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What happens when you can see your child needs support, and the other parent doesn’t believe ADHD is real? In this episode of the ADHD Families Podcast, Sharon Collon sits down with Carolyn Tate, former parenting and health journalist, late-diagnosed ADHDer and founder of Women’s Divorce Academy. Over seven years, Carolyn has helped close to a thousand women through separation and divorce. Carolyn shares her own story: the New Year’s Eve she knew her marriage was over, the overwhelm that stretched her divorcex out for years, and the two and a half years it took to get her daughter assessed and supported when her ex-husband wasn’t on board. This is a practical conversation about co-parenting a child with ADHD after separation. No villains, no court battles. Just how to advocate for your child, when to stop trying to convince the other parent, how to handle two homes with two sets of rules, and how to look after yourself when you’re carrying most of the load. If you’re separated, divorcing or thinking about it, and parenting a child with ADHD, this episode gives you a clear place to start.   👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers ✅ Advocating for an ADHD diagnosis when your ex doesn’t accept it ✅ When to stop trying to convince the other parent and put that energy into your child ✅ What Carolyn’s ADHD gave her through separation ✅ Parallel parenting when you can’t co-parent together ✅ Two homes, two sets of rules: what you can and can’t control ✅ Why kids with ADHD are more adaptable than we give them credit for ✅ The financial disadvantage women face in divorce ✅ The biggest mistake Carolyn sees women make (taking legal advice from their ex) ✅ Where to put your energy when you’re carrying the invisible load ✅ Preventing burnout as a separated mum ✅ The unexpected positives women find twelve months on This episode shares general information and lived experience, not legal advice. Please seek advice specific to your situation.  ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and why this episode 01:37 Meet Carolyn Tate 01:51 The moment Carolyn knew her marriage was ending 03:20 Overwhelm, delay and the undiagnosed ADHD brain 04:06 What ADHD gave Carolyn through separation 05:00 Carolyn’s work and Women’s Divorce Academy 06:12 The divorce disadvantage for women 08:06 Advocating for a diagnosis the other parent doesn’t accept 11:03 Why ADHD divides families 12:21 Parallel parenting after diagnosis 13:16 Advice when your ex rejects the diagnosis 16:05 Two homes, two sets of rules 17:32 Kids already navigate different rules every day 18:05 The biggest pain points women bring to divorce 19:29 What Carolyn would tell her past self 21:35 Where to put your limited energy 23:15 Looking after the mum 25:55 The unexpected positives of divorce 28:09 Women’s biggest fears about divorce 30:37 Support to call in 33:30 Final thoughts Key Takeaways Put your child at the centre of every decision, and let that guide where your energy goes. You can’t force the other parent to agree. Be clear about your next steps and follow through. Consistency in one home is enough. Build systems that work in yours. Children are better off without ongoing conflict. Divorce itself isn’t what harms them. Get advice early and build your support network. You don’t have to carry it alone. Never take legal or financial advice from your ex. Self-care is listening to what you need right now, not ticking another box. What’s Coming? 👀 👀 Create a School Holiday Plan for Your ADHD Family Six weeks off, no school structure, and a child whose brain runs on routine. This one-hour live workshop is for parents of children with ADHD who want the summer break planned before it starts. We build your plan together, on the day: Your daily rhythm for the holidays Your activity jars, ready to go A screen time approach the whole family can live with Tuesday 10 November, 1.00pm to 2.00pm AEDT, live on Zoom Your School Holiday Plan Pack arrives Saturday 7 November. Print it and fill it in with me live. Can’t make it live? The replay is yours for 3 months, so it covers the whole break. $97 AUD SAVE YOUR SPOT 🔔 Next Steps & ADHD Resources Carolyn Tate Women’s Divorce Academy Divorce with Carolyn podcast Instagram Books mentioned The ADHD Effect on Marriage by Melissa Orlov DIRTY LAUNDRY: Why adults with ADHD are so ashamed and what we can do to helpby Mr Richard Pink (Author) Related episodes Episode 77: Should I Medicate My Child? What Parents Need to Know Before Deciding Episode 72: What to Do First After an ADHD Diagnosis Episode 43: Balancing Love and ADHD: Guidance for Couples Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Join the waitlist for the ADHD Family Quest Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC Credentialed ADHD Coach and Parenting Consultant, Founder of The Functional Family and Host of the ADHD Families Podcast. Through The Functional Family, Sharon has supported more than 40,000 families with practical strategies designed to work with the ADHD brain, not against it. Her work helps families move away from daily chaos, overwhelm and survival mode and towards more connection, function and fun. Build it for your worst day, not your best one. You are too important to stay in survival mode.

***Join Managing Sibling Conflict & ADHD Session*** Why does one child seem to know exactly how to push their sibling’s buttons, then keep going until the whole house explodes? Sibling baiting is incredibly common in ADHD families. It can look small from the outside. Standing too close to a prized possession. Making a particular noise. Saying the one thing they know will get a reaction. But underneath that behaviour, there can be much more going on. In this episode, Credentialed ADHD family Coach Sharon Collon is joined by registered Psychologist Jacquie Ward to unpack why ADHD sibling conflict can escalate so quickly and why focusing on who started it often makes things worse. They explore boredom and low-arousal states, rejection sensitivity, fairness, emotional regulation and the role parents can unintentionally play when they step in as the referee. Because when the same fights happen again and again, the answer is not another lecture about being nice to each other. It is understanding the predictable pattern and knowing what to do when it starts. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers ✅ What sibling baiting and “rage baiting” actually look like ✅ Why an ADHD brain may seek stimulation by provoking a sibling ✅ How boredom and low-arousal states can contribute to conflict ✅ Why rejection sensitivity can turn a small interaction into a huge emotional reaction ✅ How asking “Who started it?” can intensify the conflict ✅ Why ADHD children’s strong sense of fairness can make arguments harder to resolve ✅ The difference between being the family referee and becoming the competent captain ✅ Why being steady is often more useful than trying to make everything fair ✅ How to recognise the predictable patterns behind recurring sibling fights ✅ Why having scripts ready matters when you are dysregulated too The Real Problem With Sibling Conflict The hardest part is often not the argument itself. It is feeling like you are dealing with the same fight on repeat. One child baits.The other reacts.Someone explodes.You step in and try to establish what happened.Everyone argues about what is fair.You become dysregulated too. Then, the next day, it happens all over again. In the heat of the moment, it can be incredibly difficult to remember the parenting strategy you intended to use. You might start gently, become stricter, raise your voice, separate everyone and then wonder afterwards what you could have done differently. Sharon and Jacquie explain why the goal is not a home where siblings never fight. The goal is to understand the pattern, know how to interrupt it and have a clear playbook for what to do next. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 Sharon’s childhood sibling-baiting story01:15 Why sibling baiting is so common in ADHD families02:35 What is baiting and rage baiting?03:37 What baiting looks like at home04:46 Why the obvious trigger is not always the real problem05:43 Rejection sensitivity and ADHD sibling conflict06:44 Why a small poke can become a 40-minute meltdown07:25 What happens when parents ask, “Who started it?”08:13 The problem with becoming the family referee09:12 The competent captain approach10:39 Why steadiness matters more than perfect fairness12:05 Staying regulated when your children are not12:43 The two-day sibling conflict observation exercise13:57 Identifying predictable problems15:23 Why parents need practical scripts15:59 What success with sibling conflict actually looks like17:55 Advice for parents after a difficult day 🎯 Sibling Conflict Workshop If you are constantly breaking up fights, figuring out who started it, or dealing with explosive reactions, join Sharon Collon and Jacquie Ward for the Managing Sibling Conflict & ADHD Workshop on 11 October, 1pm to 4pm AEDT. You’ll learn what is really driving the conflict, how to step out of the referee role, and get practical scripts and a clear playbook for handling sibling fights with more confidence, shortening the conflict and supporting better repair. Book before 10pm AEDT Wednesday 7 October and you'll also get our Sibling Baiting and ADHD Scripts, eight scripts from Jacquie and me, valued at $197, free. 👉 Join the Sibling Conflict Workshop 📱 Screentime + ADHD Workshop If screentime is another source of daily arguments, difficult transitions or emotional blow-ups in your family, join Sharon for the Screentime + ADHD Workshop on 13 October at 1pm. Learn how to approach screentime with the ADHD brain in mind and walk away with practical strategies you can use at home. Usually $197, now reduced to $97. Join Sharon and turn another predictable family friction point into something you feel better equipped to handle.👉 Save your spot! 🔔 Next Steps & ADHD Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Explore practical ADHD family support and resources from The Functional Family Share this episode with a parent who has read everything and is still stuck Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC Credentialed ADHD Coach and Parenting Consultant, Founder of The Functional Family and Host of the ADHD Families Podcast. Through The Functional Family, Sharon has supported more than 40,000 families with practical strategies designed to work with the ADHD brain, not against it. Her work helps families move away from daily chaos, overwhelm and survival mode and towards more connection, function and fun. Build it for your worst day, not your best one. You are too important to stay in survival mode.

***Join the ADHD Family Quest***How many tabs about ADHD do you have open right now? On your phone, on your laptop. The one about dopamine. The one about demand avoidance. The routine chart someone swore by at 11pm. You are not short on information about ADHD. You could probably explain executive function better than your GP can. And your Tuesday morning at 7:40am still falls apart. That gap between everything you know and what actually happens in your house is not a knowledge problem. In this episode, Sharon Collon breaks down the two traps almost every ADHD family gets stuck in: knowledge farming, where you collect information you cannot implement, and system farming, where you buy the visual schedule, the magnetic chore chart and the beautiful Etsy printable, and it dies within a fortnight anyway. She tells the story of two families who photographed the washing chart in her laundry, and why she already knew standing there that it would not work in their houses. Then she gives you the one shift that changes how you build anything at home from here: build the system for your worst day, not your best one. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers: Why you can know everything about ADHD and still not be able to run a Tuesday morning Knowledge farming, and why information gives you the what but almost never the how System farming, and why the chart you set up on Sunday is dead by the second week What parents wrongly conclude about themselves when a routine falls over Why a bought or copied system arrives with no household attached to it The hidden 95% of decisions underneath any system that actually works Why every household has its own physics, and why that breaks borrowed routines The one shift: designing for a low capacity day instead of your most optimistic one Why getting started, stopping something enjoyable and holding a three step instruction are all skills How missing skills get mistaken for defiance, laziness and a child who does not care Kate’s story: how a Sunday that ran like a military operation became three steps done before lunch Why “get ready for the week” is a category, not a job, and why that causes paralysis Why one bad Sunday no longer takes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday down with it Why it is called The Functional Family, and what Sharon is actually building towards 🧭 The Three Questions to Run This Week Pick one thing you have been trying to make stick. Not all of them. One. Does this work if I am not in the room? If it never will, what you have is not a system. It is a performance that needs you as the lead actor, and your child has not learned anything, because the thing doing the work is you. Does this still work on a bad day? If it needs everyone calm, regulated and cooperative to function, it is not a system. It is a good mood. What skill is actually missing for my child here? Name the missing skill and two things change. You stop taking it personally, and you stop building systems that punish a child for something they cannot do yet. The biggest takeaway? The system is not there to make a child comply. It is there to do the job your child’s brain cannot do yet, so they can practise the rest without failing every single day while they learn. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 — How many ADHD tabs do you have open right now01:15 — The gap between what you know and what happens at 7:40am02:10 — Trap one: knowledge farming04:00 — Trap two: system farming, and what you conclude when the chart fails05:45 — The question Sharon wants you to answer for yourself06:30 — The washing chart story: two families, two phones08:45 — Why every household has its own physics11:00 — The shift: build for your worst day, not your best one12:45 — Question one: does it work when you are not in the room?14:00 — Question two: does it work on a bad day?15:00 — Question three: what skill is actually missing?16:45 — Why getting started and stopping are skills, not attitude18:15 — Kate’s story: getting Sunday back21:00 — Why it is called The Functional Family22:45 — The bridge between knowledge you cannot use and systems that will not hold24:15 — “I think I need one to one coaching”, answered honestly25:45 — What to do this week 🚀 Ready to Map the Friction in Your Family? As you have heard in this episode, the problem was never that you did not know enough. It is that information cannot tell you which friction point to fix first in your particular house. That is exactly what we will do in my FREE ADHD Family System online workshop. In sixty minutes you will build your own one page Family Friction Map and see exactly where your house is losing time and energy. 100% free. No cost, no catch. 📅 1 September — 7pm AEST📅 4 September — 1pm AEST📅 8 September — 7pm AEST 🔗 Save Your Free Spot 💫 Ready to Go Further? If you are ready to turn what you have uncovered into practical change, The ADHD Family Quest is my four-week, coaching-led experience designed to help you build systems that work with your ADHD family, not against it. It is the unglamorous middle bit nobody sells you. The bridge between knowledge you cannot implement and systems that will not hold. Inside the Quest you get a private 30 minute one to one onboarding call with me so you start on the right friction point, five checkpoint playbooks with the templates already built, videos under five minutes with one action step each, three monthly group coaching sessions with me for the days it wobbles, and three months of access to the app and every resource. September Spotlight bonus: enrol by 10pm AEST on Monday 8 September and you also get the live Friction Map group coaching session with me on Thursday 10 September, where we map your household’s friction points together and decide what to do about them. The Quest is open all year. This bonus is not. Because you were never supposed to be the system holding everything together. 🔗 Secure Your Spot 🔔 Next Steps & ADHD Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Explore practical ADHD family support and resources from The Functional Family Share this episode with a parent who has read everything and is still stuck Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC Credentialed ADHD Coach and Parenting Consultant, Founder of The Functional Family and Host of the ADHD Families Podcast. Through The Functional Family, Sharon has supported more than 40,000 families with practical strategies designed to work with the ADHD brain, not against it. Her work helps families move away from daily chaos, overwhelm and survival mode and towards more connection, function and fun. Build it for your worst day, not your best one. You are too important to stay in survival mode.

Week one, the reward chart is magic. Your child is racing to the fridge for their gold star. The school bag is actually being put away. Nobody is nagging. Nobody is arguing. And you think, finally, THIS is the thing that is going to change our family. Then week two arrives. The magnets are missing. The stickers are on the floor. Nobody cares about the chart anymore and another beautifully laminated parenting system gets shoved into the kitchen drawer where hope goes to die. So, why do reward charts seem to work brilliantly for children with ADHD, until suddenly they don’t? In this episode, Sharon explains why reward charts often clash with the way the ADHD brain experiences motivation, novelty and time, and why the answer isn't becoming more consistent, finding a bigger reward or buying an even fancier chart. You'll also learn what works instead: designing simple systems and environments that make the behaviour you want the easiest, most obvious next step. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers: Why reward charts work brilliantly at first, then suddenly stop How novelty drives motivation for the ADHD brain Why delayed rewards often lose their motivational pull Sharon's rule: "The ADHD brain pays in cash, not credit" Why this isn't about laziness, willpower or parental consistency The gap between knowing what to do and being able to do it Why changing the environment can work better than adding another reward How to make the behaviour you want easier and more obvious Where rewards can still be useful for children with ADHD How to start with one small friction point in your family ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 Why reward charts work, until they don't02:30 Sharon's reward chart graveyard03:45 Why novelty motivates the ADHD brain05:30 The problem with delayed rewards06:30 The ADHD brain pays in cash, not credit09:15 Why this isn't a willpower problem11:00 Look at what already works in your family12:30 Why systems work better than reward charts14:15 Remove barriers and make the behaviour easier17:00 Where rewards still fit and what to try this week    🚀 Ready to Stop Managing Behaviour and Start Building Systems? If your house is full of abandoned charts, half used planners and systems that worked beautifully, until they didn't, this is exactly the work we're doing inside my FREE ADHD Family System online workshop. We'll map the friction points in your family and start looking at how to change the environment around them, so daily life isn't dependent on everybody remembering, staying motivated and having a good day at exactly the same time. Because you don't need another prettier chart. You need a system that can hold your family on the hard days too. 100% free. No cost, no catch. 📅 1 September, 7pm📅 4 September, 1pm📅 8 September, 7pm 🔗 Save Your Free Spot 💫 Ready to Go Further? If you’re ready to turn what you’ve uncovered into practical change, The ADHD Family Quest is my four-week, coaching-led experience designed to help you build systems that work with your ADHD family, not against it. Because you were never supposed to be the system holding everything together. Places are limited. 🔗 Secure Your Spot 🔔 Next Steps & ADHD Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Explore practical ADHD family support and resources from The Functional Family Share this episode with another parent who wonders why their child saves their biggest emotions for home Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - it helps more ADHD families find the podcast 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC Credentialed ADHD Coach and Parenting Consultant, Founder of The Functional Family and Host of the ADHD Families Podcast. Through The Functional Family, Sharon has supported more than 40,000 families with practical strategies designed to work with the ADHD brain, not against it. Her work helps families move away from daily chaos, overwhelm and survival mode and towards more connection, function and fun. You do not need to spend more money on a better chart. You need an environment that supports the action.

They held it together all day. The teacher says they were fine. Maybe they even had a great day. Then they walk through the front door and within 10 minutes, everything falls apart. The bag gets thrown. There are tears over the wrong snack. A sibling looks at them the wrong way. Something tiny turns into a full meltdown that wipes out the entire evening. So why does your child with ADHD manage all day at school — then completely unravel at home? In this episode, Sharon explains after-school restraint collapse and why home is often the place where children finally release everything they’ve been holding together all day. You’ll also learn why the first 30 minutes after school need their own system, what to do when your child is already dysregulated, and why planning for siblings, snacks, sensory input and your own capacity can completely change the afternoon. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers: Why ADHD children can hold it together at school and fall apart at home What after-school restraint collapse actually is The signs that “bad behaviour” may actually be dysregulation Why the ADHD brain can arrive home completely out of fuel How medication rebound may affect the after-school window Why reasoning, consequences and explanations don’t work mid-meltdown What to do instead when your child is emotionally flooded Why the first 30 minutes after school matter so much How to create an automatic decompression space Why the first 20 minutes should be a low-demand window How your first greeting can either lower or increase demand Why siblings need their own after-school plan How to design the 3–5pm window for the whole family, not just the child with ADHD When worsening after-school meltdowns may be a sign that something else has shifted The biggest takeaway? After-school collapse isn’t random. It’s predictable. And predictable problems can be planned for. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 — Why your child falls apart the moment they get home01:20 — Why ADHD kids hold it together at school and release at home02:30 — What after-school restraint collapse actually is03:35 — When “bad behaviour” is actually dysregulation04:20 — Why afternoons need a completely different system05:15 — Medication rebound and the after-school window06:00 — What to do when your child is already melting down07:10 — Building the crucial first 30 minutes after school08:15 — Decompression, no demands and the after-school handover09:25 — Why siblings need an after-school plan too10:15 — Designing the 3–5pm window for the whole family11:20 — When worsening meltdowns are telling you something has shifted12:05 — Put the 3pm crash on your family’s Friction Map 🚀 Ready to Map the Friction in Your Family? As you’ve heard in this episode, after-school meltdowns aren’t random, they’re predictable. And when we can see the patterns creating friction, we can start building systems that actually support the whole family. That’s exactly what we’ll do in my FREE ADHD Family System online workshop. You’ll start creating your own Family Friction Map and identify where small changes could make family life feel a whole lot easier. 100% free. No cost, no catch. 📅 1 September — 7pm📅 4 September — 1pm📅 8 September — 7pm 🔗 Save Your Free Spot 💫 Ready to Go Further? If you’re ready to turn what you’ve uncovered into practical change, The ADHD Family Quest is my four-week, coaching-led experience designed to help you build systems that work with your ADHD family, not against it. Because you were never supposed to be the system holding everything together. Places are limited. 🔗 Secure Your Spot 🔔 Next Steps & ADHD Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Explore practical ADHD family support and resources from The Functional Family Share this episode with another parent who wonders why their child saves their biggest emotions for home Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - it helps more ADHD families find the podcast 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC Credentialed ADHD Coach and Parenting Consultant, Founder of The Functional Family and Host of the ADHD Families Podcast. Through The Functional Family, Sharon has supported more than 40,000 families with practical strategies designed to work with the ADHD brain, not against it. Her work helps families move away from daily chaos, overwhelm and survival mode and towards more connection, function and fun. Predictable means mappable. And mappable means you can get ahead of it. You are too important to stay in survival mode.

The toast was cut the wrong way. That’s all it took. Suddenly there are tears, slammed doors and an emotional reaction so huge you’re standing there wondering, how is THIS the hill we’re dying on today? If your child with ADHD can go from zero to completely overwhelmed over something that seems tiny, this episode will help you understand why. Sharon breaks down what’s really happening underneath ADHD emotional dysregulation, meltdowns and big emotional reactions and why the size of the reaction often has very little to do with the size of the trigger. You’ll also learn why reasoning with your child in the middle of an emotional storm rarely works, what Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) can look like in everyday family life, and what to do instead. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers: Why small triggers can create enormous ADHD emotional reactions How executive function affects emotional regulation Why the “wrong toast” is rarely actually about the toast What RSD is and why ordinary corrections can feel enormous Why your child may hold it together all day and fall apart with you Why explaining, reasoning and consequences don’t work mid-meltdown How co-regulation helps your child come back online Five practical things Sharon does during big emotions Why the real teaching happens after the storm The biggest takeaway? Your calm is the tool. Everything else gets built on top of it. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 — When the smallest thing triggers a huge emotional reaction01:20 — The kitchen sponge story: when the reaction doesn’t match the trigger02:15 — Why ADHD emotions can feel so big, so fast03:30 — Executive function, emotional regulation and the missing “pause”05:00 — Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) and why correction can hurt06:35 — How to correct with warmth without walking on eggshells07:20 — Why your child holds it together for everyone else — then falls apart with you08:45 — Co-regulation: why your nervous system matters09:35 — Five things to do during an ADHD emotional meltdown11:45 — What NOT to do when your child is emotionally flooded12:45 — Spotting your family’s predictable emotional flashpoints13:20 — The ADHD Family System and building your Friction Map 🚀 The ADHD Family System — FREE Online Workshop If your family keeps getting caught in the same meltdowns, transitions and daily battles, there’s probably a pattern underneath them. In this free workshop, Sharon will help you identify your family’s biggest flashpoints and start building your Friction Map — so you can plan for difficult moments instead of constantly bracing for them. 100% free. No cost, no catch. 📅 1 September — 7pm📅 4 September — 1pm📅 8 September — 7pm 🔗 Save your free spot 💫 The ADHD Family Quest — Secure Your Spot Ready to go further? The ADHD Family Quest is a four-week, coaching-led experience designed to help families create practical, lasting change at home. Less collecting ADHD parenting tips. More changing the patterns and systems creating friction in your actual family. Because it was never meant to sit entirely on Mum’s shoulders. Places are limited. 🔗 Secure your spot 🔔 Next Steps & ADHD Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Work with Sharon Sharon featured in The ADHD Weasel Watch Sharon on The Morning Show 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC-credentialed ADHD coach and parenting expert who helps families move from survival mode to calmer, more connected and functional family life. Her approach helps families understand ADHD, support emotional regulation, map predictable friction points and build ADHD-friendly systems that work on the hard days — not just the good ones. Predictable means mappable. And mappable means you can get ahead of it. You are too important to stay in survival mode.

Why does your child melt down at exactly 7:15am, 3:15pm and 8:45pm, like clockwork? On the ADHD Families Podcast, Sharon Collon, PCC credentialed ADHD coach and founder of The Functional Family, explains why ADHD meltdowns aren't random. They run to a very tight timetable, and that timetable is the most useful information you've got. Sharon unpacks the three windows where most ADHD families break (morning launch, after school landing and the bedtime encore), answers the question every parent asks her, and walks you through four practical moves to plan for the pattern instead of reacting to it. If you've been hunting for the trigger, this episode will change where you look. 🎁 Join the free ADHD Family System session and map your family's flashpoints: https://www.thefunctionalfamily.com/system   👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers: ✅ Why a meltdown is a capacity problem, not a decision ✅ The three daily windows where ADHD families break ✅ Why the trigger is never actually the cause ✅ "Is my child doing this on purpose?" and why the answer is no ✅ Why it lands on you, the safest person in the room ✅ Move #1: Map your flashpoints for one week ✅ Move #2: Lower demand at the spike, not all day ✅ Move #3: Build a rhythm into the hard window ✅ Move #4: Move the demand off the person and onto the system ✅ The school gate example, start to finish ⚠️ If you've ever stood at the school gate bracing for impact, this episode is for you.   ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – The meltdown you could set your clock by 01:00 – Sharon's own flashpoint: the school uniform collar 02:40 – Why it's not random: demand outruns capacity 04:10 – Window 1: The morning launch, 7 to 8am 05:10 – Window 2: The after school landing, 3 to 4pm 06:10 – Window 3: The bedtime encore, 8 to 9pm 07:10 – "Is my child doing this on purpose?" 08:50 – The question that changes how parents see afternoons 10:20 – The four moves to plan for the pattern 14:10 – The school gate example and your free next step   🚀 The ADHD Family System, FREE Online Workshop 100% free. No cost, no catch. In this free workshop, we map your family's flashpoints together and build the beginnings of your friction map, so you can plan for your week instead of bracing against it. It isn't a webinar full of generic parenting advice. It isn't more reading. And it's definitely not another thing to add to your plate. Three free sessions, pick whichever suits you: 📅 1 September, 7pm 📅 4 September, 1pm 📅 8 September, 7pm 🔗 Save your free spot here   💫 The ADHD Family Quest, Secure Your Spot Now Ready for more than a workshop? The ADHD Family Quest is a 4-week, coaching-led experience for families who want lasting change, not another round of tips. Your whole family moves forward together, because it was never meant to sit on mum's shoulders. This isn't therapy. It isn't a course. And it's definitely not a quick fix. Spots are limited. 🔗 Secure your spot here   🔔 Next Steps & Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Ready for real support? See how to Work with Sharon Sharon featured in The ADHD Weasel Watch Sharon on The Morning Show  💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon supports ADHD families to move from survival mode to functional, calm and connected, using ADHD-friendly systems that honour how sensitive nervous systems actually work. Working with Sharon, families: Map the predictable friction points in their day Lower demand where it counts, without walking on eggshells Build rhythms that give energy back instead of draining it Design systems that hold on low capacity days, not just good ones Stop being surprised by a pattern they can see coming Predictable means mappable. And mappable means you can get ahead of it. You are too important to stay in survival mode.

You've found the support. You've done the research. You know your teenager could benefit from ADHD coaching... But every time you bring it up, you're met with, "I'm fine." or "I don't need it." If you're wondering how to help a reluctant teen without pushing them further away, this episode is for you. In this episode of the ADHD Families Podcast, Sharon Collon is joined by ADHD Teen Coach Kimberley, who shares why so many teenagers resist support, what ADHD coaching actually looks like, and how parents can introduce help in a way that builds trust instead of resistance. Together, they unpack why resistance isn't defiance—it's often protection—and why the right support, at the right time, can help teens build confidence, executive functioning skills and emotional resilience that lasts well beyond school. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon and Kimberley Covers ✔️ Why resistance to support is often a sign of protection—not defiance ✔️ How executive functioning challenges can be mistaken for laziness or lack of motivation ✔️ Why ADHD coaching is different from therapy ✔️ How to introduce coaching without pressure or conflict ✔️ What teenagers actually work on during ADHD coaching sessions ✔️ Why connection comes before strategy ✔️ How confidentiality works between coaches, teens and parents ✔️ What progress really looks like in ADHD coaching ✔️ Why confidence and self-awareness come before behaviour change ✔️ How coaching helps teenagers understand and work with their ADHD brain   ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Why teens often refuse ADHD support 03:12 – Meet Kimberley: ADHD coach, educator and mum 05:34 – The executive functioning skills teens are missing 08:02 – Why your teen keeps saying "No" 11:03 – How to introduce ADHD coaching without creating resistance 12:54 – What ADHD coaching actually helps teenagers with 15:53 – Building trust, confidence and connection before strategies 20:44 – The biggest mistakes parents make when seeking support 27:49 – What success looks like when coaching starts to work 30:56 – Special offer for ADHD Teen Coaching ⭐️ Teen ADHD Coaching with Kimberley Looking for practical, strengths-based support for your teenager? Kimberley is an ADDCA-trained ADHD Coach, former secondary teacher and mum of three children with ADHD. She specialises in helping teenagers build executive functioning skills, confidence, emotional regulation and practical strategies in a supportive, judgement-free environment. 👉 span[aria-hidden='true']]:hidden" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calendly.com/kimberley-king/discovery-call">Book your Free 20-min Discovery Call with Kimberley   🎁 Free ADHD Family Systems Workshop Feeling like you're constantly reminding, nagging or putting out fires? Join Sharon's FREE ADHD Family Systems Workshop to learn the simple systems that reduce daily overwhelm, lower family conflict and help your home run with less stress—and more connection.We start first week of September. We would love to have you!👉 span[aria-hidden='true']]:hidden" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thefunctionalfamily.com/system">Reserve your FREE SEAT here 🔔 Next Steps & Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Secure your spot to the ADHD Family Quest Check here on how to Work WIth Sharon Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com Work With Sharon Sharon Collon helps ADHD families create calmer homes, stronger relationships, and practical systems that reduce overwhelm. Through her programs, resources, and podcast, Sharon shares compassionate, evidence-informed support for parents navigating the realities of ADHD family life. Whether you’re struggling with emotional regulation, executive functioning, school stress, or family routines, Sharon’s work is designed to help parents feel supported — not judged.  🌐 The Functional Family

School camp can feel like a huge milestone… but for parents of children with ADHD, it often comes with a whole lot of worry.Will they sleep? Will they remember their medication? Will they make friends? Will they cope without me? If you've ever found yourself staring at the camp permission slip while mentally preparing for every possible scenario, you're not alone. In this episode of the ADHD Families Podcast, Sharon Collon shares practical, ADHD-friendly strategies to help your child prepare for school camp, manage the challenges while they're away, and recover well once they return home. Drawing on her experience as a PCC Credentialed ADHD Coach, parenting expert, and mum of three children with ADHD, Sharon explains why camp can feel so overwhelming for the ADHD brain and how a little preparation can transform the experience for the whole family. Rather than expecting your child to simply "cope," you'll learn how to build the right scaffolding so they can thrive with confidence. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Why school camp feels so overwhelming for ADHD families 02:43 – Why camp is uniquely challenging for the ADHD brain 03:52 – Before camp: setting your child up for success 05:41 – Preparing teachers, medication and sleep 07:10 – Packing strategies that reduce overwhelm 10:03 – During camp: building regulation and support 12:22 – Managing social exhaustion and trusting the process 13:20 – The post-camp restraint collapse explained 15:21 – Your biggest takeaway as an ADHD parent 16:37 – Free ADHD Family Systems Workshop & final thoughts In This Episode You'll Learn ✔️ Why school camp places extra demands on the ADHD brain ✔️ How to decide if your child is ready for an overnight camp ✔️ The conversations to have with teachers before camp begins ✔️ Medication and sleep strategies that reduce unnecessary stress ✔️ Practical packing systems that support executive functioning ✔️ Why one trusted adult at camp can make all the difference ✔️ How to create a simple emotional regulation plan before they leave ✔️ Why social exhaustion is often mistaken for behavioural problems ✔️ What restraint collapse looks like after camp—and how to respond ✔️ How to help your child recover emotionally and physically after camp 🎁 Free ADHD Family Systems Workshop If you're tired of solving the same family challenges over and over again, join Sharon's FREE ADHD Family Systems Workshop. You'll learn how to identify your family's biggest friction points and build ADHD-friendly systems that actually work—so life feels calmer, easier and more connected. 👉 PICK YOUR FREE SESSION NOW ☀️  As seen on The Morning Show Sharon recently shared her simple CRC Method for reducing overwhelm in ADHD families—Get Curious, Get Regulated, Get Clear. Because the behaviour is the smoke, not the fire. When we stop trying to fix every behaviour and start understanding what's driving it, family life can become calmer, more connected and a whole lot easier. 👉 Watch my ADHD parenting segment on The Morning Show 🔔 Next Steps & Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Secure your spot now for the ADHD Family Quest (Watch out for September BONUS!!) Check here on how to Work WIth Sharon Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com Work With Sharon Sharon Collon helps ADHD families create calmer homes, stronger relationships, and practical systems that reduce overwhelm. Through her programs, resources, and podcast, Sharon shares compassionate, evidence-informed support for parents navigating the realities of ADHD family life. Whether you’re struggling with emotional regulation, executive functioning, school stress, or family routines, Sharon’s work is designed to help parents feel supported — not judged.  🌐 The Functional Family

Has your child ever dropped the F-bomb at exactly the worst possible moment? Maybe it was at a family dinner, in the school pickup line, or right in front of Grandma. If so, you're definitely not alone. In this episode of the ADHD Families Podcast, Sharon Collon, PCC Credentialed ADHD Family Coach, unpacks one of the most common challenges parents bring to coaching sessions: swearing. Sharon explains why swearing is often linked to ADHD impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, novelty-seeking behaviour, and dopamine-driven reactions, rather than disrespect or poor character. You'll learn why traditional punishment approaches often fail, how to reduce the emotional charge around swear words, and practical strategies that help children develop better self-regulation and communication skills. Sharon shares real-life examples from her own family, along with simple tools parents can start using immediately to reduce conflict and create calmer family dynamics. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers ✅ Why swearing is often a symptom of ADHD, not a behaviour problem ✅ How impulsivity affects a child's ability to filter language ✅ The link between emotional dysregulation and swearing ✅ Why novelty and strong reactions make swear words "sticky" ✅ How attention and dopamine can unintentionally reinforce swearing ✅ Why punishment rarely solves ADHD-related swearing ✅ How to stay calm and avoid making swear words the main event ✅ The power of replacement words and modelling language ✅ Working "upstream" to reduce triggers and dysregulation ✅ Teaching contextual awareness about where certain language is appropriate ✅ Practical scripts parents can use immediately   ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: Why ADHD and swearing is such a common family challenge 01:45 Why swearing is usually a symptom, not disrespect 04:00 ADHD impulsivity and the missing filter 07:00 Emotional dysregulation and why big feelings trigger big language 10:00 Novelty, reactions, and why swear words become sticky 12:30 Attention, dopamine, and reinforcement 14:30 Why punishment doesn't work for ADHD-related swearing 16:30 Strategy #1: Don't make the swear word the main event 18:30 Strategy #2: Teach and model replacement words 21:00 Strategy #3: Work upstream and reduce dysregulation 23:30 Strategy #4: Build contextual awareness 25:00 Final recap and encouragement 💰 Special Offer: The Money Hunt 2026 If you're raising a family with ADHD, you already know how easy it is for money to quietly leak out through forgotten subscriptions, unused services, unclaimed rebates, and everyday ADHD overwhelm. The Money Hunt 2026 is a five-day live implementation event designed specifically for mums in ADHD families who want practical money wins without budgeting spreadsheets, spending diaries, restriction, or guilt. Over five focused sessions, you'll uncover hidden savings, cancel forgotten subscriptions, claim rebates, negotiate bills, and build simple systems that keep money flowing back into your household long after the event ends. 🎯 Exclusive listener discount: Save $300 AUD and join for just $97 AUD. 👉 span[aria-hidden='true']]:hidden" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thefunctionalfamily.com/offers/UdK7KXDD?coupon_code=MONEYHUNT_DISCOUNT">Join The Money Hunt 2026 Here   🔔 Next Steps & Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Join the waitlist for the ADHD Family Quest Check here on how to Work WIth Sharon Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com Work With Sharon Sharon Collon helps ADHD families create calmer homes, stronger relationships, and practical systems that reduce overwhelm. Through her programs, resources, and podcast, Sharon shares compassionate, evidence-informed support for parents navigating the realities of ADHD family life. Whether you’re struggling with emotional regulation, executive functioning, school stress, or family routines, Sharon’s work is designed to help parents feel supported — not judged.  🌐 The Functional Family

What if your ADHD habits were quietly costing your family thousands every single year — and you could start getting that money back this week? 💸 In this episode of the ADHD Families Podcast, host Sharon Collon shares practical, ADHD-friendly ways families can stop money leaks without restrictive budgeting, shame, or complicated spreadsheets. Sharon unpacks the real-life systems behind The Money Hunt, including subscription audits, bill renegotiation scripts, Medicare rebate redirects, and hidden cash sweeps that help families reclaim lost money fast. After helping one client uncover $1,400 in savings during a quick school pickup line conversation, Sharon realised just how much “invisible money” families are losing to the ADHD tax. If you’re ready for simple systems that actually work for neurodivergent brains, this episode is packed with practical wins you can implement immediately. 👉 Join The Money Hunt and start finding hidden money in your household: The Money Hunt 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers: ✅ The hidden “ADHD tax” quietly draining family finances ✅ How one quick audit uncovered $1,400 in savings ✅ Why traditional budgeting often fails ADHD families ✅ The Medicare rebate savings trick that creates emergency buffers ✅ How to do a fast subscription audit without overwhelm ✅ Scripts to renegotiate bills and lower expenses ✅ Reviewing private health extras before EOFY ✅ The “hidden cash sweep” method for gift cards, rewards points, and returns ✅ Why barriers and automation work better than willpower for ADHD brains ⏱️ Timestamps 02:10 – The school pickup line money breakthrough 03:30 – Understanding the ADHD tax 05:10 – Medicare rebate redirect savings strategy 08:45 – Why barriers help ADHD brains save money 10:20 – Subscription audits made simple 12:15 – The accidental multiple subscription problem 13:40 – How to renegotiate bills successfully 15:00 – Reviewing private health extras before EOFY 16:20 – The hidden cash sweep strategy 18:10 – Gift cards, rewards points & unclaimed money 20:05 – Why implementation is the hardest part 21:15 – Inside The Money Hunt 22:30 – Final encouragement to reclaim your money 💸 Join The Money Hunt (Enjoy the $300 discount!) How much money is currently slipping through the cracks in your household without you even realising it? The truth is, most ADHD families aren’t bad with money, they’re overwhelmed by systems that were never designed for neurodivergent brains. Forgotten subscriptions, unused gift cards, auto-renewals, rewards points, medical rebates, late fees, duplicated purchases… it all adds up. Fast. That’s exactly why Sharon created The Money Hunt — a practical, ADHD-friendly experience designed to help you uncover hidden money, reduce financial stress, and build systems that actually stick. Inside The Money Hunt, you’ll get: ✅ Step-by-step guided action sessions ✅ ADHD-friendly money systems with zero shame ✅ Scripts to renegotiate bills and lower expenses ✅ Subscription and hidden cash audits ✅ Accountability and community support ✅ A fun bingo-style challenge to keep momentum going ✅ Real strategies to help you reclaim money quickly And the best part? Most families uncover far more than the cost of joining. 🎯 If you’re tired of the ADHD tax stealing your money, this is your chance to finally hunt it down and keep more cash in your family’s pocket. 👉 Join The Money Hunt 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon helps ADHD families create calmer homes, stronger systems, and more sustainable family life through practical neurodivergent-friendly strategies. Through coaching, resources, and programs like The Money Hunt, Sharon supports families to reduce overwhelm and build systems that actually work for ADHD brains. 🌐 The Functional Family

Have you ever wondered where your money is actually going - even when you’re trying your best to stay on top of things? In this episode of the ADHD Families Podcast, ADHD parenting expert Sharon Collon unpacks the very real cost of the “ADHD tax” and how small forgotten admin tasks can quietly drain thousands from family finances. Sharon shares honest stories about impulsive spending, budgeting struggles, dyscalculia, and the emotional load many ADHD households carry during a cost-of-living crisis. You’ll learn why ADHD brains often avoid money management, how financial overwhelm builds silently, and the practical systems Sharon used to finally regain control. If you’ve been feeling stressed, avoidant, or ashamed about money, this episode will help you feel less alone - and give you practical next steps to start reducing the ADHD tax immediately. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers: ✅ What the “ADHD tax” actually is and why so many families experience it✅ How forgotten subscriptions, overdue admin, and delayed decisions quietly cost families thousands✅ The emotional side of money avoidance and financial overwhelm✅ Living through the collision of ADHD, rising living costs, fuel prices, and family stress✅ Why dyscalculia and ADHD can make budgeting feel impossible✅ The truth about impulsive spending in ADHD households✅ Simple systems Sharon used to uncover hidden financial leaks✅ How to reduce shame and start taking small practical action✅ The 5-day “Money Hunt” implementation event designed to help families regain control of their finances ⚠️ If your household has been feeling stretched financially lately, this episode is an important reminder that small admin gaps can create major financial stress over time. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to the episode01:12 – The collision of ADHD, cost-of-living pressures, and family finances02:45 – The real story behind the “life-size pumpkin man” argumen05:10 – Why ADHD brains avoid money and admin tasks07:18 – Discovering thousands of dollars leaking from the household budget09:40 – What the ADHD tax really looks like in everyday life12:05 – Dyscalculia, overwhelm, and financial shame15:10 – Small systems that helped regain control18:42 – Why this is not about perfection or strict budgeting21:08 – Introducing the 5-day Money Hunt implementation event23:00 – Final thoughts and encouragement 💰 Ready to Stop Paying the ADHD Tax? The Money Hunt is Sharon’s practical implementation event designed specifically for ADHD families who feel overwhelmed by money, forgotten admin, subscriptions, late fees, and financial chaos. Over 5 focused days, Sharon will help you uncover hidden money leaks, simplify your systems, and create practical habits that actually work for ADHD brains. Inside The Money Hunt, you’ll learn how to: ✅ Find forgotten subscriptions and recurring charges ✅ Reduce financial overwhelm and avoidance ✅ Create ADHD-friendly money systems ✅ Recover money quietly leaking from your household ✅ Build momentum without shame or perfectionism 👉 Join The Money Hunt HERE 🔔 Next Steps & Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Join the waitlist for the ADHD Family Quest Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com Work With Sharon Sharon Collon helps ADHD families create calmer homes, stronger relationships, and practical systems that reduce overwhelm. Through her programs, resources, and podcast, Sharon shares compassionate, evidence-informed support for parents navigating the realities of ADHD family life. Whether you’re struggling with emotional regulation, executive functioning, school stress, or family routines, Sharon’s work is designed to help parents feel supported — not judged.  🌐 The Functional Family

***Blakey's new film - In pieces together***What happens when a world-record surfing challenge becomes a mission to save lives? In this inspiring episode of the ADHD Families Podcast, Sharon Collon sits down with world-record endurance surfer, surf coach, and mental health advocate Blakey Johnston to explore the powerful connection between mental health, ADHD, anxiety, movement, and purpose. Blakey shares the deeply personal story behind his 40-hour world-record surf attempt and how losing his father to suicide became the catalyst for helping men speak openly about mental health. Sharon and Blakey unpack the science behind surfing, cold water, community, movement, and emotional resilience — especially for people navigating ADHD, anxiety, and overwhelm. If you’re looking for practical mental health strategies, inspiring resilience stories, and powerful conversations around ADHD and emotional wellbeing, this episode delivers both heart and hope. 👀 In This Episode: ✅ Blake Johnston’s 40-hour world-record surfing challenge ✅ The mental health crisis impacting men and families ✅ How movement and surfing support ADHD and anxiety regulation ✅ The emotional impact of losing a parent to suicide ✅ Why community and connection are critical for mental wellbeing ✅ The science behind cold water, nature, and emotional regulation ✅ Burnout, stress, and high-performance mindset traps ✅ Parenting, vulnerability, and emotional resilience ✅ Practical mental health strategies for everyday life ✅ How purpose-driven challenges can create real impact ⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicide, mental health struggles, anxiety, and emotional distress. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to the ADHD Families Podcast 01:30 – Meet Blake Johnston 03:10 – The story behind the 40-hour surf challenge 07:20 – Losing his father to suicide 12:45 – Anxiety, burnout, and emotional overwhelm 18:15 – Why surfing helps mental health 23:50 – ADHD, movement, and nervous system regulation 29:40 – The physical and mental realities of endurance surfing 36:10 – Community, connection, and vulnerability 42:20 – Parenting, resilience, and emotional awareness 48:00 – Practical mental health strategies anyone can use 53:45 – Blake’s message for struggling men 57:10 – Final thoughts and key takeaways Key Takeaways Mental health conversations save lives. Movement and nature can regulate stress and anxiety. Community connection is essential for emotional wellbeing. High performers are not immune to burnout. ADHD nervous systems often benefit from physical activity and structured challenges. Vulnerability is strength, not weakness. Purpose-driven action creates long-term impact. Quotes From The Episode “Real change requires more than conversation — it requires action.” “Connection and community are some of the most powerful tools we have for mental health.” “You don’t have to struggle alone.” What's Coming? 👀 👀 The Money Hunt — Five Days, Five Money Wins While screens leak your child's attention, subscriptions and forgotten auto-renewals are quietly leaking money from your household every month. The Money Hunt is a five-day live event for mums of ADHD families who want that money back. No budgeting. No spreadsheets. No willpower. Just one 45-minute session a day, one bingo square to tick off, and a running tally of every dollar you find. Most Hunters cover the cost of the event by Day 2. 5 days. 5 wins. Cash back in your pocket. Monday 29 June to Friday 3 July 2026, 1pm AEST daily Live on Zoom plus a private Facebook group Six months of replay access $97 AUD (Regular Price: $397) JOIN THE MONEY HUNT Already in The ADHD Family Quest? It's included in your membership 🔔 Next Steps & Resources Blakey Johnston Social Media Links Website Instagram SWELLBEING IN PIECES TOGETHER FILM Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Join the waitlist for the ADHD Family Quest Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC credentialed ADHD family coach and founder of The Functional Family. She works with parents of children with ADHD who are exhausted by the daily battles — the mornings, the meltdowns, the school emails, the emotional dysregulation — and helps them build a family life that actually works. Sharon's approach is practical, ADHD-informed, and built around real family systems — not generic parenting advice that wasn't designed for your child's brain. With Sharon's support, families: Understand what's really driving their child's behaviour — and respond strategically instead of reactively Build the executive function skills their child needs, in a way that actually sticks Replace daily conflict and overwhelm with calm, connection, and confidence Create routines and systems that hold — even on the hard days Move from survival mode to a family life that feels genuinely functional and joyful Whether you're brand new to the ADHD diagnosis or years in and still feeling stuck — there is a way through. You don't have to keep pushing through alone. 👉 Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com

It's Sunday afternoon. Your kids can't walk past each other without it turning into something. Every interaction is a battle. And somewhere in the middle of it, you're thinking — when they grow up, are they ever going to be friends? If that's your house, stay with us. Sharon is joined by Jacquie Ward — Registered Psychologist and mum of three, including a child with ADHD — to talk about one of the most common and most misunderstood challenges in ADHD family life. Why sibling conflict is more intense in your home, and what to actually do about it.  👀 In This Episode: Why sibling conflict is more intense in ADHD families — and why you are not imagining it The six ADHD factors that create the perfect storm for sibling conflict Executive function age vs chronological age — and why it changes your expectations The family nervous system: why the whole house feels it when one child dysregulates Sharon's Blue Mountains story — and the moment that changed everything Why prevention beats reaction every time The Three Cs Framework: Cool Down, Communicate, Collaborate Why jumping in as referee is making things worse The one action to take this week that will change your next sibling fight  Quote to Carry With You  "You are not stuffing this up. Your family is not beyond support. This is a very predictable friction point in ADHD families — and it is not beyond help."  — Sharon Collon  ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – The Sunday afternoon scene — sibling conflict in ADHD homes 01:13 – Introducing Jacquie Ward 02:31 – The six ADHD factors that create the perfect storm 05:01 – Executive function age vs chronological age 06:43 – The family nervous system and emotional contagion 08:14 – Why conflict in public hits differently 11:06 – Sharon's Blue Mountains story 15:44 – The Three Cs Framework: Cool Down, Communicate, Collaborate 16:30 – Why prevention beats reaction 19:15 – Cool Down — the most important first step 21:06 – Communicate — giving kids the language 24:01 – Collaborate — building skills for long-term change 26:28 – The one action to take this week 28:45 – Workshop details — May 11–13   🥊 Want to Go Deeper? Stop the Fighting. Start Feeling Like a Family Again.  Sharon and Jacquie are running a 3-part live workshop series — the full playbook with scripts, in-the-moment strategies, and prevention tools specifically for ADHD families. Live sessions: May 11, 12 and 13 at 7:30–8:30pm AEST Replay available for 6 months Payment plans via Afterpay and Klarna JOIN US HERE  🔔 Next Steps & Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Join the waitlist for the ADHD Family Quest Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC credentialed ADHD family coach and founder of The Functional Family. She works with parents of children with ADHD who are exhausted by the daily battles — the mornings, the meltdowns, the school emails, the emotional dysregulation — and helps them build a family life that actually works. Sharon's approach is practical, ADHD-informed, and built around real family systems — not generic parenting advice that wasn't designed for your child's brain. With Sharon's support, families: Understand what's really driving their child's behaviour — and respond strategically instead of reactively Build the executive function skills their child needs, in a way that actually sticks Replace daily conflict and overwhelm with calm, connection, and confidence Create routines and systems that hold — even on the hard days Move from survival mode to a family life that feels genuinely functional and joyful Whether you're brand new to the ADHD diagnosis or years in and still feeling stuck — there is a way through. You don't have to keep pushing through alone. 👉 Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com

Every week in my support group, parents share the same quiet ache — they wish they had people in their lives who actually got them. They feel lonely. And they're often so busy supporting their child's social struggles that their own go unspoken. This episode is for you. The parent. The adult. I am joined by Caroline Maguire (M.Ed, ACCG, PCC)— ADHD coach, social emotional learning expert, and author of Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults — for one of the most honest and relieving conversations the ADHD Families Podcast has had. ✨ About the Guest: Caroline Maguire (M.Ed, ACCG, PCC) is an ADHD coach, social emotional learning expert, author, and speaker who has spent over a decade researching how neurodivergent adults experience friendship and belonging. Her book Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults is the first written by a neurodivergent person, for a neurodivergent audience — practical, research-backed, and deeply human. She is also the host of the new podcast Your ADHD Social Playbook and has a TEDx Talk available on YouTube. 👀 In This Episode, Sharon Covers: Why adult friendship is genuinely harder — and why that is not your fault The worldwide loneliness epidemic and why ADHD adults feel it more acutely Why proximity is the single biggest factor in making friends — and how ADHD gets in the way The radical reframe: friendship is a learnable skill, not a personality trait The hidden cost of masking — and what it is doing to your energy and mental health The Flavours of Friendship — a framework for understanding different levels of connection Why ADHD adults mistake acquaintances for close friends — and the hurt that follows Info dumping, oversharing, going quiet: separating shame from skill building How to move someone from acquaintance to actual friend The repair: how to come back after you've gone quiet or disappeared ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Why ADHD parents feel lonely — and why we don't talk about it 02:17 – Friendship is a learnable skill: the reframe that changes everything 04:43 – How parenting a child with ADHD affects your own friendships 07:06 – Proximity — the single biggest factor in making friends 09:15 – The myth that everyone else has it figured out 11:38 – Confidence and friendship: the missing piece 14:02 – Finding your people — why environment matters more than effort 16:20 – The hidden cost of masking in friendships 18:36 – Why socialising drains you even when it goes well 20:55 – Managing your social energy and the power of the pause 23:20 – The Flavours of Friendship framework 30:21 – Rejection sensitivity and what it does to friendships 35:09 – Pinging: a practical strategy for finding shared connection 37:33 – Info dumping, oversharing, going quiet — shame vs skill building 39:55 – How to repair a friendship after you've gone quiet 42:21 – It's never too late — the path forward 📕 Caroline's NEW Book — Out Now!  Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults iis the first book of its kind — written by a neurodivergent person, for a neurodivergent audience. If this episode resonated, this book is your next step. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Hachette, Audible, and wherever you love to buy books. Also available in audiobook. Website: https://carolinemaguireauthor.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolineM  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcarolinecm/  NEW Podcast: Your ADHD Social Playbook NEW TEDx Talk — Becoming a Social Spy: Observational Learning 👦🏼 Also Worth Reading — From Xavier  This episode talks about the adult experience of friendship and ADHD. But what about our kids? My son Xavier — who has ADHD — wrote a blog that has stopped parents in their tracks since the day it was published. It is called A Note from a Kid with ADHD: How to Be My Friend. In Xavier's own words, he shares what he needs from friends — the patience, the inclusion, the kindness, and the grace. It is the resource I wished she could hand to other families when Xavier was young. Share it with another parent, a teacher, or a child who could use the reminder. Read it here → https://www.thefunctionalfamily.com/blog/anotefromanadhdkidhowtobemyfriend   🥊 Are Your Kids Constantly Fighting? (Enjoy Discounted Rate HERE) A 3-part live workshop series for parents of children with ADHD — co-facilitated by me (ADHD Coach) and Jacquie Ward (Psychologist). If sibling conflict in your home feels more intense and harder to recover from than it should — you are not imagining it. ADHD changes the equation. This series gives you the why and the what now. In just 3 nights, you'll learn how to: Understand why your kids are constantly clashing — and what ADHD has to do with it Step in without escalating or taking sides Calm conflict in the moment, even when emotions are running high Teach the skills your kids are missing so the same fights stop repeating The Details:  Live sessions: May 11, 12 and 13 at 7:30–8:30pm AEST Replay available for 6 months Payment plans via Afterpay and Klarna Early bird: $197 AUD (save $100) — use code EARLY at checkout JOIN US HERE →  https://www.thefunctionalfamily.com/offers/LCALkojv/checkout?coupon_code=EARLY  🔔 Next Steps & Resources Subscribe to the ADHD Families Podcast Carolin Mcguirre — Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults (available in audiobook, including in Australia) Join the waitlist for the ADHD Family Quest 💻 Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com 💛 Work With Sharon Sharon Collon is a PCC credentialed ADHD family coach and founder of The Functional Family. She works with parents of children with ADHD who are exhausted by the daily battles — the mornings, the meltdowns, the school emails, the emotional dysregulation — and helps them build a family life that actually works. Sharon's approach is practical, ADHD-informed, and built around real family systems — not generic parenting advice that wasn't designed for your child's brain. With Sharon's support, families: Understand what's really driving their child's behaviour — and respond strategically instead of reactively Build the executive function skills their child needs, in a way that actually sticks Replace daily conflict and overwhelm with calm, connection, and confidence Create routines and systems that hold — even on the hard days Move from survival mode to a family life that feels genuinely functional and joyful Whether you're brand new to the ADHD diagnosis or years in and still feeling stuck — there is a way through. You don't have to keep pushing through alone. 👉 Learn more at thefunctionalfamily.com