Happy Revolutions - for Moms of Kids with ADHD
Registered Nurse, Coach, Passionate Mom, Founder Hi! I'm Angel McKim. My journey began while struggling to support my newly ADHD diagnosed son in grade school.
I’m a Life Coach, Registered Nurse and Certified Project Manager and creator of The ADHD Success System. And what a journey it has been! If you're ready to grow alongside your child and help them in deep in meaningful ways (not only this school year, but for life) then you're my person! Let's connect!
This is an important job as a parent of a kiddo with ADHD. ❤️
You have probably already figured out that the biggest challenge of being a mom of a child with ADHD is finding balance. The dance of when to use the FIERCE part of you (to help your child develop grit) vs. the TENDER part of you (that touches their heart and makes them feel deeply loved).
And you probably know when these opposing parts of you are out of balance…is when the real suffering begins.
I have worked with several moms from the UK and just recently I spoke with a mom experiencing this exact struggle. She is an ambitious and loving mother struggling to create this balance in her home.
She is very TENDER and able to calm her son (when no one else can), she is also the exact opposite of her husband who is FIERCE and parents with authority. Her children seek her out when they need comfort and encouragement they cannot get from anyone else.
But this unbalanced TENDER side of her comes at a cost. She often feels exhausted, overwhelmed and too emotionally drained to face the challenges that keep coming at her every single day. And it drains her of the energy and motivation she needs most to be the joyful and happy mom she really wants to be for her children.
She is struggling to find balance between the FIERCE part of her and the TENDER side of her. Right now she replies heavily on the TENDER side of her... and the FIERCE side of her only comes out in moments of anger and frustration (which only drains and exhausts her further).
Because what she needs most is more balance (more FIERCE). But NOT the angry type of fierce that makes her feel even worse…
So what do you do? How might you add more fierce to your balance? The kind of fierce that makes you FEEL good, and energized (and happy)?
It starts with you…setting new boundaries for yourself!
It starts by noticing when your battery is drained…and then being FIERCE and taking ACTION to help yourself feel good again. Taking a walk, stepping away, or simply taking a deep breath. Only YOU have the ability to bring balance back to YOUR own brain.🧠 (just like your child!)
Because I’m here to tell you. Your child is watching you. 👀Watching and learning how you navigate stress, struggle and overwhelm.
And when you are stressed…they FEEL it too!
So if your goal is to coach your child to find their own balance of FIERCE and TENDER...how to advocate for themselves when they are struggling (fierce) or how to be gentle with themselves when they make a mistake (tender). It all starts with YOU showing them how to do it (on purpose).
So what does your balance look like? Too much FIERCE (and always battling) 😡 Or too much TENDER (and feeling overwhelmed)😔
And if you are out of balance…IT’S OKAY. I’ve been there too. It’s a happiness SKILL that takes practice! But once you master the skill and recognize when to apply your FIERCE side vs. when to apply your TENDER side…EVERYTHING changes. And it can transform your life too.🙂
My life isn’t perfect…and neither is my son. But that’s not the goal. Because we are both growing together and I’m confident he will learn the skills he needs most to be a happy and successful adult.
Stay Inspired!
Angel McKim
Sometimes we just need help getting back on track. 🧭
If you don't first have a "connection" with your child, they won't hear a word you have to say...even when it's helpful.
Connection is the foundation for helping kids with ADHD build new skills. ❤️
Sometimes they just need our love and connection more than anything in the world. ❤️
Grow together ❤️
When you can't change others in your outer world, look inside for new ways to create joy in your inner world. ❤️
I came across this blog today and I love the simplicity. It's not about ADHD but we all want a better life, here's a simple way to improve yours. ❤
How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails - Barking Up The Wrong Tree Ever ask how to make your life better? Here's a research backed method on how to improve 5 key areas of life by sending just 5 emails.
One of the most powerful tools to support your child with ADHD is gotta be…
PLANNING
From new business plans, to construction plans to wedding plans, our worlds are full of plans. Even the world of ADHD includes plans like – IEP plans (Individualized Education Plans) and 504 plans for accommodations at school.
And I’m no stranger to planning either.
Back in 2005, after several years as a bedside nurse, I decided to make a pivot to a new career as a project manager. Soon after, I earned my certification and began planning and managing a wide band of projects in the hospital as a project manager.
In hindsight, I feel so blessed to have had this unique combination of experience as a Registered Nurse and Project Manager – as it has taught me so much of what I still use to this day – both in my coaching practice and my family life.
I learned that even the smallest of projects requires PLANNING.
Because if you don’t make plans, who knows what will happen, maybe nothing, maybe chaos, or maybe both…it’s hard to predict what will happen without a plan.
A PLAN helps you accomplish what you want, a PLAN supports what you will need along the way, and a PLAN helps prepare for barriers and risks.
But most importantly, a plan lets you make adjustments to challenges you encounter along the way. (In the hospital we call those emergency management plans and risk plans)
Plans get everyone on the same page and provide structure and boundaries as to what needs to happen next.
And plans are even more helpful for kids with ADHD.
It’s why I’ve created the Homework Planning Bundle. To help you – help your child start the school year off on the right foot.
I know homework is not their only challenge, but this planning activity with your child provides lots of benefits like:
Practice exploring what works and what doesn’t work for them
Learning from their mistakes
Questions that prompt and build their creative thinking
Added time to fully process information and think about their best choice ahead of time
Knowing how to manage mistakes before they even happen
And most importantly, it helps build a trusting and warm relationship with your child
And who doesn’t want to help their child with all of those!
So if you don’t have a plan yet for this school year, NOW is a great time to start. (Before the challenges even begin.)
You can grab my FREE Homework Planning Bundle in the comments. It’s chock full of best practices and questions to ask your child to help get the ideas flowing.
Stay Inspired!
Angel
Memory, working memory, visual memory…is often found as a deficit for kids with ADHD.
“Meaningful stimuli” is the key to improvement.
It’s why leveraging their interests and strengths can be magical! ❤️
Meaningful Stimuli: The Key to Expanding Visual Memory Capacity - Neuroscience News Researchers discovered our capacity for visual working memory is not rigid, but can be expanded when stimuli are meaningful.
Refine the good, acknowledge the bad, heal from the ugly.
Have you ever noticed the "in between" moments? The moments when you are "in between" finishing one activity and transitioning to the next. It might be riding in the car moments, transitioning to sleep moments or coming home from work moments. Really any moment when you are in transition from one thing to another.
These moments have the potential to be wrought with stress or full of connection and conversation.
These "in between" moments have powerful potential if you are willing to slow things down and make your relationship with your child the #1 top item on your to-do list.
When it comes to your child...warmth over war is what builds enduring relationships.
Ever have a really bad day (or really bad week) juggling all your mom-ing duties?
Oftentimes when you have a bad day (and you are frustrated, angry or sad) you may try to paint a rosy picture for your kid.
"Oh, everything is fine," you might say. Or "Don’t worry about it" to brush it off as insignificant.
The trouble with this is… that kids can tell when you (or your household) are tense. They can FEEL it (and so can you).
If you decide to tell them nothing is wrong, they will then have a difficult decision to make…They will either decide they can't trust you, OR they will decide they can't trust themselves.
So instead… maybe consider sharing age appropriate details with your kids and give them honest and real information.
You don't have to give them private or unnecessary information. Keep it simple and maybe say: "I know I have been grumpy lately. The details are private, but I want to acknowledge that I have been sad and on edge lately.”
When you acknowledge and discuss your own emotions, you help your kids make sense of the world around them. (And build connection and trust.)
Because kids with ADHD often have lagging skills with emotional regulation, emotional awareness and emotional intelligence.
Your child already knows they’re different…and that school is hard…and that you want the best for them.
But what they often have NOT yet learned… is how to navigate their own emotions, or be resilient in the face of struggle…or how to make themselves feel good again after big emotions…or to persist through challenges…or to feel confident in spite of their differences.
So when you acknowledge and talk about your own big emotions (when you show yourself compassion and discuss how your are really feeling) you are intentionally teaching your child how to navigate struggle.
Because your kids are already watching you…and already modeling your behavior…and already modeling your emotional strategies (both good and bad).
So ask yourself…what skills do YOU have that you can teach your child to help them even more?
Emotional resilience? Self compassion? Navigating mistakes with grace? (Or perhaps this is a new opportunity to sharpen these skills and practice together?)
And if you are already confident in your child’s future…And confident in your skills to help your child…please share your ideas and strategies with other moms. We need to stick together!
Because you don’t have to be perfect to be happy and successful ;)
Stay Inspired!
Angel
Have you ever noticed the striking similarity between business leadership and parenting? 🤔
Original post credit: Leadership First (Updates by me 😉)
Your ADHD journey may be just beginning or you may be years into your journey...
Just know that your journey will not look like anyone else's...and that’s okay. 😊
Some days you forget...
😀That some days your child will need to borrow your joy and happiness...until they learn to find their own inside themselves...
💪Some days they will need to borrow your confidence...until they build their own confidence...
😍And some days they just need your 100% acceptance and love just the way they are...because they haven't learned how to love themselves and all their strengths...
But with your guidance...they will see that everything is going to be okay...and they can indeed grow up to happy and successful...and love themselves...just as much as you love them...just the way they are. ❤️
Your child is "efforting" all day long at school...and it can feel really good to finally come home...to their safe place...
With the winding down of the school year comes lots and lots of different…
Emotions.😎😀😮😣
Some of you are relieved and happy the school year is ending. (Cue the happy music)
But for others, the end of the school years bring new stress and new worry…about what to do next…a new school? Repeat a class? Repeat a grade? Or just keep doing what you are doing?
Or maybe it’s the stress of trying a new medication…a new therapy or completing summer school just to “catch up”.
And for many moms, you may be considering many of these!
But the #1 thing you can do as the school year comes to a close is…
Reflective journaling!
But what is reflective journaling and how could it possibly be the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do right now?
Reflective journaling is often referred to as the “Keystone Habit” for making positive changes. And for good reason. Research shows reflective journaling can increases learning, boost self awareness and help you increase your well-being.
And here is how it can benefit you and your child right now:
🧠Reduces mental energy load used as you consider your choices and next best steps.
😎Increases clarity for better decision making when you are functioning in the yellow brain zone (with stressful decisions still undecided).
🤔Finally, writing things down instantly elevates them in your thoughts. What you write down = important. (Think grocery list, or to-do lists…you write down what you don’t want to forget.)
So if you could benefit from lightening your mental load and getting more clarity for you and your child’s next best path forward…reflection on the school year is a great place to start!
Take 5 minutes this evening and ask yourself these questions:
❓What has worked this school year? (What is or has gone well?) - write down every tiny thing you can think of that went well. (You already know everything that didn't’ go well!)
❓What emotion would you (or your child) like to experience more of? (more joy, more peace, more calm, more confidence, more connection)
❓What needs to happen for you (or your child) to experience more of this desired emotion?
❓What is one tiny habit that takes 2 minutes or less, that would help you (or your child) begin to experience this emotion even more?
So no matter what emotions you are feeling right now, maybe give reflective journaling a try. There are no other 5 minutes habits that can reap the same kind of benefits as journaling!
Stay Inspired!
Angel
According to research, this is what kids say they want from their teachers. (I'm certain this is what kids want from their parents too.)
Be calm. “calm in body” refers to the ability to remain calm and regulate their stress in the face of the challenges. In doing so, teachers are less reactive and better able to support students with their own emotion regulation.
Be clear. “clear in mind” a capacity to remain present and to stay curious and in tune with their needs.
Be kind. “kind in heart” encompasses more than just having a nice personality. It includes practicing non-judgment and expressing warmth and connection, cultivating trust and respect, and attending to their needs.
Calm, Clear, and Kind: What Students Want From Their Teachers Researchers asked students what makes a caring teacher—and these same qualities may help support your well-being as an educator.
If there’s one thing that ALL kids with ADHD can benefit from it’s gotta be…
Emotional Enrichment.
Physicians, teachers and other healthcare professionals tell you that medications are the remedy for ADHD symptoms like inattention, focus, and lack of academic progress.
But you have a bigger goal than just decreasing symptoms and strengthening their weaknesses.
Maybe decreasing symptoms and teaching study skills will help your child focus enough to finish a test, or sit still longer to appease their teachers and it might even help their grades.
But you have an even bigger goal than just decreasing their symptoms and strengthening their weaknesses.
Because even when you do everything the doctors, teachers and tutors tell you to do…and your child is now able to maintain academic progress…it’s still a struggle…to be happy, and to feel confident, relaxed and worry free.
Because feeling confident, relaxed and worry free will require you to blaze a different path and learn new skills.
It’s a path that is unique to you, your child and your entire family. It’s a path full of deep family connections, discovery of each of your strengths, your values and what lights you up.
It’s a path full of emotional enrichment skills.
Because a path full of emotional enrichment is what moms (and kids with ADHD) need more than anything… to design a unique life full of personal meaning, pride and joy. And the SKILLS they need most are resilience, grit and courage to navigate anything life throws at them. These are emotional skills, mental fitness skills and skills of happiness.
After all, successfully navigating life’s many challenges is a person's most reliable path to happiness.
But unfortunately many moms didn’t experience emotional enrichment themselves as a child…and now as an adult they aren’t aware of how to build these emotional skills for themselves, let alone for their children.
So as you continue blazing your own path ask yourself these questions to consider what might be most helpful for your family’s next best step.
What did your parents do to nourish you during your moments of emotional struggle, conflict and mistakes as a child?
Are you aware of your emotional triggers and why these emotions show up in the first place?
When you reflect on moments of struggle or conflict with your child, do you know how to emotionally nourish your child and help them develop the emotional skills they need most?
And if you are already blazing a path filled with emotional enrichment, resilience and joy, then keep going!
And if not, it’s never too late to begin learning new skills to emotionally nourish yourself and your child.
Because happiness is for everyone regardless of grades, degrees or academic successes.
Stay Inspired!
Angel
Does your child struggle with organization? Loses things or forgets where they are? Or maybe they are downright messy.😑
If your child is anything like mine, their lack of organization can drive YOU NUTS… and create a sense of overwhelm for THEM too….because they are constantly forgetting or losing important items…and their room and backpack can be a disorganized mess!
And when your child lacks these organizational skills, they can feel ashamed, embarrassed and hopeless to make change or progress by themselves.😳
But not to worry, your child is NOT destined to a life of disorganization and chaos… but they will need to discover what works for them and use TOOLS to support and build the SKILLS of organization they need most.
And the tools they need most are VISUAL TOOLS. 👀
Our vision, our sight is our most complex sense, our fastest sense… and the sense that engages the most neurons in our brain…in short it is the most powerful sense we have to leverage.
And to leverage this sense we need VISUAL TOOLS to build VISUAL SYSTEMS to organize items, our work and important information…because for many with ADHD, the saying “out of sight, out of mind” is very true.
It’s why I love the work of professional organizer Cassandra Aarssen. Cas was shamed as a child for her messy nature and lack of organizational skills and today she inspires millions to find the organizational style that works best for their unique brains.
You can find her on Facebook or search up her awesome TED talk where she explains her non-traditional organization methods.
Here are just a few VISUAL TOOLS to consider for use in your child’s life that my son uses in our home.
-Open shelving for storing and organizing, school supplies or even clothing.
-A mesh or see-through backpack to help them (and you) easily visualize what’s in their backpack.
-Wall hooks and open bins to store coats, shoes or toys.
And these opportunities to add visuals are everywhere if we are willing to look and get creative. Visuals can help organize homework, make chores a little easier and just make everything a bit more joyful.
Because every child is different, it will take your curiosity to notice what works and what doesn’t. And as with everything ADHD, there is no one size fits all when it comes to visual management!
Here are a few keys to success so you can continue to make PROGRESS!
-Identify their trouble spots and look for ways to make it even easier.
-Praise their progress very frequently. Progress is about consistent effort and forward movement…not getting it perfect every time.
No one ever said parenting a child with ADHD was easy…but with the right support, tools and skills, you too can confidently mentor your child to happiness and success in spite of their current challenges.
Stay Inspired!
Angel McKim
Sometimes you forget just how significant you are to your children.
You are their first love, their #1 fan, their anchor and forever their mom.
I was recently having a conversation with another mom about the differences between Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials…and it got me thinking.
If you're anything like me, you were raised by the generation known for ‘tough love’ and latch-key kids. When challenges popped up for you, you were most likely left to “deal with it” , “shake it off’, or “figure it out” on your own.
Your parents had low tolerance for your screw-ups and crying was a sign of weakness. Your mistakes, big and small, were often met with harsh words and feelings of embarrassment, guilt, and shame.
No empathy, no guidance navigating those big feelings…usually just “don’t do that again”
And as you grew up, you would do just about anything to avoid these moments. You were always striving to avoid mistakes and be as perfect as possible.
You got loads of positive attention when we were being “good” and doing exactly what you were told.
You were expected to be strong, independent and always striving to “do better”.
And without even realizing it, you carried these expectations into adulthood.
Now decades later as a full grown adult, you still hold these same expectations for yourself.
Every time you make a mistake (every time you are not perfect), you punish yourself with harsh thoughts, harsh feelings and the same embarrassment, guilt, and shame.
“I can’t believe I did that” or “what was I thinking” or even “I’m so stupid”
So ask yourself…How do you treat YOURSELF when YOU make mistakes?
And maybe if you looked deep enough, you might even find this pattern is driving how you feel about helping your child with ADHD.
If you’re not helping them…if they’re not making progress then YOU don’t feel like a good enough mom. And that same embarrassment, guilt and shame might even show up.
Because you feel “bad” when you’re not able to live up to your own high expectations.
And maybe your child feels this too?
What happens when your child makes a mistake?
Do they offer themselves grace for their mistakes and get curious looking for ways to navigate their challenges?
Or do they feel that same embarrassment, guilt and shame…and wonder if they’ll ever be good enough.
Because I know one thing about every mom reading this: you WANT to help your kids, you WANT to raise a child who feels good about themselves and puts goodness into the world.
You're spending time reading this email which means that you’re willing to spend the most precious commodity of all – your attention – reflecting, learning, growing and experimenting.
And I also know that many of you are cycle-breakers. You are the pivot point in your family and you’re the one saying…
“These relationship patterns stop with ME. I’ll be passing on something different, something better to my kids.”
Being a cycle-breaker is an epic role. You are amazing.
And here’s something else I know through coaching moms of kids with ADHD: You don’t need to perfect. You’re going to mess up, you are going to yell. But that’s OKAY.
Because showing your children that you mess up, that you feel the tough stuff, that you struggle with it and still get through it, is truly the best lesson you can give them.
After all, successfully navigating life’s many challenges is a person's MOST reliable path to happiness.
And as you learn new skills, as you heal yourself, as you break the cycle, and as you get really good at repairing your relationship with yourself (first)….the better you are at helping your child navigate and repair their own missteps…and love themselves anyway.
It’s why I believe the best way to help our kids grow up to be happy and successful adults is by partnering with them and growing right alongside them.
Parenting is hard, but learning to successfully parent a child with ADHD can be the most magical feeling ever. And it could possibly even be the legacy that changes your family relationships for generations to come.
It’s not easy raising a child with ADHD, but if you are the kind of person ready for growth…ready to grow as a person and as a parent, it could also be the opportunity of a lifetime.
Stay Inspired!
Angel
Kasey, a client of mine felt really good about helping her daughter with ADHD until things started to go sideways…when her daughter Morgan began to resist her help and guidance.
Her daughter Morgan would especially struggle in the mornings with getting ready for school (ON TIME).
Every morning felt the same…(like the movie Groundhog Day)
Every school morning Kasey would knock on the door of Morgan’s room only to be greeted by her daughter’s shrill irritation and (sometimes) outright anger.
“I’m up, I’m up, I got this!” Morgan would shout.
And her daughter was up. She was awake, slowly pulling herself together and starting to pull her clothes onto her listless body. But when time ran out and it came time to head out the door for school…
It was MORE of the same.
“I’m coming, I’m coming” Morgan would mumble. “Okay, okay” Kasey would repeat as time ticked on and the morning grew later and later.
And when Morgan finally did drag herself out the door of this invisible race, she was late…yet AGAIN.
And it was infuriating for Kasey. Kasey tried to offer suggestions, guidance and even offered to hire her daughter an ADHD Coach. She was desperate to find something (or anything) that could support her daughter in the ways she needed most.
It had become so bad that Kasey felt defeated, angry and was on the brink of simply giving up.
Because Kasey KNEW exactly what skills Morgan needed to get out the door!
Morgan needed to prepare her clothes the night before (ready to go), she needed to set multiple alarms so she could “pace” herself and most importantly she needed HELP to practice these new skills!
But HELP was the one thing Morgan would NOT accept. Any gesture of HELP by her mom…or attempt to HELP, was instantly dismissed or shot down altogether.
Because her daughter Morgan had convinced herself she didn’t need HELP. She didn't want HELP. Because she was strong, she was independent, and she was determined to convince her mom (and the world) that she could do this! She could do it all by herself!
And her daughter WAS determined!
But…
What Morgan was doing STILL wasn’t giving her success. Morgan STILL wasn’t getting to school on time.
But Morgan STILL didn’t want her mom’s HELP…
Have you ever had a similar situation where your child resisted or outright refused your HELP?
It was clear that Morgan did indeed NEED HELP building new skills, but where do you go from here? What do you do? What is your next best step?
I have one word…
TRUST
Your next best step is building more TRUST.
TRUST that you won’t make them feel even worse (than they already do) for their many, many deficits.
TRUST that you won’t just tell them what to do and make them feel stupid for not being able to do it already.
TRUST that they can rely on you for empathy for their personal reality.
TRUST that you will greet them with connection and understanding (instead of disconnection and displeasure).
And TRUST that they are completely lovable and worthy of your love in spite of their many, many mistakes.
Because right now…they don’t love themselves.
Whether you notice it or not, sometimes the relationship that needs the most support and attention is the relationship your child has with themselves.
It's why I do what I do...(It's why I created the ADHD Heirarchy of Needs)
Taking back control of you AND your child’s happiness and success doesn’t need to be as hard as it may seem right now. There are so many resources and paths available to you!
The #1 action step you can take to set your child up for success is to uncover what is UNDERNEATH their behavior.
The REAL reason WHY nothing you have tried before has brought your child happiness and success.
Which is why I want to personally invite you to sign up for my free Mini Course. In the two short videos you'll discover "Why your child is still struggling" and explore and learn each of the 6 Human Needs (with your child top of mind). You can grab these free videos in the comments.
Stay Inspired!
Angel McKim
Even more true for kids with ADHD ❤️
My client Kristi was desperate to help her son. She LOVED him dearly and would do anything to get him the help he needed most. And she WAS doing everything.
She took him to a tutor 1-2 each week, he had an individualized education plan (IEP) at school, and he went to the pediatrician every 6 months to ensure he was not losing weight while taking his ADHD meds.
His grades weren’t horrible but she knew he could do better.
She was “scaffolding” and supporting all his trouble spots just like the experts had instructed her to do. He had a solid routine for both homework time and bedtime and used visual tools to stay organized and on schedule.
But…
Her son was still struggling. In spite of everything Kristi was doing, her son continued to always struggle with something. One week he would struggle and argue about getting ready on time for school, the next he would struggle and give up on homework or fight about doing chores at home.
And when she was especially stressed…Kristi would ask herself “Why does this have to be so hard?” or “Why can’t he just do what he’s told?” or even “Why me?”
But what Kristi didn’t realize was that in spite of her absolute love for her son…
Her son didn’t FEEL her absolute love. He didn’t FEEL her encouragement and her consistent warm support. And he didn’t FEEL inspired, joyful and motivated.
INSTEAD…
HE FELT STRESS…stress and pressure to improve, stress about being compared to his classmates and stress trying to be more like his “normal” achieving sister.
But more importantly, deep down inside… he had a nagging gut feeling of never being good enough.
And he knew his mother did in fact love him. She ALWAYS told him so. Every morning, every evening and really every chance she got. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
But he didn’t completely feel it. And he didn’t understand why he had this feeling inside. This confusing heavy feeling that followed him everywhere he went, haunting him like a shadow he just couldn’t shake.
And every mistake he made only fed the shadow making it stronger…
But when Kristi and I started working together she was completely unaware of her son’s secret shadow. She was unaware of the hungry shadow that continued to feed and eat away at her son’s motivation, success and happiness.
But after a few weeks in the ADHD Success System, Kristi began to notice something.
She began to notice the shadow.
And as a result she began to discover how to shift her parenting strategies to focus on her son’s progress, strengths and what was already working for her son…. INSTEAD of focusing on everything that was broken.
Kristi was learning the strategies, tools and techniques to help her son not just this school year but for the rest of his life.
Can you imagine how great you would feel if everyone around you was always noticing your strengths, progress and all the wonderful things you do every single day?!? Pretty great right?
And that’s exactly what happened for her son too! With time, her son’s shadow brightened and the heaviness was lifting.
Kristi was learning how to crush the shadow!
And slowly but surely her son’s focus shifted too. Instead of counting and collecting his many mistakes to feed his hungry greedy shadow, he was finally letting his mistakes fall to the ground to use them as stepping stones instead.
After all, this is where your mistakes belong…as stepping stones to help you get to the other side of your challenges.
Because let’s face it, when you feel good... when you are focused on your strengths and feel like you are enough (just the way we are) you are way more motivated to do the hard things. (like homework, chores and school).
I’m so thrilled to see Kristi finally achieve peace and progress in her home and have the tools she needs to help her son grow up to be happy and successful (in spite of his ADHD).
She is now able to help her son with the loving persistence she intended all along… but in ways that her son FEELS completely loved and good enough just the way he is (perfectly imperfect).
Stay Inspired!
Angel