I Have ADHD Podcast 414 Good Enough Parenting: What NOT to Do (with Dr. Lindsay Gibson)
Jun 23, 2026
Dr. Lindsay Gibson, clinical psychologist and bestselling author known for work on emotional maturity, offers a fresh take on parenting. She discusses what emotional maturity looks like and how parenting can foster growth in both kids and adults. Practical cautions cover what not to do, strategies for connecting with teens, and balancing empathy with limits.
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Emotional Immaturity Feels Like A Four Year Old
- Emotional immaturity resembles a four-year-old: egocentric, emotionally reactive, and poor at perspective-taking.
- Lindsay Gibson contrasts this with emotional maturity, which includes empathy, self-awareness, and accepting reality rather than manufacturing it.
Use Reflection To Shift Toward Maturity
- Do cultivate self-reflection when you notice immature reactions; ask yourself if what you said was helpful and consider the other's perspective.
- Lindsay Gibson says reflective questions and noticing you caused part of the problem stitches your mind together and builds integration.
Raising Kids Is A Backdoor To Parental Maturity
- Raising an emotionally mature child nudges parents into emotional growth indirectly because parent behaviors and mindsets required are themselves mature.
- Gibson framed the book as a 'backdoor' to parent maturation rather than a direct how-to be perfect parent manual.
