26. ADHD Journey with Lauren O'Carroll

23 Aug

Lauren is ADHD and her children are ADHD. This blows my mind a little as I can only begin to imagine what it must be like to parent as an ADHDer in an ADHD household! But Lauren seems to have cracked it (not perfectly because you know – none of us are!) She uses a framework called Gentle Parenting and now runs a membership and coaching as support for other parents with neurodivergent children. What I love is that Lauren tailors this to each family and their own needs.

Lauren shares her late diagnosis experience in her early 20s (totally unaware she was ADHD) and a few incredible tips for gentle parenting with neurodivergent children.

In this episode we talk about:

Lauren’s diagnosis at age 21
How Lauren was told she ‘wasn’t trying hard enough’ at school (sound familiar?!)
How having 3 jobs AND studying for a degree made her so unwell that she ended up at the doctors – totally unaware they were exploring ADHD as a cause
Lauren’s personal experience with ADHD medication
The complexities of getting a diagnosis and explaining that to family members
When Lauren had her two children and how that impacted her ADHD
Oestrogen and ADHD
The unrealistic expectations we put on our young children
Gentle Parenting children – especially ADHD children
How Lauren uses a ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ approach
Lauren’s LEADER framework for gentle parenting
What mirror neurons are and how to use them to help your child to calm down
How to deal with conflicting parenting styles
Lauren’s advice for people at the start of their ADHD journey and a ‘wow’ moment tip for dealing with uncomfortable feelings