If there are three things teenagers tell me in my office that they understand with their parents, it’s this:

1) “I’m trying harder than you think in school.”

2) “Video games are more than just wasting time.”

3) “My phone isn’t just a screen, it’s my lifeline”.

For many parents, poor grades, video games, and cell phones can feel very frustrating and confusing at the same time. But sometimes, it can make a parent hypervigilant. But for many teenagers, they are often interconnected with pressure, identity, and a way to escape reality. How can we pause to take a moment and see it from both sides, rather than arguing, saying, “I am the parent and what I say goes!” We need to understand each other, both as parents and as teenagers, especially since neurodivergence plays a huge part in this.

In today’s episode, we are going into actual research that supports the struggles with academic challenges, video gaming, and phone use, the good, the bad, and the misunderstood, and how it can negatively impact moods and behaviors, but why it benefits the teenager with neurodivergence.

Welcome back, friends. In this episode, we will talk about something that affects a lot of families but doesn’t always seem to get the attention it needs, which is the stress parents feel when raising children with a neurodevelopmental disorder.

If you are a parent, caregiver, educator, or know someone having ADHD and just want to understand them better, this episode will help break that down in what research says.

We will explore these three questions:

First, why do parents of children with ADHD report higher levels of stress?

Second, what psychological factors make a difference in how parents cope?

And third, what can help?

Parenting a teenager with autism, ADHD, or an intellectual disability, or even one that is a bit snoody? I am certain you had moments that sounded like:

“What am I supposed to do right now with you right now!?”

“It is not that hard!!”

“What is wrong with you?!”

Let’s take a step back and reflect that maybe your teen is overwhelmed, burned out, and overly exhausted—but no matter what you do, it doesn’t seem to work.

If this is you… I want to start by saying this to yourself:

You’re not a failure as a parent.

You’re navigating a system that often isn’t designed for your child and a situation you were not prepared for.

In this episode, we’re going to break this down in a way that makes sense—what’s really going on with your teen, and more importantly, what may help.

Mental Health Awareness Month

Useful sites to learn more:

NAMI: https://www.nami.org/stay-connected/events/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/