Parenting Beyond Tips and Tricks: Embracing Authenticity and Growth in Parenting Our Kids with Dr. Norrine Russell

If you have an ADHD kid you understand the frustration, arguing and misunderstanding this can cause for parents and their kids. 

My special guest today is Dr. Norrine Russell, she is an Executive Functioning & ADHD Expert who founded Russell Coaching for Students in 2009. She is also the mother of two atypical children. Dr. Russell knows firsthand that being a parent of a struggling student is tough. 

In this episode, Dr. Russell shares

• Parenting struggles and self-care for moms. 0:01
  • Sheryl Gould discusses parenting tweens and teens in today's world, shares personal experiences, and offers encouragement to listeners.
  • Sheryl Gould and Noreen Russell discuss the importance of giving oneself grace and accepting limitations, particularly in parenting.
  • Noreen shares insights from her bonus call, including the common themes of exhaustion, weariness, and the need for self-care and self-compassion.
• Parenting neurodiverse children and self-care. 5:26
  • Dr. Norrine Russell emphasizes the importance of recognizing it's okay not to have all the answers, especially for parents of neurodiverse children.
  • She encourages listeners to prioritize self-care and step away from the pressure to be perfect and fix everything.
  • Sheryl Gould and Dr. Norrine Russell discuss the pressure to create perfect holidays and lives, and the importance of being authentic and acknowledging where we are.
  • They emphasize the need to let go of the idea that there's a "right" way to do things and to embrace imperfection and authenticity.
• Parenting pressures and self-trust. 11:53
  • Dr. Norrine Russell and Sheryl Gould discuss the pressure parents face from endless parenting tips and the need to trust themselves and their own experiences.
  • They suggest posting questions instead of tips to encourage self-reflection and authenticity in parenting.
  • Dr. Norrine Russell and Sheryl Gould discuss the importance of questioning societal expectations and defining what matters to individuals and their families.
  • They emphasize the need to listen to oneself and not rely on external sources for validation, and to let go of critical voices and pressure to conform.
• Parenting and understanding teenagers. 18:13
  • Dr. Norrine Russell reflects on the importance of patience and trust in her role as a parent, as her 15-year-old son grows and develops at his own pace.
  • Dr. Norrine Russell has shifted her approach to parenting from giving tips to asking questions and listening to parents, recognizing that they are the experts on their own children.
  • Sheryl Gould has been feeling down and sad lately, and Dr. Russell has been trying to help her by asking more curious questions and encouraging her to listen to her own inner wisdom.
• Emotional resilience and mental health for parents and teens. 24:02
  • Sheryl Gould and Dr. Norrine Russell discuss the importance of allowing teens to feel and process their emotions, rather than trying to fix them.
  • Parents should model emotional expression and resilience for children, acknowledging and validating their feelings.
  • Sheryl Gould and Dr. Norrine Russell discuss how cultural fears and anxieties have increased in recent years, and how coping with these feelings can be done through therapy and self-reflection.
• Supporting mental health through act