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Beautifully Complex — Kids & Family
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 in the SIGNAL Framework™, a nervous-system-first approach I developed around one core truth: regulation is required before any skill or strategy can take hold.

Every episode delivers insights you can actually use to reduce your stress, rebuild your confidence, and create a family life that feels good for everyone in it. I’ve helped thousands of families worldwide, and this community is here for you too.

New episodes drop every week. Subscribe so you never miss one.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex–6137613/support.

Copyright: © Copyright Penny Williams

Latest Episodes:

PAP 075: Guiding Your Child to Winning with ADHD, with Sarah Cheyette M.D. Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

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 and hurdles a neurodevelopmental disorder like ADHD adds. That's why providing opportunities for successes and wins for kids with ADHD must be a crucial part of your parenting plan. In this episode, pediatric neurologist, Dr. Sarah Cheyette, and I discuss how to help your child win with ADHD. We're not simply talking about nurturing talents and interests, but also about teaching our kids resilience and showing them that they can, indeed, do hard things and succeed.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 074: Don't Let ADHD Ruin Your Holiday Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

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 only thing that's routine. Yikes! This frenzy guarantees some struggle. It's really easy to get tangled up in the fallout of a lot of new things and people, a ton of sensory overwhelm (hello, Uncle Buck's loud voice and Aunt Mildred's heavily perfume aura), and the excitement of impending gifts, so close you can almost touch them. Don't let a focus on the traditional and neurotypical celebration expectations ruin your holiday, because — let's face it — our kids are kids, but we are the ones with the storybook visions and the inflexible expectations. In this episode, I'm talking about what parents can do during the holidays to prevent letting ADHD (or autism) ruin the spirit of the season. Listen in now and plan for a truly happy holiday.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 073: Better Mornings for Families of Kids with ADHD, with Brendan Mahan, M.Ed. Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

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 on task, time management, working memory, and many other executive functioning deficits that make mornings difficult — difficult to get out the door on time, difficult to get everything done, difficult to not lose your sanity. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking to executive function coach, Brendan Mahan, M.Ed. about how to survive mornings in a household challenged by ADHD. This episode is packed full of tools and strategies. Don't miss it.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 072: Understanding the Siblings' Experience, with Jessica Leving Nov 01, 2019

Show notes

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, that child's siblings are likely struggling too. The experience of being the sibling to a child with ADHD, autism, or other special needs is hard, at the very minimum, but traumatic to many. On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Jessica Leving, author of the children's book, Special Siblings: Growing up with a sibling who has special needs, a book inspired by her own experience with a brother with autism. Listen in and learn what your other children might be going through and hiding from you, and how you can make sure the siblings in your family feel as loved and as important.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 071: Why Punishing Your Kids is Bad Parenting Oct 23, 2019

Show notes

Our culture says that parents should be authoritarian and have control over their children. I call BS. Authoritarian parenting and trying to control behavior with punishment and fear is bad parenting. I explain why that's bad parenting, and outline a better way in this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. We should be parenting individuals and celebrating individuality, not pushing for conformity. There is room for positive parenting and teaching your values. Let's talk about how.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 070: The Brilliance and Blues of ADHD, with Katherine Quie, PhD Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

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 episode, I'm talking to child psychologist and author of the book Raising Will: Surviving the Brilliance and Blues of ADHD, Katherine Quie, PhD, about the inconsistencies that are the very nature of ADHD. Katherine talks about her experience raising her son with ADHD and the challenges of raising a kid who is gifted and still struggles. This conversation offers an honest look at real life parenting kids with ADHD.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 069: What to Do When the School Honeymoon Ends, with Brandie Rosen Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

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 starting out and our kids do pretty well. But the honeymoon ends and reality sets in — kids with ADHD struggle in school. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with educational advocate, Brandie Rosen, about what parents can do to help ease the transition from honeymoon to everyday reality at school. We discuss how to prevent this sharp decline in the first place, as well as how to work with teachers to to get through this tough period to ensure continued success, if you weren't able to prevent it.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 068: Helping Your Disorganized Teen with ADHD, with Natalie Borrell & Alison Grant Sep 12, 2019

Show notes

Executive functioning skills — including organization, planning and time management — are almost always impacted in kids and teens with ADHD. There are a myriad of strategies and tools to assist with disorganization and poor time management. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with coaches Natalie Borrell and Alison Grant of Life Success for Teens about how to help your disorganized teen. Natalie and Alison share many tools and strategies they use to help their students and coaching clients, as well as insights on how to implement them successfully for your teen or pre-teen.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 067: What Never Meeting Expectations Does to Kids with ADHD Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

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 individual. In this episode, I outline all the repercussions possible when a child feels like they never succeed and what you can do to keep the worst of the consequences from happening to your child.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

PAP 066: Crime & Punishment Is Not Parenting Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

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 argue that we need to flip this idea on its head — that crime and punishment parenting is actually making you a "bad parent." It does more harm than good for our kids, especially kids with ADHD and/or autism. There is a much, much better way to raise kids that will become happy, successful adults. Listen in and I'll explain why crime and punishment is bad and how to serve our children much better.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com. It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

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