The ADHD habits podcast

The bedtime battle is not just about behaviour. It is about biology. Children living with ADHD are already slow to produce melatonin, the sleep hormone, which means the body needs extra help knowing that sleep is coming. This episode looks at the science of sleep routines and why doing the same things in the same order every night is not just good parenting practice. It is a biological signal. One that, with enough repetition, the brain learns to respond to.SCIENCE REFERENCESCrowley, S. J., & Carskadon, M. A. (2010). Modifications to weekend recovery sleep delay circadian phase in older adolescents. Chronobiology International, 27(7), 1469 to 1492.

Last week we added protein to breakfast. This week we look at the other side of the equation. Refined sugar, artificial food dyes, and ultra-processed foods can undermine everything you are trying to build for a child living with ADHD. Most families never hear this at diagnosis. This episode breaks down the research in plain language and leaves you with one simple habit: check one label. Just one. Because you cannot change what you cannot see.Well Nourished LinkSCIENCE REFERENCES Wiles, N. J., et al. (2009). Junk food diet and childhood behavioural problems. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(4), 491 to 498.McCann, D., et al. (2007). Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community. The Lancet, 370(9598), 1560 to 1567.Pelsser, L. M., et al. (2011). Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Lancet, 377(9764), 494 to 501.Wolraich, M. L., et al. (1995). The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children. JAMA, 274(20), 1617 to 1621.Nigg, J. T., & Holton, K. (2014). Restriction and elimination diets in ADHD treatment. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23(4), 937 to 953.

Most parents of children living with ADHD spend their days in reactive mode putting out fires, managing meltdowns, and struggling to get to the end of the day in one piece. This episode is about shifting from reactive to proactive. Using the science of locus of control and the habit framework from Atomic Habits, Mon walks through what parents actually have power over and how one small proactive action on a Sunday can change the tone of the entire week.SCIENCE REFERENCESRotter, J. B. (1966). Generalised expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 80(1), 1 to 28.Mikami, A. Y., & Pfiffner, L. J. (2008). Sibling relationships among children with ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36(6), 977 to 992.Barkley, R. A. (2013). Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents. Guilford Press.Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits. Penguin Random House.

This episode is coming out late. Not because I forgot, but because I spent Mother's Day eve in the emergency department with my mum. She is okay. But it was a reminder that life does not care about your schedule. In this episode I talk about what happens when life gets in the way of the habits you are building, why that is not the problem you think it is, and the one thing research shows makes the biggest difference to getting back on track.Science references:1. Recovery protocols increase habit reestablishment by 82%Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2025), cited in Coach Pedro Pinto (2025). Habit Formation: Science-Backed Strategies.A 2025 study found that individuals who implemented specific recovery protocols after missing a habit were 82% more likely to reestablish the routine than those without such protocols. Immediate resumption at the next opportunity and adjusted expectations about lapses were identified as key recovery strategies.Source: https://coachpedropinto.com/habit-formation-science-backed-strategies-for-leaders/2. Missing one day does not significantly impact habit formation trajectoryLally, P. et al. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology.The landmark UCL study found that missing a single day had no significant effect on the overall habit formation trajectory, confirming that occasional lapses are a normal part of habit building rather than evidence of failure.Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejsp.674

Research shows that children living with ADHD who move before school show significant improvements in attention and mood that last throughout the entire day. Not just the first lesson. The whole day. In this episode we look at why the morning is the most valuable movement window of all, what the science says about timing and the ADHD brain, and how to build a simple morning movement habit that takes less than ten minutes.Science references in full:1. Morning exercise improves attention and mood throughout the school day in ADHD Michigan State University / Michelle Porter Fit (2025). Rise and Shine: How Morning Exercise Can Improve Focus for the ADHD Brain.A study from Michigan State University found that children living with ADHD who exercised in the morning showed significant improvements in attention and mood throughout the entire school day.Source: https://www.michelleporterfit.com/blog/rise-and-shine-how-morning-exercise-can-improve-focus-for-the-adhd-brain2. 30 minutes before school improved ADHD symptoms, mood and peer functioning ADDitude Magazine (2024). Exercise Ideas for Kids with ADHD: Movement for Focus.Research showed that 30 minutes of exercise before school improved ADHD symptoms, moodiness and peer functioning in children compared to a sedentary control group according to both parent and teacher ratings.Source: https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/exercise-ideas-for-kids-with-adhd-movement-for-focus/3. 20 minutes of aerobic exercise improved maths and reading on the same day ADDitude Magazine (2024). Exercise Ideas for Kids with ADHD: Movement for Focus.A study showed that children living with ADHD improved in maths and reading skills after 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, demonstrating an immediate academic benefit on the same day movement occurred.Source: https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/exercise-ideas-for-kids-with-adhd-movement-for-focus/4. Half hour of daily moderate exercise had measurable impact on focus and mood Child Mind Institute (2026). ADHD and Exercise.Research found that as little as half an hour a day of moderate to vigorous exercise had a positive, measurable impact on focus and mood in children living with ADHD across both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive presentations.Source: https://childmind.org/article/adhd-and-exercise/

The meltdown that came from nowhere. The intensity that seemed out of proportion. The child who cannot calm down no matter what you try. In this episode we look at why emotional regulation is genuinely harder for children living with ADHD, what is actually happening in the brain when big feelings arrive, and why connection, before any strategy or consequence, is the most important tool you have.Science references in full:1. 25-45% of children living with ADHD experience significant emotional dysregulation PMC / Frontiers in Psychiatry (2025). Abnormal functional connectivity associated with emotional dysregulation in children with ADHD.Emotional dysregulation is estimated to affect 25 to 45% of children living with ADHD — and in one sample of 358 children, nearly half of those with ADHD showed significantly impairing levels of emotional difficulty. Emotional dysregulation is associated with more severe academic, social and quality-of-life difficulties.Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12696573/2. Abnormal brain connectivity underlies emotional dysregulation in ADHD PMC / Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders (2016). Emotional dysregulation in children with ADHD.Research confirms that emotional dysregulation in children living with ADHD is associated with differences in the functional connectivity between emotional and thinking regions of the brain — meaning emotional responses arrive before the thinking brain has had time to regulate them. This is a neurological difference, not a behavioural choice.Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5110580/3. Emotional dysregulation affects friendships, academic performance and long-term wellbeing PMC / PubMed (2025). Emotion regulation strategy and its relationship with emotional dysregulation in children with ADHD.Children living with ADHD who experience emotional dysregulation face more severe academic, social and quality-of-life difficulties. Research also shows that emotional dysregulation significantly predicts the development of anxiety and low mood over time — highlighting the importance of supporting emotional regulation early.Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39821692/4. Connection and co-regulation as the foundation of emotional support Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory. Norton.Research on co-regulation confirms that the regulated nervous system of a connected adult provides a direct neurobiological scaffold for the dysregulated nervous system of a child. Connection is not a soft option — it is the most evidence-supported regulation tool available to a parent.

Phone calls home home. Difficult parent teacher interviews. A report that says your child isn't reaching their potential. If this sounds familiar, this episode is for you. School is genuinely one of the hardest environments for children living with ADHD. Not because of ability or effort, but because of fit. In this episode we look at what the classroom actually asks of an ADHD brain, why the gap between potential and performance is not your child's fault, and the one thing you can do this week that the research shows makes the biggest difference.ReferencesStudents living with ADHD experience academic underachievement and classroom difficulties ACAMH (2026). ADHD in the Classroom: Strategies to Improve Attention, Engagement and Self-Regulation.Source: https://www.acamh.org/blog/adhd-classroom-strategies/Core ADHD symptoms interfere with academic skills requiring sustained attention Frontiers in Psychology (2025). School-based randomised controlled trials for ADHD: systematic review and meta-analysis.Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1611145/fullExecutive function challenges manifest as real world academic difficulties ADD Resource Center (2025). Comprehensive Analysis of ADHD School Issues.Source: https://www.addrc.org/comprehensive-analysis-of-adhd-school-issues-evidence-based-insights-from-the-add-resource-center/Teacher-student relationship as protective factor in ADHDEwe, L.P. (2019). ADHD symptoms and the teacher–student relationship: a systematic literature review. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties.Source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13632752.2019.1597562Student-teacher conflict mediates school engagement in ADHDSciberras, E. et al. (2019). ADHD and emotional engagement with school in the primary years. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31654412/

Bedtime battles. A child who cannot switch off. A morning that starts already behind. If this is your family, this episode is for you. Nearly three quarters of children living with ADHD experience significant sleep problems, not because of behaviour, but because of biology. In this episode we look at why the ADHD brain runs on a different body clock, what that costs your child every single day, and how understanding it changes everything about how we respond at bedtime.Block Blue Light: (Affiliate link where I earn a small commission if you purchase through it, at no extra cost to you).⁠https://www.blockbluelight.com.au/?ref=adhd.habits⁠Science references in full:1. 73.3% of children living with ADHD experience significant sleep problems PMC / Frontiers in Psychiatry (2025). Perspective on Melatonin Use for Sleep Problems in Autism and ADHD.The prevalence of sleep problems in children living with ADHD is 73.3% — ranging from mild sleep disturbances through to moderate and severe difficulties including frequent nighttime waking, difficulty falling asleep and circadian rhythm disturbance.Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7325410/2. Melatonin onset delayed by approximately 45 minutes in children living with ADHD PMC / Frontiers in Psychiatry (2025). ADHD as a circadian rhythm disorder: evidence and implications for chronotherapy.An estimated 73 to 78% of children living with ADHD have a delayed sleep-wake cycle. Dim-light melatonin onset is delayed by approximately 45 minutes in children living with ADHD compared to neurotypical peers — meaning the brain's signal to sleep arrives significantly later every night.Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12728042/3. Delayed sleep phase syndrome is the most common sleep problem in ADHD APSARD (2016). Are You a Night Owl? About ADHD and Late Sleep.The most frequent sleep problem in children living with ADHD is delayed sleep phase syndrome — a disturbance of the body clock in which the onset of melatonin production is delayed, making it genuinely harder to fall asleep at a conventional bedtime. This is a neurological difference, not a behavioural one.Source: https://apsard.org/are-you-a-night-owl-about-adhd-and-late-sleep/4. Sleep deprivation worsens emotional reactivity and behaviour in children PMC / Journal of Korean Medical Science (2017). Sleep Problems as Predictors in ADHD: Causal Mechanisms, Consequences and Treatment.Sleep deprivation results in a significant increase in emotional reactivity in children — leading to long-term emotional and behavioural difficulties. Emotional lability and impulsivity are strongly correlated with sleep deprivation, with the severity of emotional dysregulation worsening as a function of the degree of sleep restriction.Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5290714/5. Better sleep leads to better days — and better days lead to better sleep PMC / Journal of Child Psychology (2023). Bidirectional associations between sleep and behaviour in children with ADHD.Research confirmed a bidirectional relationship — higher nightly sleep efficiency was related to improved parent ratings of ADHD the following day, and improved daytime behaviour led to higher sleep efficiency that night.Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10519735/6. Poor sleep is an overlooked contributor to academic and attention difficulties in ADHD ClinicalTrials.gov / University of Cincinnati (2025). Cognitive and Behavioural Effects of Sleep Restriction in Adolescents with ADHD.Insufficient sleep is associated with academic underachievement, emotional dysregulation and greater attentional problems — outcomes that occur at higher rates in children living with ADHD — suggesting sleep is a significantly overlooked area of support.Source: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02732756

Most families aren't told at diagnosis that children living with ADHD frequently present with deficiencies in the specific nutrients the brain needs most - omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin D. In this episode we look at what the research shows about nutrition and the ADHD brain, why protein at breakfast is one of the highest-impact daily habits available, and how what goes on the plate every day is quietly shaping how your child thinks, feels and focuses.Science references:1. Nutrient deficiencies in children living with ADHD — landmark 2025 study Hunter, C. et al. (2025). A closer look at the role of nutrition in children and adults with ADHD and neurodivergence. Frontiers in Nutrition.2. Omega-3 fatty acids and ADHD brain function Springer Nature / Egyptian Pediatric Association Gazette (2025). Nutritional supplements and micronutrients in ADHD.3. Zinc, dopamine and ADHD symptom severity ADDitude Magazine, citing Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (2025). 10 Supplements and Vitamins for ADHD Symptom Control.4. B vitamins, iron, dopamine and ADHD ADDitude Magazine (2025). Nutrition and ADHD: Fats, Proteins, Carbs.5. Protein, dopamine and ADHD attention The Lifestyle Dietitian, Sydney (2026). Protein Timing and ADHD: How to Eat for Better Focus, Mood and Energy.6. Iron, magnesium, vitamin D and zinc deficiencies in ADHD Villagomez, A. & Ramtekkar, U. (2014). Iron, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Zinc Deficiencies in Children Presenting with Symptoms of ADHD. Children, MDPI.

If you've ever felt like you were doing everything right and it still wasn't working, this episode is for you. Because the research shows that the most powerful variable in your child's ADHD journey isn't the habit system. It's you. Your presence. Your regulation. Your consistency. In this episode we look at what that means and what to do with it.

In this weekend episode we step back from the daily habits and look at the bigger picture, the science of how habits actually form, why the process takes longer for children living with ADHD, and why that's not a reason to give up. It's a reason to stay the course. Because every small moment of consistency, however imperfect, however unremarkable, is doing exactly the right work. The long game is the only game. And patience, it turns out, is the most powerful tool you have.

A walk around the block. Five minutes outside. Ten star jumps before homework. These aren't just good ideas, they're neurological interventions. In this episode we look at why movement is medicine for children living with ADHD, and how to make it the first habit of every day.

This isn't about the habits. It never was. It was about a child living with ADHD learning to see themselves differently, as someone capable, growing, and worth showing up for. In this episode we reflect on ten days of small wins, look at what the research says about resilience and identity, and open the door to what comes next. Because the foundation is set. And it's bending towards everything they are!

Later has no shape. No time. No place. And for an ADHD brain, that means it almost never happens. In this episode we look at why vague intentions fail kids living with ADHD, what the research says about specific planning, and how one simple sentence can turn "I'll do it later" into something that actually gets done.

Every time your child marks a habit tracker, their brain releases dopamine, the same reward chemical that ADHD brains struggle to produce naturally. In this episode we explore why visible progress is neurologically significant for kids living with ADHD, how a simple tick on a page builds both habit and self-belief, and how to use tracking as a celebration tool rather than a scoreboard.

If your child knows what they need to do but still can't seem to start, the problem probably isn't motivation. It's friction. In this episode we look at the neuroscience behind why the ADHD brain hits obstacles and stops, how removing just one step can change everything, and why setting up the environment the night before is more effective than any reminder you'll ever give.

Missing a day isn't failure. For a child with ADHD who already carries more self-criticism than most, coming back after a missed habit is one of the bravest things they can do. In this episode we talk about why shame dismantles habits, how to use the language of returning, and how to build a restart plan together, before the hard days arrive.

The ADHD brain is wired differently when it comes to reward and motivation. In this episode we explore why delayed gratification is neurologically harder for ADHD kids, what the research says about immediate positive reinforcement, and how celebrating small wins builds not just habits, but a child who believes in themselves.

Research shows that children with ADHD experience significantly lower self-esteem than their peers and that self-concept gets harder to shift the older they get. In this episode we explore how small daily habits don't just build routines. They build a new narrative. One your child writes themselves, one tiny win at a time.

The ADHD brain responds to what's visible right now, not what was mentioned an hour ago. In this episode we look at how designing your child's environment removes the need for reminders entirely, and why setting up the scene for your child's success is one of the most powerful things a parent can do.

What if the secret to building new habits wasn't starting from scratch, but piggybacking on what your child already does? In this episode we cover habit stacking, the dopamine science behind small wins, and why repeated success is one of the most powerful builders of self-esteem in ADHD kids.

You've tried the charts, the reminders, the routines. And somehow it still falls apart. In this episode we explain exactly why, and what to do instead. Success for children with ADHD doesn't come from doing more. It comes from starting small.