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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 035: Tantrum vs. Meltdown: Differences & How to Tame Them Mar 29, 2018

Show notes

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 stuck and their brain has been sort-of hijacked. A child in a meltdown does not have control of their actions. Listen in to this episode as I discuss the full differences between a tantrum and meltdown and provide insights and strategies to begin to tame them.
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 034: How to Get the Help Your Child with ADHD Needs in School Mar 16, 2018

Show notes

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 share some red flags that your child may need extra help and support in the classroom, outline the steps parents should follow to request services and accommodations at school, and explain the basic differences between a 504 Plan and an IEP. * Please note: Nothing in this episode or in this post constitutes legal advice. I am not an attorney. Always consult an attorney for interpretation of and guidance on the law.
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 033: Why Behavior Isn't "BAD," with Holly Moses Mar 09, 2018

Show notes

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 approach for kids with ADHD. Often, the gap between expectation and capability leads to unwanted ("bad") behavior. Listen in to learn effective strategies to elicit appropriate behavior, and to effectively address unwanted behavior. Holly and I will adjust your mindset for behavior so you can be the parent your child needs.
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 032: Mother’s Quest: Following Your Purpose and Being True to Yourself, with Julie Neale Mar 02, 2018

Show notes

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 intention, and surviving and thriving when raising kids with ADHD. Julie is sensitive to the constraints of this special parenthood, having two differently-wired boys of her own. Listen to learn how to slow things down, take a pause, and move forward with your purpose and intention. "We don't have to figure it out on our own."
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 031: A Conversation with Frank South on Life with ADHD and Letting Kids with ADHD Find Their Way Feb 22, 2018

Show notes

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 intense, fascinating, challenging life with ADHD, which makes for an intense, fascinating, challenging parenthood raising kids with ADHD. He's compiled his family stories in a new book called, A Chicken in the Wind and How He Grew. Learn more about Frank's life and parenthood, his insights on raising kids with ADHD and letting them find themselves, and why having ADHD is kind of like being a chicken in the wind. "We're there to listen, support, and help them solve problems, not to bring more outside judgements and goals that we put on them."
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 030: ADHD Medication 101: What Parents Need to Know Feb 15, 2018

Show notes

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 fear-mongering, but it exists nonetheless. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm sharing the basics of ADHD medication, as well as nuances and little-known facts I've learned over the years. This is the information I desperately wish I'd had when starting and trialing ADHD medications. This is the information every parent should have before they fill the first prescription for their child. * Please note: Nothing on this episode or in this post constitutes medical advice. I am not a clinician. Always consult your child's doctor for guidance before making any medication decisions or changes. Enjoy!
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 029: Out-of-the-Box Parenting Key for ADHD, with Roberto Olivardia PhD Feb 08, 2018

Show notes

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 is to think outside the box when raising kids with ADHD. And Dr. Olivardia should know, he has ADHD himself and employs some very creative strategies to manage his own challenges. His insights and experience will inspire your parenting.
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 028: Helicopter Parenting is Sure to Crash and Burn When Your Child has ADHD Feb 01, 2018

Show notes

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 loving them, but it actually does more harm than good. By hovering over our kids and overprotecting them, we are robbing them of building lagging skills, successful future independence, and the joy of doing something on your own for the first time. So, let's dive in and get your out of the pilot's seat. Enjoy!
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 027: Teens with ADHD and the Reality of Motivation, with Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC Jan 26, 2018

Show notes

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 parents complain about their teen with ADHD and their lack of motivation very frequently. I am living this struggle myself right now, with my own teen son with ADHD. What Jeff and I talk about is why kids with ADHD lack motivation — for things like school performance —and how to both spark some motivation for the brain with ADHD, and survive that chapter of your parenthood. Please note: while we do talk specifically about teens with ADHD in this episode, a great deal of our conversation applies for parents of younger kids with ADHD, and it also helps you prepare better for the teen years ahead of you.
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 026: How to Create a Parenthood that Works for Raising Kids with ADHD, by Ignoring Traditional Parenting Norms Jan 19, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking about why traditional parenting norms don't work for kids with ADHD, and how to create a parenthood that works for your kid. Here are the steps I talk about in detail in this episode: Destroy traditional parenting ideals and norms. Cast them out of your mind.They don’t work for ADHD. How to be a detective and learn your child’s truth. Use that truth as your guide to rewrite the plan for your parenthood, being sure expectations are developmentally appropriate, and respect who your child truly is. Focus on the positive more than the negative. Create opportunities for success, and for building confidence. (Many kids with ADHD feel they are “stupid,” “bad,” or “broken” and this helps to counter that.) Don’t expect the “norm,” and don’t expect perfection. Some of this episode overlaps with episode 017: Throw Out the Traditional Parenting Rulebook. That's how crucial and powerful this lesson is — that I repeatedly talk about 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.

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