Homework and Motivation for the ADHD Child: How to Help Your Teen Get Things Done

Ask Rachel anything Your teenager knows they have homework. They know the assignment is overdue. They know they need to start. So why can't they just do it? If you have a teenager with ADHD or executive-function difficulties, evenings can easily become a cycle of procrastination, missing assignments, nagging, arguments and frustration — with parents wondering how much they should step in and teenagers feeling constantly criticised for things they genuinely find difficult. In this episode, Rachel talks to Sean Geraghty, former high-school maths teacher, executive-skills coach and co-author of I'll Do It Later, about what is really happening when an ADHD teenager struggles to get things done. Sean explains that ADHD is often not a knowledge problem but a performance problem. Your teenager may know exactly what they should be doing but struggle with planning, prioritising, getting started, sustaining attention and managing the emotions attached to a boring or overwhelming task. So how do we help without becoming the household taskmaster? We discuss: • what executive function actually is and why teenagers struggle with it • why an ADHD teen can focus for hours on something they love but freeze over a ten-minute homework task • procrastination, missing assignments and the dreaded “I'll do it later” • why school systems and online homework portals can make ADHD harder to manage • how much parents should monitor homework and schoolwork • why nagging, shame and constant negative feedback can backfire • the power of noticing and celebrating small, specific wins • Sean's simple SUPER system: Sleep, Unplug, Plan, Eat and Roam • why your teenager needs to help design the systems they're expected to use • the surprisingly useful five-minute parent check-in • preparing an ADHD teenager for the huge loss of structure at university • when an executive-function coach or other outside support can help • and why parents shouldn't panic when the first strategy they try doesn't work. One of Sean's most useful messages is to treat ADHD strategies as experiments. Try five things. Four might fail. Keep the one that works — and be prepared for that system to need changing again. Most importantly, this conversation is about protecting your relationship with your teenager. When every interaction becomes Have you done your homework? Where's that assignment? Why haven't you started?, it's easy for school struggles to overwhelm everything else. Sometimes bringing in the right support allows parents to step away from being the taskmaster and get back to simply enjoying their teenager again. A practical and reassuring episode for parents of teenagers with ADHD, executive-function difficulties, procrastination, motivation problems or school struggles. Sean Geraghty: https://www.resetteencoaching.com/ [email protected] For a PDF full of advice from this episde, head over to my substack https://open.substack.com/pub/teenagersuntangled/p/hows-a-mum-to-know?r=2u24i0&utm_medium=ios Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. Find all the tips from the episode on Substack: My email [email protected] My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me Instagram Facebook