Compassionate and Neuro-affirmative Parenting Tips with Justine Graham

Jun 11, 2025

Join Justine Graham, an ADHD coach and mom with a psychology background, as she shares her journey of parenting neurodivergent children while navigating her own ADHD. She discusses the importance of a neuroaffirmative parenting approach, focused on compassion and understanding rather than discipline. Justine emphasizes emotional regulation and the power of movement for both children and parents. Discover strategies to empower neurodivergent kids and shift harmful narratives while fostering strong, connected relationships.

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INSIGHT

What Is Neuroaffirmative Parenting

Neuroaffirmative parenting means meeting children where they are without unrealistic expectations.
It balances supporting struggles and highlighting strengths equally.

ADVICE

Handling Meltdowns With Calm

Address meltdowns by calming your child before problem-solving.
Collaborate later to identify what helps them regulate and manage similar situations.

ADVICE

Movement Boosts Focus And Confidence

Use physical activity to boost neurodivergent kids' focus and confidence.
Participation in sports or hobbies enhances self-esteem transferable to other life areas.

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🌟 My new book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit, is available to preorder here 🌟

What does it look like to parent neurodivergent children while navigating your own ADHD? In this episode, I sit down with ADHD coach and mum Justine Graham, who brings both lived experience and professional insight to this powerful conversation.

Justine shares how being diagnosed with ADHD after becoming a parent changed her life, and how it shaped her mission to support families to feel understood and regulated in a more compassionate, strengths-based way. We talk about the pressure parents feel, the importance of emotional regulation, and why movement matters more than you think.

Whether you’re raising neurodivergent kids or figuring out your own ADHD path, this episode offers validation, tools, and a big dose of encouragement.

What You’ll Learn:

What a neuroaffirmative parenting approach looks like in real life
Why supporting a child with emotional regulation, rather than inflicting discipline, can build a stronger connection
How movement can be a game-changer for focus and nervous system regulation
The importance of understanding a child's skill gap vs bad behaviour
How to support your child without accidentally molly-coddling them
How to recognise internalised "shoulds" and change the narrative to support your children
How to manage external pressure and parent in a way that truly supports your child
Real-life strategies to empower your neurodivergent child (and yourself)

Timestamps:

02:36 – Understanding neuroaffirmative parenting

13:57 – The importance of movement in education

14:33 – Understanding neurodivergence in parenting

22:54 – Understanding skills gaps in parenting neurodivergent children

34:25 – Understanding ADHD in parenting

39:56 – Introducing the ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit

Links and Resources:

Connect with Justine via her website
Missed our ADHD Women’s Summer Series? Get the workshops on demand [here].
Next ADHD Wellbeing Workshop: “Creating More Compassionate and Calmer ADHD Families, Parenting and Relationships” – June 24th @1.30pm. Book [here].
Preorder my book: The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit [here].
Join the Waitlist for my new ADHD community-first membership launching in September! Get exclusive founding offers [here].
Find my popular ADHD webinars and resources on her website [here].
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_pod
Follow me on Instagram: @kate_moryoussef

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