Shows / Beautifully Complex
Beautifully Complex
Parenting a neurodivergent kid is one of the hardest things you will ever do. If you are exhausted, overwhelmed, and wondering why nothing seems to work, this is the place for you.
I am Penny Williams, parenting coach, author, and mom who's in the trenches alongside you. Each week on Beautifully Complex, I bring you honest conversations and real strategies for raising kids with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and learning differences. Our kids aren't broken, just wired differently.
My work is grounded…
Episodes
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 146: Your Child is Not Your Enemy
Our culture seems to dictate that parents should have control over their kids. We should command them and they should comply. But this authoritarian…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 145: How to Stop Yelling at Your Kids, with Robbin McManne
Yelling at someone who is causing you anguish or frustration is totally natural. We are wired to respond in kind to keep ourselves safe. However, yelling at…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 144: Creating Success for Your Child by Changing Your Lens, with Sarah Wayland, Ph.D. & Penny Williams
Parents get to choose how they view their child’s behavior. You can decide that they are behaving poorly or have “bad” qualities, like laziness. Or, you can…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 143: Helping Your Teen Get Motivated, with Dr. Norrine Russell
A lack of motivation isn’t a character flaw. There’s always a reason why someone isn’t on task or meeting expectations, and it’s virtually never that they just…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 142: What to Do When Smart Kids are Struggling, with Jeannine Jannot, Ph.D.
When kids are struggling in school, it’s not just about academics — social connectedness and mental and emotional health play a key role in success at school…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 141: Motivating Bright but Bored Students, with Alex Hargrove
Many students with ADHD are underachievers or gifted underachievers. They are bright but don’t do well in school. Alex Hargrove JD — author of "Reversing…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 140: What It’s Like to Grow Up with Undiagnosed ADHD, with Lia McCabe
What I most wanted to know when my son was little was what it was like to have ADHD. I wanted to know his experience so I could be as helpful as possible. I…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 139: How to Talk When Kids Won’t Listen, with Julie King
Many parents feel like their kids simply won’t listen to them. And when you have a kid with ADHD (or autism), it feels like they won’t listen most of the time…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 138: Finding Joy in Parenting Kids with ADHD, with The Childhood Collective
No one disputes that raising kids with ADHD is more challenging. There’s a definitive struggle that can often overwhelm parents and family. But, that doesn’t…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 137:Are You Sending Unintended Messages?
Very often people receive something we say differently than we intended them to. This is even more true for kids with neurodifferences like ADHD and autism…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 136: Turning Learning Challenges Into Lifelong Achievements, with Laura Reber
ADHD creates many hurdles to academic success, most often in the way of lagging executive functioning skills. It takes an ADHD-informed caregiver, coach, or…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 135: A Behavior System that Works! with Penny Williams and Sarah Wayland, Ph.D.
We don’t want to change who our kids are, but we do want them to feel empowered to function well in our neurotypical world so they can build a fulfilling life…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 134: Helping Kids with the Impact of the Pandemic on Learning & Mental Health, with Amanda Morin
The COVID pandemic has been hard on almost everyone in one way or another. It has changed us, and it has certainly changed our kids. Understood.org conducted a…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 133: Helping Picky Eaters with Sarah Appleman, MS, OTR/L
Neurodivergent kids can often be picky eaters. And parents of picky eaters worry about their child’s health and wellness when their list of approved foods is…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 132: Helping Kids Thrive in Middle School, with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC
Middle school is hard. There’s lots of development during that time, and lots of insecurity. All kids are struggling, but kids with ADHD have an additional…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 131: Self and Social Regulation Using the Zones of Regulation, with Elizabeth Sautter, MA, CCC
Teaching self-regulation can be tricky, especially with impulsive kids with ADHD who are often lagging in skills like social and emotional intelligence and…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 130: Sensory Processing 101, with Carol Stock Kranowitz
Sensory processing is how we react to the world through our eight senses (yes, 8!). If you have a child with ADHD and/or autism, your child has some sensory…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 129: When Being Positive Actually Becomes Negative, with Penny Williams
Positive parenting is the foundation of the parenting approach I teach neurodiverse families. It is, by far, the most effective approach for kids with ADHD…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 128: Identifying & Accommodating Slow Processing Speed, with Ellen Braaten, Ph.D.
Slow processing speed is common among individuals with ADHD. It can affect everything from responding when someone talks to you, to not getting classwork…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 127: Check Your Judgement, with Penny Williams
We are creatures of habit, and one of the habits that seems to be part of our human DNA is judgement. Specifically, the judgement of others. We formulate a…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 126: Resolving Tricky Behaviors, with Andrew Fuller
A child who exhibits challenging or tricky behaviors has a different way of moving through and coping with the world. The key is to understand the neurological…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 125: Using Books to Empower Neurodiverse Kids, with Merriam Saunders
Most kids with ADHD and/or autism feel so alone in their struggles. They don’t see themselves in their classmates, the movies they watch, or the books they…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 124: What Lies Beneath the Symptoms, with Dana Kay
Health is the foundation of everything. The healthier our bodies are, the better they function, and the better medication and supplements may work. ADHD…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 123: You’re Allowed to Take Up Space, Penny Williams
Whether it’s fueled by anxiety, compassion, or something else, many of us sacrifice our own wants and needs for the good of others. Sometimes we want to…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 122: Empowering Kids to Handle Life's Basic Problems, with Kimball Lewis
A parent’s protective nature is often at odds with preparing our kids for adulthood and handling any problems that come their way. Our intention is to lovingly…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 121: Why Kids Procrastinate, and How To Help, with Leslie Josel
One of the top complaints from parents is procrastination. Kids procrastinate on a variety of things, but the most common are schoolwork and chores. The key to…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 120: Helping Your Child Find Their Path, with Tom Bergeron
Our culture tends to dictate a certain path to success in life. Yet, we are free to choose our path and there is no more liberating message for kids with ADHD…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 119: How Gaming Can Be Positive For Kids, with Eric Siu, Author of "Leveling Up"
The amount of time our kids spend gaming or want to spend gaming gives a lot of parents heartburn. And yet, Eric Siu was an avid gamer growing up turned wildly…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 118: College Admissions for Students with Learning Challenges, with Pamela Ellis, MBA, Ph.D.
The college admissions process can be complicated and overwhelming. There’s no much for you and your teen to consider and make decisions on in order to find a…
- Beautifully Complex
Pap 117: Stop Sibling Fights, with Kirk Martin
Siblings fight. It’s true. It’s something most parents have come to expect, but still find it impossible to accept. And you really should only expect that it…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 116: Homeschooling Gifted, 2e, and Special Needs Kids, with Colleen Kessler
Many families of kids with learning challenges — like ADHD and autism — consider homeschooling at one time or another. It can be an overwhelming process to…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 115: Finding Joy in a Family with Extra Challenges, with Liza Blas
It’s no secret that families dealing with ADHD and/or autism have an extra dose of challenges. And all those challenges can create chaos and really weigh you…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 114: The Emotional Brain, Regulation, and Behavior with Lauren Spigelmyer, M.Ed.
Emotions play a much bigger role in our lives and behavior than we often realize. Emotional intelligence, communication, and regulation are often delayed in…
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PAP 113: How to Press the Reset Button When Your Child Gives Up on School, with Rebecca Branstetter, Ph.D.
Stress is contagious, and so is calm. The world is full of stress right now, including events that are piling more stress onto kids with ADHD who already…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 112: Creating Harmony in the Home, with Dr. Lynyetta Willis
Harmony in the home can be really tough to attain when you have a child with ADHD or other neuro-atypical diagnoses. Emotions are high and day-to-day life can…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 111: How to Make Social and Emotional Learning Stick, with Elizabeth Sautter, MA, CCC
Children with ADHD and/or autism have developmental delays in many areas, which often include social skills and emotional intelligence and regulation. These…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 110: How to Help Your Child Focus During Virtual Learning, with Richard Brancaccio
This current era in American education is a challenging time for families. Virtual learning is a challenge for many kids, especially for those students with…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 109: How to Be Calm Amid the Chaos, with Josephine Atluri
Life is full of chaos and uncertainty, especially when you have a child with ADHD, and especially when you’re also living through a pandemic. Join me and…
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PAP 108: Less Is More: Helping Your Child Navigate Life with ADHD, with Seth Perler, M.Ed.
We live in a culture and a time of more — the more you do, the more you have; the more you have, the more successful you are. And yet, that pressure and…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 107: The Superpower of Choice, with Deborah Ann Davis, M.Ed., W.I.T.S.
In everything we do or say, we have a choice. Even when your child is intensely emotional or explosive — you have a choice in how you respond. You can react in…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 106: What We've Learned from 35 Expert Interviews — Parenting Summits
Each year, my friend and colleague, Sarah Wayland, PhD and I gather experts in ADHD, autism, and parenting to share their top insights and strategies on…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 105: Under Pressure! Insights from a Teen with ADHD, with Penny Williams and Son, Luke
This is an episode you should listen to with your neuro-atypical kids! I have been trying to get my son to do an episode of the podcast with me for a couple…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 104: How to Build Confidence, Overcome Social Anxiety, and Handle Bullying with Jeffrey Kranzler, Ph.D., LCSW-C
Many children and teens struggle with confidence, social anxiety, and bullying, but kids with ADHD often struggle even more with this challenges. In this…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 103: Finding the Truth Within the Lies
Society has always thought of lying as a character flaw. While willful lying to deceive is not acceptable and could be an indicator that someone lacks…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 102: Caring for Your Child's Health During Uncertain Times
We're in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic and filled with uncertainty and a lot of intense feelings. That's true for most of us as adults, and it's doubly…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 101: Sensory Challenges: What You Need to Know & How to Help, with Nikki Perez, OTR/L
Our sensory systems are how the brain processes all the information that’s around us. When one or more of the sensory systems is off kilter, it creates…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 100: Let's Talk Behavior! A Q&A with Penny Williams & Sarah Wayland, PhD
When we talk with parents about the struggles they experience raising kids with ADHD and/or autism, all of the various challenges boil down to one thing —…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 099: ADHD & Fatherhood: This One’s For the Dads, with Larry Hagner
I talk a lot about motherhood on this podcast, because that’s the world I know. On this episode, we get a father’s perspective. Larry Hagner, founder of the…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 098: Ditching Toxic Stress & Hardwiring Your Brain for Happiness, with Jodi Aman
Anxiety affects more and more kids and adults every day. It’s taking over lives and eroding the confidence of our kids (and ourselves). But, as therapist Jodi…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 097: Conscious Parenting and the Impact of Stress on Behavior, with Dr. Nima Rahmany, DC, CCWP
We all want four things in our lives that contribute to our happiness: less stress, connection to others, purpose, and meaningful relationships. Many things…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 096: What the Nervous System Tells Us About Understanding & Improving Behavior
If your child has ADHD (or is on the autism spectrum), behavior is likely top of mind for you. They act in ways we don’t understand, find inappropriate, or…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 095 Improving Self-Confidence in Teens, with Melanie McNally, PsyD
The teen years have always been tough. There’s a ton of change coming at teens from all directions, as well as an ever-increasing expectation of independence…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 094 Calming Techniques for Kids (and Parents)
If there's one tool we all need for life in this world — kids and parents — it's calming techniques. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast I explain…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 093: Seeing Your Child Through a Brain-Based Lens, Not a Behavior Lens, Eileen Devine, LCSW
Is it will or skill? Behavior challenges often look on the surface like willful acting out, but rarely ever are. Behavior is simply a symptom of the “real…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 092: The Adventure of Learning to Parent Your Child with ADHD, with Beth Grushkin
If there’s one thing parenting kids with ADHD is, it’s unpredictable and inconsistent. We can be stressed by those characteristics and fight hard against them…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 091: How to Help Kids with ADHD Sleep
A larger percentage of the ADHD population — kids and adults alike — struggle with sleep. Your child might have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 090: How to Stop Blowing Up at Your Kids, with Marcy Caldwell, PsyD
We are all guilty of it. Blowing up at our kid at one time or another is inevitable, because we parents are human and we make mistakes. Of course, we don't…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 089: We Must Feel Good to do Good, Parent and Kids Alike, with Penny Williams
It's no surprise that I'm a big fan of Brené Brown and her podcast, Unlocking Us — she's a woman of great wisdom and inspiration. I had an epiphany of sorts…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 088: Helping Disorganized Kids Work Smarter, Not Harder with Laurie Palau
Challenges with planning and organization are common among kids with ADHD. It shows up with messy bedrooms, lost items, missing or never turned in homework…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 087: Identifying and Improving Lagging Executive Functioning Skills, with Rachel Kapp & Stephanie Pitts
One of the biggest struggles with ADHD is executive functioning deficits. These are skills in the areas of planning and organization, problem solving, task…