Beautifully Complex
Penny Williams
Join parenting coach and mom-in-the-trenches, Penny Williams, as she helps parents, caregivers, and educators harness the realization that we are all beautifully complex and marvelously imperfect. Each week she delivers insights and actionable strategies on parenting and educating neurodivergent kids — those with ADHD, autism, anxiety, learning disabilities... Her approach to decoding behavior while honoring neurodiversity, and parenting the individual child you have will provide you with the tools to help you understand and transform behavior, reduce your own stress, increase parenting confidence, and create the joyful family life you crave. Penny has helped thousands of families worldwide to help their kids feel good so they can do good.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 4, 2021 • 16min
PAP 137:Are You Sending Unintended Messages?
Very often people receive something we say differently than we intended them to. This is even more true for kids with neurodifferences like ADHD and autism. Kids who struggle with social skills, emotional awareness, a sensitized stress response, and an inflated sensitivity to rejection and criticism. Our parenting comes from the best of intentions and love, but it’s often received much differently than intended. Listen in as Penny highlights the pitfalls of unintended messages and outlines how to be more mindful of the ways your messages are received and interpreted to prevent inadvertently hurting our kids. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
Jul 21, 2021 • 33min
PAP 136: Turning Learning Challenges Into Lifelong Achievements, with Laura Reber
ADHD creates many hurdles to academic success, most often in the way of lagging executive functioning skills. It takes an ADHD-informed caregiver, coach, or tutor to truly help a student with learning challenges that stem from ADHD. And it’s also important to know when to keep challenging and when a student needs the pressure released. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with school counselor and the founder of Progress Parade, Laura Reber, about how to guide kids to turn their learning challenges into lifelong achievements. Spoiler alert! It isn’t all about academics. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
Jul 16, 2021 • 51min
PAP 135: A Behavior System that Works! with Penny Williams and Sarah Wayland, Ph.D.
We don’t want to change who our kids are, but we do want them to feel empowered to function well in our neurotypical world so they can build a fulfilling life for themselves. And the only way to do that is to see behavior as communication, understand the biology that triggers challenging behavior, and implement a systematic approach that uses those foundations as it’s core. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Penny and Sarah talk about their Behavior Revolution and the new system they developed to finally address behavior in a compassionate and informed way, grounded in brain science and honoring neurodiversity. If you struggle with your child’s behavior, this episode is a must listen. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
Jul 8, 2021 • 32min
PAP 134: Helping Kids with the Impact of the Pandemic on Learning & Mental Health, with Amanda Morin
The COVID pandemic has been hard on almost everyone in one way or another. It has changed us, and it has certainly changed our kids. Understood.org conducted a survey to get a clearer picture of how the pandemic has impacted kids who are different learners and different thinkers, like kids with ADHD. On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I welcome back Amanda Morin to share some results of their study and, most importantly, how to go forward from here to help restore the mental and emotional health of our kids. Going back to school isn’t going to be easy, so parents will need to talk with their kids and make plans to ease the anxiety and stress. Listen in to find out how. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
Jul 1, 2021 • 29min
PAP 133: Helping Picky Eaters with Sarah Appleman, MS, OTR/L
Sarah Appleman, a seasoned pediatric occupational therapist and author of "Play with Your Food," shares her insights on helping neurodivergent children navigate picky eating. She discusses the sensory aspects of food aversions, emphasizing a gradual and compassionate approach. Listeners learn effective strategies to create a fun mealtime experience through interactive cooking and playful activities. Sarah highlights the importance of reducing pressure and fostering a supportive environment, ultimately empowering kids to broaden their food horizons.
Jun 24, 2021 • 36min
PAP 132: Helping Kids Thrive in Middle School, with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC
Middle school is hard. There’s lots of development during that time, and lots of insecurity. All kids are struggling, but kids with ADHD have an additional level of difficulty when it comes to the social and emotional challenges of being a tween. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, certified professional school counselor, Phyllis Fagell, shares her strategies on helping kids navigate the innate challenges of middle school so they can thrive there, and beyond. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
Jun 17, 2021 • 37min
PAP 131: Self and Social Regulation Using the Zones of Regulation, with Elizabeth Sautter, MA, CCC
Teaching self-regulation can be tricky, especially with impulsive kids with ADHD who are often lagging in skills like social and emotional intelligence and self-awareness. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with Elizabeth Sautter about the Zones of Regulation, a tool and curriculum designed to teach kids of all ages to reflect on how their body is feeling and then use strategies to help regulate, when needed. Listen in to learn all about the Zones of Regulation program and how to use it with your child to build self-awareness and self-regulation. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
Jun 10, 2021 • 36min
PAP 130: Sensory Processing 101, with Carol Stock Kranowitz
Sensory processing is how we react to the world through our eight senses (yes, 8!). If you have a child with ADHD and/or autism, your child has some sensory challenges. I am thrilled to have the author of THE sensory guidebook, “The Out-of-Sync Child,” Carol Stock Kanowitz share a primer on sensory processing and how it affects our kids’ behavior. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, you’ll learn about all eight senses, what it looks like when a child seeks or avoids in each sensory area, and some activities to strengthen their sensory experience in this world. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
May 27, 2021 • 21min
PAP 129: When Being Positive Actually Becomes Negative, with Penny Williams
Positive parenting is the foundation of the parenting approach I teach neurodiverse families. It is, by far, the most effective approach for kids with ADHD and/or autism. And yet, too much positivity can actually send the wrong message to our kids, and ourselves. Acting like things are all sunshine and roses when they’re clearly not, makes kids think we don’t see them and see their struggle. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m outlining the instances when positivity can actually become negative and sharing how to be mindful that your child is getting your intended message through balance and empathy. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
May 21, 2021 • 36min
PAP 128: Identifying & Accommodating Slow Processing Speed, with Ellen Braaten, Ph.D.
Slow processing speed is common among individuals with ADHD. It can affect everything from responding when someone talks to you, to not getting classwork finished, to struggling in social interactions. A child can struggle with visual, motor or verbal processing, or any combination of the bunch. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD podcast, Dr. Ellen Braaten shares how to identify slow processing speed and how to accommodate for it through adjusted expectations, assistive technology, and a strengths-based approach.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
