Through My Daughter's Eyes: A 9-Year-Old's Honest Perspective on ADHD

What does ADHD feel like from a child's perspective?

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with my nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, for an honest, funny, and surprisingly insightful conversation about growing up with ADHD. Together, we talk about friendships, school, big emotions, the challenges of staying focused, and the incredible strengths that come with thinking differently.

You'll hear Olivia share what she wishes other kids, teachers, and parents understood about ADHD, along with the tools that help her thrive and why she believes ADHD is more of a superpower than a setback.

As a mom, this conversation reminded me how important it is to pause, listen, and see the world through our children's eyes. Their perspective might teach us everything we need to know.

Whether you're raising a neurodivergent child, are neurodivergent yourself, or simply want to better understand how a child's brain works, this episode will leave you feeling encouraged, hopeful, and reminded that every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and celebrated.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Olivia's honest explanation of what ADHD feels like
• The biggest misconceptions about kids with ADHD
• Strategies that help her succeed at school and at home
• Advice from a child to parents raising neurodivergent kids
• Sweet mother-daughter moments that will make you laugh—and maybe tear up

Remember: You are not alone, and you don't have to parent perfectly. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give our children is simply making them feel understood.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Hello beautiful and welcome to Mom Life. I know you have so many options when it comes to podcasts. I'm so glad you're here. This is a space where we celebrate the beautiful, messy, exhausting, and incredibly rewarding journey of motherhood. Here we'll have honest conversations about raising children, navigating the unexpected, and learning right alongside them. If you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough, questioned your parenting decisions, or simply needed someone to remind you that you're not alone, you're in the right place. Today's episode is especially close to my heart because my guest is someone very special, my nine-year-old daughter, Olivia. Together we're having an honest conversation about what it's like to grow up with ADHD. You'll hear her perspective on school, friends, big feelings, and the unique ways her brain works. You'll also hear the joy, humor, and confidence she brings to every room she walks into. As a parent, we often spend so much time trying to understand our children that we forget to simply ask them how they experience the world. Sometimes the most powerful lessons come straight from their hearts. Whether you're raising a neurodivergent child, you're neurodivergent yourself, or simply looking for encouragement on this motherhood journey, I hope today's conversation reminds you that every child deserves to feel seen, understood, and celebrated for exactly who they are. So grab your coffee, throw in the laundry, take that walk, or hide in the car for a few peaceful minutes. I won't judge. Let's jump in today's episode.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Hello, my beautiful daughter.

unknown 2:17

Hi.

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Could you introduce yourself to everyone, please?

SPEAKER_03 2:21

Hi, my name is Olivia Flores, and I'm nine years old, and I'm going to fourth grade. And I have ADHD.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

If you met someone for the first time, how would you describe yourself?

SPEAKER_03 2:42

Because I am a really good friend in real life. And also a person that has all really good well, you like all really good actions.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

What are three things you love to do?

SPEAKER_03 2:59

I like to play with my Legos, I like to play with my friends, I like to call my friends, I like to watch TV, I like to do the piano, I like to sing, I like to dance, I like a lot of things. I like watching movies, I like playing outside, I like to make you know. What makes you laugh the most?

SPEAKER_02 3:37

Okay, she is pretty cute and funny. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

SPEAKER_03 3:43

And my superpower would be well, I already have one superpower.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

Yes, and what is your one major superpower?

SPEAKER_03 3:58

That's really the only superpower I want. And I'm my uh I have a second superpower that I want. I wanna have a superpower that can change everybody's mind. Oh, okay. And what is it like to have ADHD? It's really cool actually. You'll get well, the thing that I don't like is because that you get treated differently. My so at school everybody knows that I have ADHD and they they know that I have ADHD, so they like to mess around with me. That's what they like to do. They like to make me mad.

SPEAKER_02 4:40

Also you're you get antagonized a lot. And what's your favorite thing about being a kid?

SPEAKER_03 4:49

I can do a lot of fun things.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

Okay, that's good. What do moms do that make kids feel loved? Give them a life. Okay, give them life, okay. What's something that I do that may embarrass you?

SPEAKER_03 5:10

Dancing in front of a million people.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

But I love to dance and so do you. So, you know, if there's a good if there's a good song on in the store, then I'm gonna start dancing.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

And I'm gonna act like you're not my mom. What's your favorite memory with me? Probably when we first went to I think like the mountains with like the snow grating or bear bear big bear big bear and you didn't know how to skate right now you had the home.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Oh yeah. If you planned the perfect mother-daughter day, what would we do?

SPEAKER_03 5:52

We would go to all stores and I would have a walkie-talkie and you would have a walkie-talkie, and I have an air tag, and you have an air tag, and I have my opinion, you have your own, so you we both try each other and then we get back home and we wrap it secretly, and then we hide it somewhere. We it's like it scavenger house that we got like something for each other, you know?

SPEAKER_02 6:13

Oh, that's so cute. I think we should try that. We're gonna talk a little more about the ADHD. Okay. When did you first hear the letters ADHD and what did you think they meant?

SPEAKER_03 6:29

I think I was like four or five.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 6:33

And I thought first like all kids have, like, I'm not just the only one. But when I found out that I have it, and I'm not I'm not just the only one, because a lot of people when I heard it and I knew what it was, I was I got really scared. I like I didn't want to have it. And I I used to have a friend that had ADHD, and she said she had take medicine every day, and I did not like it. And to this day I'm still not like it.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

How would you explain ADHD to another kid?

SPEAKER_03 7:09

So I would like I would like tell them ADHD is like a superpower. If you're scared, I was scared when I was little too when I found that I had ADHD. You don't have there's nothing to be scared about. It's something that you makes you different about things and makes you special. Like it's kind of like autism, but not like autism. It's like the cousin or like a friend of autism.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Interesting. That's a great point of view. What is something really awesome about the way your brain works?

SPEAKER_03 7:48

Really quickly, you move really quickly.

SPEAKER_02 7:50

Okay, so you move from one thought to the next really quickly? Mm-hmm. What is something that can be hard sometimes? Focusing, cleaning my room, organizing, doing what I'm supposed to, listening, following directions, copying, following, listening, and also sometimes like sometimes not doing what I what what helps you when you're having a tough day?

SPEAKER_03 8:31

I go to my camera and sometimes I don't go to my camera because she's busy with other people. So what I just do is I ask if I can do if I can walk around my school, you know, and I take a breather. Or if I have too much energy, I walk around my school and then they come back and I'm feeling a lot better. Sometimes my cousin sees me walking around and she and then she like probably sees me and then she probably gets me just me, like I can just do it or not when I'm here. Then I come back in my class, I'm gonna go a lot. I'm not like exaggerating, I'm not like moving around a lot, I'm not shaking a lot, I'm not you know, moving.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Okay. What do you wish grown-ups understood about kids with ADHD?

SPEAKER_03 9:24

So what I want to be able to know is that your kid is the most special kid, right? If your kid has ADHD, you can't just let it go. They're not gonna just if you you know that they're like wiggling a lot, put your hand on their whatever like things they're shaking about. Put your leg and try to make it stop and look at them and tell them to calm down. Because if you don't, you're gonna keep doing it and it might be like an accident. Like I one time I accidentally took my foot and a drink soap on the table because I was shaking a lot. So I knew that something that I really, really, really, really wanted to guys to understand some things kids can't kids can't control. Kids can't control everything. So you need to make sure that your kid is okay and doing the best that they can.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

What are some other things that you may have, say, at your desk or something that you do on a regular basis that helps you with your symptoms?

SPEAKER_03 10:38

So I have this thing on my chair. It's probably called a wivel or a kickband? Kickband on my chair. That really helps me. In the morning, I sit down and I have this chart that has been feeling my miss my teacher, she would usually walk up to me and I would point to what family I am and she would like treat me based on what feeling I am. And then while everybody's playing at recess, she would like, if I'm like feeling like scared or sad, she would like take me take me in and she like have would have have like have me sit down and color something like calm down. And also she she would make sure I'm having a good day. When I'm on the rug, I would wiggle a lot, so she would let me get my squishy or have me sit down or bring my chair to the rug so I could sit down and run at the same time. Because I knew we're an offer, not just, you know, like be all like, you know, playing around.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

Okay, what about something that you do at home that helps?

SPEAKER_03 11:47

So I go to magnets. It really helps. You guys on this podcast, my mom's podcast, you guys should try and go to magnets. The magnet place is where they put magnets on you. If you're ever feeling like you're frustrated, or your kids are joining you insane. Drop them off at school. They have to. Then you can go and have your time. Go to magnets. Get your magnets done, you're gonna feel so much better. Sometimes I have a headache and like my brain is hurting, or like my h shoes are hurting. My mom's hurting. My mom makes it a permit for me to go to the the magnet.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

Okay, and how do you feel after you get your magnets?

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Relief and I feel like I just went to her and I don't What's your favorite subject at school?

SPEAKER_03 12:48

Math, reading, and also I love to also I like to write make a book writing.

SPEAKER_02 12:58

If you could change one thing about school, what would it be?

SPEAKER_03 13:02

Um I would change that every single day we would have a party.

SPEAKER_02 13:09

What's something you've learned this year that surprised you? That um in third grade you could be a kid and it doesn't matter how and what grade you are, you're gonna be What do you want to be when you grow up?

SPEAKER_03 13:31

I want to be so when I was little I thought I could be a marriage, but that's not happening. I wanna be a teacher. My mom maybe high school and I wanna I wanna be a YouTuber.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

If you can invent something, what would it be? So you know those milk cups that you get from school? If you open it all the way and then you pull them to the the side to down, they can make a brand new cup.

SPEAKER_02 14:09

Oh, okay. What advice would you give another kid who has ADHD?

SPEAKER_03 14:18

Always make sure you have something with you that help you control your brain.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

That's a great advice. What advice would you give moms raising kids whose brains work differently?

SPEAKER_03 14:33

Hmm. Try to make the try to help them out and make sure they're having a good day. And the same probably kind of like the same thing what I did if I would give advice to a mom, dad, a child, who's idiot to make sure they're having a good day. And h help them with the symptoms and feelings. And if they have options, that's kind of like D, but not really. Try to get them those earphones for them because loud noises will make like them eartaking. My mom's perfect for me because she's my mommy and she knows what to do if I'm having options.

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Alright, I'm gonna ask you some rapid fire questions. One word answers. Ready? Pancakes or waffles?

SPEAKER_03 15:20

Waffles.

SPEAKER_02 15:22

Beach or mountains? Beech. Dogs or cats? Reading or drawing? Singing or dancing?

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Favorite color? Favorite snack. Favorite Disney movie?

SPEAKER_03 15:51

Favorite family tradition.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

Well, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 16:06

As I reflect on today's conversation, I can't help but think about my own childhood. I grew up with five sisters, and although there were six of us, we were all completely different. Each of us had our own strengths, our own personalities, and our own unique needs. My mom, who has since passed away, had an incredible gift for seeing each of us for who we truly were. Looking back now, I recognize so much of myself and my daughter. I also have a neurodivergence, and creativity has always been one of my greatest gifts. My mom nurtured that part of me by introducing me to crafting, sewing, and creating with my hands. She made space for my imagination, and in doing so, she helped shape the person I am today. What amazes me most is that my mother never had the opportunity to receive an education beyond the second grade. Yet she remains one of the wisest and most intelligent people I've ever known. She didn't need degrees or textbooks to understand what mattered most. She simply knew her children. She paid attention, she listened, she met each of us where we were, and she loved us in the ways we needed to be loved. As a mother now, that's the legacy I hope to carry forward. Seeing my daughter feel understood, accepted, and deeply loved is one of the greatest rewards of my life. If this conversation encourages even one parent to look a little deeper, listen a little longer, or celebrate the unique way their child experiences the world, then it has been worth sharing. Thank you so much for spending this time with us today. If you're raising a neurodivergent child, or if you're navigating motherhood and wondering if you're doing enough, I want to leave you with this. You are not alone. Your child doesn't need a perfect mother. They need you. You are the best mother for your babies. Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other.