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 086: 25 Ways to Connect with Your Kids and Family at Home
Connection is one of the most important and powerful human needs. It provides a sense of safety, security, belonging, and fulfillment. And yet, we often…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 085: How Connection is More Powerful than Correction with Rebecca Brown Wright
Connection is a fundamental human need, and one that holds an immense amount of power for individuals, even kids. Especially kids. And, when we're talking…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 084: Unleashing Your Child’s Genius, with Jean Harville
Get curious and support your child in the struggles they have without judgement. With the knowledge we have about brain development and structure, we can…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 083: Strategies for Mama Wellness, with Kate Lynch
As moms, we think of self-care as selfish and frivolous. But self-care is so much more than a spa massage or a weekend away with your girlfriends. Self-care…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 082: Strategies to Help Your Anxious Child, with Dawn Huebner, PhD
Many individuals with ADHD struggle with anxiety as well, wether it be an additional condition or the result of the challenges that come with ADHD. Anxiety is…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 081: Parent with Intention — What You Focus on Grows
There’s a Buddhist saying: “What you focus on grows.” Has there ever been a truer statement? Yes, this is common sense when you think about it. But have you…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 080: Discovering How Your Child Thinks and Feels, with Dawn K. Brown, MD
When you don't have ADHD yourself, it's really how to know how your child with ADHD thinks and feels. Even if you do have ADHD too, the experience is different…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 079: I Like You Just the Way You Are
I just finished the Finding Fred podcast, all about Fred Rogers, or Mr. Rogers as most of us know him. And I'm inspired! He was always telling children and his…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 078: Creating a Success Plan for a New Year
There are three main elements to setting a foundation for success: (1) accepting and understanding that behavior is communication; (2) getting your mind right…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 077: How toTalk to Your Child About Their Diagnosis, with Emily King, PhD, PLLC
Many parents struggle with wether or not to share their child's diagnosis with them. And even the decision to fill them in leaves many wondering what to say…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 076: Relationships, Sex, and Teens with ADHD, with Ari Tuckman, PsyD, CST
The sex talk with your kids doesn't have to be nearly as painful as you imagine it. In this episode, Dr. Ari Tuckman walks us through the when, why, and how of…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 075: Guiding Your Child to Winning with ADHD, with Sarah Cheyette M.D.
What parents of kids with ADHD (and/or autism) want more than anything is for our kids to succeed. And, yet, success can be elusive with the many challenges…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 074: Don't Let ADHD Ruin Your Holiday
Holidays are challenging for kids with ADHD, and for their parents. Schedules are different, excitement is high, big gatherings are routine, and that's the…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 073: Better Mornings for Families of Kids with ADHD, with Brendan Mahan, M.Ed.
There are few times more chaotic and stressful for families of kids with ADHD than mornings, especially school mornings. Kids with ADHD struggle with staying…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 072: Understanding the Siblings' Experience, with Jessica Leving
When you have a child with ADHD, almost all of your attention and energy naturally goes to that child — they're more intense and they're struggling. And yet…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 071: Why Punishing Your Kids is Bad Parenting
Our culture says that parents should be authoritarian and have control over their children. I call BS. Authoritarian parenting and trying to control behavior…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 070: The Brilliance and Blues of ADHD, with Katherine Quie, PhD
Many kids with ADHD are brilliant in one way or another, but still struggle. You can be smart, and struggle — and that doesn't mean you're lazy. In this…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 069: What to Do When the School Honeymoon Ends, with Brandie Rosen
Most students with ADHD go through what I call a school honeymoon at the beginning of each new school year. The newness is stimulating and the demands are less…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 068: Helping Your Disorganized Teen with ADHD, with Natalie Borrell & Alison Grant
Executive functioning skills — including organization, planning and time management — are almost always impacted in kids and teens with ADHD. There are a…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 067: What Never Meeting Expectations Does to Kids with ADHD
Never meeting expectations means our kids with ADHD and/or autism feel like they never succeed. That is a heavy burden that can take a monumental toll on any…
Beautifully ComplexPAP 066: Crime & Punishment Is Not Parenting
Parents are expected to be authoritarian and parent through a system of crime and punishment. We're raised to believe this is what defines a "good parent." I…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 065: Success After High School for Students with ADHD, with Elizabeth Hamblet
"There needs to be a desire to go to college. Just sending somebody because that's what's expected is not going to be good for that student." Become a…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 064: What Really Matters When Parenting Kids with ADHD
Our culture defines expectations of our parenting priorities. When we become parents, we latch onto those expectations and adopt them as our own. The problem…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 063: Helping Kids with ADHD Succeed in Athletics, with Susan Stout
There's no disputing that — especially team sports — can be a difficult environment for individuals with ADHD to naturally succeed in. It's not just…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 062: Stress Management Techniques for Parents of Kids with ADHD/HFA
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm diving into stress management for parents of kids with ADHD and/or "high-functioning" autism. I used to…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 061: Creating an Environment Where Kids with ADHD Can Thrive, with Lauren Pace
Parents can create an environment that empowers kids with ADHD and helps them thrive. It's about the relationships, perspectives, understanding, and compassion…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 60: 28 Experts on ADHD Share Their Best Insights & Strategies
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm filling you in on the upcoming FREE Parenting ADHD Summit. It's a free online conference with 28 experts on…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 059: The Journey to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be, with Ana Joanes
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with documentary filmmaker, Ana Joanes, about the journey to becoming the parent you want to be. We…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 058: Developmental Age and How It Should Guide Your Parenting
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm tackling developmental age. ADHD is a development disorder. Very few people talk about it in that way but…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 057: Grit & Resilience: Teaching Kids with ADHD How to Overcome Obstacles, with Natalie Borrell & Alison Grant
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with coaches Natalie Borrell and Alison Grant of Life Success for Teens. We discuss how to help kids…
Beautifully ComplexPAP 056: The Transformative Power of Calm in Your Parenting
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm tackling a questions I get from parents all the time... how to stay calm when your child is having an…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 055: Supporting Your Child’s Learning Challenges with Technology, with Susan Schenk
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with occupational therapist, Susan Schenk, about learning challenges. Susan shares her story of…
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PAP 054: You Are Not Alone: The Power of Finding Your Parenting Tribe
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I have a very important message for you. You're not alone. You're not alone in this special brand of parenthood…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 053: IEPs, 504 Plans & School Advocacy, with Amanda Morin
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking IEPs and 504 Plans with former teacher and educational advocate, Amanda Morin. We're defining IEPs…
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PAP 052: How to Advocate for Your Child with ADHD at School, with Meg Flanagan
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, teacher and education advocate, Meg Flanagan, and I discuss taking a collaborative approach to working with…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 051: Identifying and Understanding Behavior Triggers with ADHD
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I outline different behavior triggers that are common with ADHD and/or "high-functioning" autism. Within this…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 050: Raising Emotionally Healthy and Happier Kids, with Maureen Healy, PhD
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Maureen Healy, author of The Emotionally Healthy Child, about cultivating emotional health…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 049: The Isolation of Raising Kids on the Spectrum, with Ana & Curt Warner
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm honored to have talked with Ana and Curt Warner about the challenges and isolation of raising kids with…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 048: How to Stop Battling with Your Child with ADHD
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking about how to finally stop battling with your child. Day in and day out, the challenging behaviors…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 047: The Importance of Building Emotional Intelligence, with Angela Pruess, LMFT
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with licensed child therapist, Angela Pruess, about emotional intelligence. Building emotional…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 046: Find Ways to Say Yes More Often: The Whys & The How
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I was inspired this week to talk to you about saying yes more often. As parents, we are programmed to say no…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 045: Why You Need to Change the Language You Use to Describe Behavior
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I was inspired this week to talk to you about the language you use to describe your child's behavior. I see…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 044: What Your Child with ADHD Wishes You Knew, with Dr. Sharon Saline
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Dr. Sharon Saline about what your child with ADHD wishes you knew, in conjunction with the…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 043: Co-Parenting ADHD Under Duress, with Morghan Richardson Esq.
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with divorce and family attorney, Morghan Leia Richardson, about how to navigate co-parenting a…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 042: Your Parenting Pep Talk
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm giving you a pep talk for parenting kids with special needs. Use this pep talk when you're feeling low…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 041: Mental Skills Training for Parenting ADHD, with Carrie Cheadle
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support. You can find additional resources at…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 040: How to Help Your Child Make and Keep Friends
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm sharing tips and strategies to help your child overcome social struggles and make and keep friends. ADHD…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 039: There Must Be Something More: Parenting on Your Own Terms, with Heather Chauvin
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Heather Chauvin about defining our job as a parent. Heather talks about her journey to discover…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 038: Using the Creative Arts as Therapy for ADHD, with Kimberly Beaman
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with therapist, Kimberly Beaman, about the importance of therapy, how to find the right therapist…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 037: Creating a Non-Toxic Lifestyle for Your Child with ADHD, with Jennifer Scribner
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with nutrition and wellness practitioner, Jennifer Scribner, about creating a non-toxic lifestyle…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 036: Repeating a Grade in School, with Rebecca Eisenberg
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with speech-language pathologist and author of "My Second Year of Kindergarten," Becca Eisenberg…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 035: Tantrum vs. Meltdown: Differences & How to Tame Them
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people call a meltdown a tantrum. A tantrum is a fit a child throws to get their way. A meltdown is when your child is…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 034: How to Get the Help Your Child with ADHD Needs in School
School struggles are one of the leading causes of parent and child stress in families with kids with ADHD. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 033: Why Behavior Isn't "BAD," with Holly Moses
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with behavior analyst, Holly Moses, about why looking at behavior as "bad" isn't the best parenting…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 032: Mother’s Quest: Following Your Purpose and Being True to Yourself, with Julie Neale
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Julie Neale about our Mother's Quest, discovering your passion, living with purpose and…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 031: A Conversation with Frank South on Life with ADHD and Letting Kids with ADHD Find Their Way
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Frank South about his life with ADHD and raising his two kids with ADHD. Frank has had an…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 030: ADHD Medication 101: What Parents Need to Know
There's little that instills more fear in parents than the idea of giving their child ADHD medication. That fear is built on a foundation of largely myths and…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 029: Out-of-the-Box Parenting Key for ADHD, with Roberto Olivardia PhD
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Dr. Roberto Olivardia, a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School, about how imperative it…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 028: Helicopter Parenting is Sure to Crash and Burn When Your Child has ADHD
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm tackling the misnomer of helicopter parenting. We think hovering over our kids is protecting them, and…
- Beautifully Complex
PAP 027: Teens with ADHD and the Reality of Motivation, with Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Jeff Copper of DIG Coaching, about teens with ADHD and the reality of motivation. I hear…