E240: Raising Out-of-the-box ADHD Children Well with Tracy Otsuka

There is a 50-75% chance that your child will have ADHD when you, their parent, have ADHD. That means everything multiplies exponentially - both the struggles and the wins! Parenting is already a tough job, and ADHD adds extra flavor, spunk, and responsibility onto both our and our kids’ plates.  How can we raise our ADHD children well?  Meet Tracy Otsuka, author & host of the ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast & book.  Tracy Otsuka, JD, is a certified ADHD coach and the host of the ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast. Over the past decade, she has empowered thousands of clients (from doctors and therapists to C-suite executives and entrepreneurs) to see their neurodivergence as a strength–not a weakness. Tracy leverages her analytical skills from being a lead counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to identify the right questions to ask her clients so they can boost their productivity, improve their finances, save failing relationships and live happier lives. Tracy’s expertise and experience as an adult living with ADHD are regularly sought out by top tier media including Inc, Forbes, ADDitude magazine, and The Goal Digger Podcast. When she’s not sharing her thought leadership around ADHD on other platforms, she hosts her own podcast which ranks #1 in its category and has over 5 million downloads across 160 countries. She also moderates a Facebook group with nearly 100,000 members. A married mother of two, Tracy lives in Sonoma County outside of San Francisco.  We’re often told that people who have degrees or do well in school couldn’t possibly have ADHD. Giant Eye Roll! While Tracy excelled in school, including a law degree, but it wasn’t until she was late-diagnosed with ADHD that she knew it was because she worked harder than everyone else and implemented some serious organization and structure. Today we’re discussing how both Tracy and her son Marcus struggled with undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia in school, affecting their grades and confidence. Tracy focused on supporting Marcus' interests and passions rather than grades, which helped him get into NYU and find his path to success.  Tracy also shares her hard-earned wisdom around communication, understanding strengths and weaknesses, and not passing on generational trauma to her children as part of how her family is able to manage 3 of 4 members having ADHD. With both her son and daughter reaching young adulthood, Tracy is on the other side of motherhood as an empty nester and is shining a light on what truly matters as you raise your ADHD kids well. Find Tracy Otsuka here: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/   Find links to everything mentioned in this episode & read the transcript here: https://www.patriciasung.com/podcast/episode-240-raising-adhd-children-tracy-otsuka-smart-women   Curious how ADHD shows up frequently in women? Download this free checklist of ADHD symptoms to help you feel confident at your diagnosis assessment or in your own knowledge of ADHD.   I’ve got a podcast for you to check out! I’m honored to partner with Understood.org’s podcast, In It: Raising Kids who Learn Differently this month. In each episode, you’ll hear from people sharing their own stories and perspectives on how to navigate and support those who have challenges with reading, math, ADHD, or dyslexia, and more. Listen today for support on how to better support yourself and your child.   Our annual ADHD Moms Luxury Weekend Retreat is coming up October 11-13, 2024 in Houston, Texas! You're officially invited :) “Gift yourself the opportunity to meet like-minded people (literally), make instant friendships, and the space to finally be yourself.” –ADHD Mama T.H. I’ll take care of all the details - you simply show up and enjoy. Put it on your calendar now. Because you deserve to take care of yourself too. Grab your all-inclusive ticket here: patriciasung.com/retreat Last day to get your ticket: Tuesday, September 24th!

Om Podcasten

Productivity, Parenting, and Education for Moms with Adult ADHD Are you overwhelmed by the never-ending to do list of motherhood? Are you burnt out and barely keeping your head above water? Are you confused and frustrated by how all the other moms make it look so easy? And somehow you're still floundering despite trying even harder... Your purse is as overflowing as your mind, you never feel like a good enough mom, and you don't dare have anyone over to visit to witness your messy home. You just want the best for your kids, but you can't figure out how to manage the chaos, both in your mind and in your house. Oh, I've been there, mama. Some days, I'm still there. Parenting with ADHD is hard! We want to be structured for our kids, yet we can't seem to stay consistent even for ourselves. But I'm letting go of everyone else's perception of a "good mom" and stepping into loving who I am a little more each day. Will you join me? Whether you have ADHD like I do, or think you might, here is your permission slip to let go of the pinterest worthy visions of organization and structure fit for everyone else. Let's do life like our brains do life: creatively, lovingly, and with all your might. Moms with ADHD have a superpower of always trying their best, even when it doesn't pan out. How do I know? I have known about my ADD for over twenty years, and I want to share all of this hard-earned ADHD knowledge with you, making your adjustment a lot easier and faster than mine was. What does Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder look like in women? We'll dive into emotional regulation, motivation, executive function, hormones, medication, and natural treatments. Women with ADHD share their diagnosis stories with us, whether inattentive, hyperactive or combined, from childhood through adult diagnoses. We also talk about ADHD's so-called friends like depression, anxiety, addiction, disordered eating, other learning differences, and what I've learned through therapy and CBT. Science is my jam and learning about how our brains work through the lens of scientific research helps us understand who we are. ADHD is not just for little boys; it looks different in girls. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurological medical condition, not an excuse for lazy, stupid, unmotivated people to not live up to our potential. Let's agree to throw that thought in the trash. Once we understand how our brains work, we can dive into the practical strategies like structuring our day, minimalism, money, nurturing our relationships, daily rhythms, using a planner, and improving our sleep. I want to help you build your version of a joyful family life. We talk about everything from ADHD to Zebras, because that is how Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder works: to us, our thoughts are clearly connected, but non-linear to everyone else. I want you to love being a zebra in a world full of horses. We were born as unique, gorgeous creatures, not meant to blend in with the usual nor mundane. When we embrace who we are and how our brains work, we can figure out how to live out lives successfully and in turn, lead our families well. At the end of the day, we just want to be good moms. Spoiler alert: you are already a great mom. If you're ready to see that with your own two eyes, hit play and listen in as we love ourselves a little more each day of our ADHD lives. ADHD does NOT mean you're doomed to be a hot mess, mama! You CAN rewrite your story from shame spiral to success story, and I'll be right here beside you to cheer you on! With love, Patricia Sung, a fellow mama with ADHD Free Resources and Transcriptions at: motherhoodinadhd.com Connect with Patricia Sung on Instagram: www.instagram.com/motherhoodinadhd Join like-minded mamas in our Successful Mama Meetups online community: https://www.patriciasung.com/meetup Sign up for community, courses, coaching, and tons of free resources to learn about ADHD: www.patriciasung.com