When is it too late to get an ADHD diagnosis? For today’s guest, Tami Hackbarth, getting diagnosed with ADHD at age 53 was worth it. After years in the classroom working with copious ADHD children, Tami has plenty of strategies and tools to help those of us with neurodivergent brains.  We dove into Tami’s journey of self-discovery, self-compassion, and self-acceptance. She opens up about her struggles with sleep apnea, the impact of medication on her daily life, and the importance of Fair Play and self-care in neurodivergent families. We also talk about the value of open communication wit ..read more

We all know someone who has an emotionally immature parent.  The one who lays on guilt trips. The one who never shows up. The one who struggles with demons bigger than their kids. Maybe it’s you.   Maybe it’s your neighbor or your best friend. As a mom, it hits different.  You see the pain, the nuance, the struggle a little more clearly. And yet you still can’t fix the other person. But you can make changes in your life and for your own children. Today, I’m not holding back from the tough conversation of emotionally immature parenting and breaking the cycles of brokenness i ..read more

What “should” you have done already?   Finish your degree?  Pass your driver’s license test?  Make that doctor’s appt?  Left the house for school pickup? If you’re constantly thinking “I’m behind!”, this episode is for you.   Often it’s literal, as in, “I’m 20 minutes late to my appointment!” But it’s also in the big things, like you “should” have more kids by now or gotten that promotion.  You’re not alone! Feeling behind has come up in several discussions recently both in my Lighthouse Group ADHD Coaching, and in Successful Mama Meetups. What are the p ..read more

Sometimes you need a reminder that it’s okay to spend a little money on yourself, especially when the guilt of the last 3 wasteful impulse buys are still weighing on you. In this episode of Motherhood in ADHD, we're diving headfirst into why self-care is NOT selfish. I want you to know that putting yourself on the budget’s priority list is worth it - without guilt creeping in and talking yourself out of it before you ever get that much deserved break. Often that guilt (or fear of something else) also prevents you from bringing up the topic of money with your partner.  I’ll cover how you c ..read more

Watching your child struggle is pretty much the worst. Not knowing what to do about it is more than icing on the doo-doo cake. I've got your back, mama! In this episode of Motherhood in ADHD, I dive into the rollercoaster of emotions and challenges of parenting a struggling child. When your child needs help, but you don’t know where to begin, this episode is for you. From dealing with overwhelming chaos to understanding the unique dynamics in a family affected by ADHD, here are my key tips to help you navigate the stress. So, buckle up, mama, because we're about to unpack the struggle bus and ..read more

It’s here again… that awful feeling: I’m behind. You swore this year you’d print those adorable Christmas cards with your family’s smiling faces in front of a glowing tree, but it’s December and you haven’t even started.  Your friends are sending you theirs, and just seeing them makes you feel guilty.  You’re scrambling to shop for presents online, wondering how you’re going to fit it into your budget.  And that damn elf on the shelf? Hasn’t moved for days.  Mama, the holidays are a stressful time for most people.  But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be quite this bad ..read more

How do you feel when you think about taking ADHD medication? Nervous? Hopeful? Overwhelmed? The process of obtaining and finding the right medication can feel like A LOT. First, you have to approach the subject with your doctor (who may or may not be well-informed about ADHD) -- and then there is finding the right type and dosing of medication, dealing with potential side effects, and the whole process of trial and error. It never goes perfectly. But it can go more smoothly -- when you take a few steps to plan and prepare for it. On this episode of Motherhood in ADHD, I share all my best tips ..read more

“I’ve tried everything!”  When you’re dealing with a particularly frustrating problem that’s gone on for years, like parenting your exasperating child, looking for relief from a chronic health issue, or advocating for your child struggling at school, you start to run out of energy AND optimism. When you’ve got a situation that feels hopeless… When you’ve run out of ideas… When you’ve looked under every rock and barked up every tree… Should you just give up?  Sigh. Except you REALLY want to find a solution. You’re not ready to give up on your kid, your health, the things that truly ma ..read more

What’s your story of working under an unqualified or unsupportive boss? I’m sharing a few of my terrible boss experiences.  But today’s episode is not just about the bad bosses in the workplace. As a parent, we often feel underqualified. You don’t want to be a “bad boss”, but no one handed you an instruction manual when your children arrived!  What do you do when you don’t know what to do? When you don’t feel sure of your choices, it starts to seep into your confidence level. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) shows up to make you doubt your parenting decisions, increasing the guilt ..read more

What does the inside of your kitchen junk drawer look like?   And why is it always in the kitchen?  We all have a random smattering of ideas laying around and today I’m sharing a few that wouldn’t necessarily make a whole episode in and of themselves, so I’m combining these random thoughts rattling around my brain into one Junk Drawer episode.  First, we cover a few questions around ADHD medications with some crowdsourced helpful tips on how to find medicine with shortages happening everywhere, as well as what it feels like when I forget to take my medicine (a clear indicat ..read more