do it without becoming the person expected to punish your child all over again at home. I walk through giving your child a fresh start with a new teacher, explaining ADHD simply, handing over a strength map, letting the first few weeks give you data, and building a small school-to-home plan that actually gets used. The line to hold onto: home is not the second punishment location for school behavior. The principle underneath the whole series stays the same, support what your child's brain needs and let go of what it doesn't. Inside this episode Why a new teacher deserves a fresh start, and why you don't hand over last year's list of everything that went wrong.What ADHD support actually requires from a classroom, and what's realistic to ask of a stressed teacher.How to make teamwork explicit from day one, before anything has gone wrong.How to explain ADHD to a teacher in a few plain sentences that give behavior context without excusing it.How to give the teacher a strength map so they see your whole child, not just the hard parts.Why you let the first couple of weeks provide data instead of solving every possible problem before the first bell.The case against double punishing, and what to do at home instead of a second consequence.The simple school-to-home plan: one specific target behavior, quick tracking, a fast reward, and a short review at home.How to set healthy communication boundaries so the daily report doesn't become an emotional dump.A ready-to-use email script for open house or that first message to the teacher.Timestamps 00:00 Dreading the first message from school  02:40 A fresh start with a new teacher  06:41 What ADHD support really needs  09:35 Make teamwork explicit from day one  13:42 Explain ADHD simply and clearly  15:42 Share strengths and name skills  21:00 Let the first weeks provide data  24:26 Stop double punishing after school  27:16 Build a simple school-to-home plan  33:43 Set healthy communication boundaries  35:20 The email script and final encouragement Read the full transcript https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531405/19648745-how-to-talk-to-your-child-s-teacher-about-adhd-start-the-year-as-a-team-not-the-punishment-department/transcript One thing to do next Grab the free teacher-letter prompt. Plug it into your favorite AI tool, add a few details about your child, and it writes the letter to your child's teacher for you. Get it at raisingadhd.org/letter. Resources and related episodes Free teacher-letter prompt: raisingadhd.org/letter Free Executive Function Check-In quiz: raisingadhd.org/quiz Part 1 of the series: ADHD Back-to-School Burnout, How to Take the Weight Off Before the School Year Starts Part 2 of the series: Getting Your ADHD Child Ready for School Without Crushing Who They Are Ep1: The Truth About ADHD, Why the Name Gets It Wrong and What You Need to Know Ep24: ADHD School Behavior Problems, Why Nothing's Changing and the Framework That Will Find me on Instagram: @raisingadhd_org Hosts I'm Apryl Bradford, a former classroom teacher with a master's in education and mom raising a child with ADHD, alongside my husband Dr. Brian Bradford, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

  8. Aug 9

    Dreading the Teacher's First Report? How to Get Your ADHD Child Ready for School

    Send us Fan Mail Getting your ADHD child ready for school isn't about fixing their behavior. How to protect their self-esteem, set a boundary on teacher feedback, and plant one small support. ________________________________________________________________ A mom posted in an ADHD parenting group: "Anyone else so nervous for the first weeks of school? I'm not excited to hear about how challenging my kid is being." The comments blew up. If you've ever felt your stomach drop watching a teacher walk toward you with that look, this one is for you. This is Part 2 of the back-to-school series, and it's not the "fix your kid's behavior" episode the world expects. Getting your ADHD child ready for school is really about protecting their self-esteem and protecting your relationship with them in a season when it feels like everyone is pointing out what's wrong. I share a hard, personal story about my own son's kindergarten year, then walk you through a simple four-part approach: build an identity counter-story so a behavior report never becomes your child's identity, decide ahead of time what teacher feedback is allowed to mean, teach one small skill through playful role-play, and choose a single regulation anchor for the first few weeks. We are not installing a 27-step behavior system. We're planting a couple of small supports that can grow. Inside this episode The reframe for the whole season: the goal isn't perfect behavior, it's protecting your child's self-esteem, your connection, and one or two supports for school.How to name your child's true identity out loud so it becomes a counter-story to whatever email or report comes home.How to decide in advance what a teacher's feedback means, so other people's judgments don't become your child's identity at home.Teaching one skill with role-play, and why practicing both the wanted and unwanted behavior works.Choosing one regulation anchor: an after-school decompression window or a 30-second morning connection ritual.How to handle your own embarrassment and burnout, and how to repair with your child after you snap.The simple four-step plan you can start this week in two to three calm, playful minutes a day.Timestamps 00:00 The Facebook post every ADHD parent recognizes  02:30 A kindergarten story and the mom guilt that stuck  05:20 Reframing readiness beyond compliance  07:44 Build an identity counter-story  13:08 Teach one skill with role-play  18:31 Choose one regulation anchor  20:22 Handling your own embarrassment and repair  21:54 The simple four-step plan Read the full transcript https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531405/19609702-back-to-school-without-shame/transcript One thing to do next Take the free Executive Function Check-In to see where your child is strong and where they need support before the year starts. Get it at raisingadhd.org/quiz. Coming up next week Part 3 of the back-to-school series: preparing the teacher. How to communicate about your child's ADHD up front, so you start the year on the right foot instead of waiting for the first hard email. Resources and related episodes Free Executive Function Check-In quiz: raisingadhd.org/quiz Part 1 of the series: ADHD Back-to-School Burnout, How to Take the Weight Off Before the School Year Starts Impulsive Behavior in ADHD, Why Your Child Has No Pause Button and How to Build One Ep5: After-School Meltdowns and ADHD, A 3-Step Plan Parents Can Start Tonight Ep20: Why Your ADHD Child Thinks "I'm the Problem" and How Repair Changes Their Identity Find me on Instagram: @raisingadhd_org Hosts I'm Apryl Bradford, a former classroom teacher with a master's in education and mom raising a child with ADHD, alongside my husband Dr. Brian Bradford, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

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About

Raising a child with ADHD can feel overwhelming—meltdowns, school struggles, medication decisions, and the constant fear you’re doing it wrong. Raising ADHD is the podcast for parents and teachers who want clarity, strategies, and real-life support. Hosted by Apryl Bradford, M.Ed. (former teacher and ADHD mom) and Dr. Brian Bradford, D.O. (Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist), this show cuts through the myths and misinformation about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Together, Apryl and Dr. Bradford bring both lived experience and clinical expertise to help you: Understand what ADHD really is (and isn’t)Navigate school challenges and partner with teachersMake sense of medication options without the jargonSupport your child’s strengths while tackling everyday strugglesFeel less alone and more empowered on this journey Each week, you’ll hear practical tips, the latest insights from the field, and conversations that validate what you’re living through. Whether you’re dealing with emotional outbursts, executive function challenges, or the stigma that still surrounds ADHD, you’ll find real talk and real help here. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I doing this right?”—this podcast is your answer.  Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical or psychiatric advice and should not replace professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed professional with any questions you may have regarding your child’s health or behavior.

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