When Your Plate is Already Full: Parenting a Child with ADHD
Let’s just say it like it is: parenting is already a full-time job that demands superhero-level multitasking. But when your child has ADHD, the plate isn’t just full — it’s overflowing. If you’re reading this and nodding along, we see you. And this post is for you.
Raising a child with ADHD means navigating a world that isn’t always built for how your child thinks, learns, or expresses themselves. It means school mornings that feel like bootcamp, homework that turns into an emotional minefield, and social situations that can feel a little too unpredictable. And that’s all before you even get into the conversations with teachers, IEP meetings, or trying to advocate for accommodations that your child not only needs, but deserves.
There’s a special kind of exhaustion that comes from constantly having to be your child’s anchor — emotionally, socially, and academically — while also trying to hold everything else together. That’s the reality for so many parents of kids with ADHD. And if you’re in that season (or let’s be honest, lifetime) right now, we hope this post feels like a deep breath. Not a to-do list. Not a fix-it guide. Just a warm, understanding corner of the internet that gets it.
ADHD Isn’t Just a School Thing
One of the biggest misconceptions about ADHD is that it only shows up at school. But as you know all too well, it’s everywhere. It’s the daily routines that can’t seem to stick. It’s the outbursts over what seems like a small change. It’s the mood swings, the sensory overload, the way a meltdown can appear out of nowhere and leave the whole household feeling shaken.
And it’s the emotional load on you — the guilt, the second-guessing, the comparing yourself to other parents who seem to be doing it all with Pinterest-worthy lunchboxes and perfectly timed RSVPs.
But here’s the truth: ADHD doesn’t mean your child is broken. And it definitely doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. It means you’re doing something incredibly hard every single day. And we want to acknowledge that.
Coping Ideas That Go Beyond the Basics
We know you’ve heard the typical advice a hundred times. "Stay organized." "Use visual schedules." "Keep a consistent routine." (Cue the eye roll, right?) Those things can help, but they don’t always match the chaos of real life — especially when emotions run high or energy is low. So here are a few ideas that might feel more doable and a little less Pinterest-perfect.
1. Lower the bar — on purpose
This might sound counterintuitive, but sometimes the best thing you can do is intentionally not aim for perfection. Maybe dinner is cereal. Maybe the science project gets turned in one day late. Maybe you skip a birthday party because your kid’s having a tough day. That’s not failure. That’s knowing your limits and honoring them.
2. Create micro-moments of connection
ADHD can cause friction in even the closest relationships. If you’ve had a tough day of reminding, redirecting, and managing meltdowns, try ending the night with just 5 minutes of quiet connection — a cuddle, a shared joke, a little story time. It’s a small reset that reminds both of you that underneath it all, there’s still so much love.
3. Let go of the guilt around screen time
You know what? Sometimes a well-timed episode of Bluey or Minecraft session is what gives you the breather you need. And that’s okay. Giving yourself a moment to breathe isn’t a luxury — it’s survival. You’re not lazy, you’re human.
4. Celebrate your wins, too
We celebrate every small step our kids make, but how often do we notice our own? Did you get everyone out the door (mostly) on time today? Did you manage a meltdown without losing it yourself? Did you ask for help, even though it was hard? That’s huge. Count it. Celebrate it.
Why We Created Parentr
When we built Parentr, we weren’t trying to be the solution to everything — because let’s be real, there’s no single app that can solve the beautiful mess that is parenting. But what we did want to do was give parents a place where they could offload some of the mental load.
Because when your brain is juggling everything from permission slips to doctor appointments to trying to remember which day is library day — while also managing your child’s emotional world — you deserve some help.
Parentr was designed to take a bit of that off your plate. To help you organize, remember, and communicate more easily with the other parents, teachers, and caregivers in your world. It’s not about doing more — it’s about making the hard stuff a little easier.
We know it won’t fix everything. But maybe it can make space for a little more calm. A little more connection. A little more breathing room for you.
If no one’s told you today: you’re doing an incredible job. Even when it feels like you’re falling short. Even when the day ends in tears (yours or theirs). Even when it feels like everyone else has it more together than you do.
You’re showing up. You’re learning. You’re loving your kid exactly as they are.
And that? That’s enough.
