Hi Coco,

When I was little, I spent hours caring for my favorite doll, Rosie—rocking her, dressing her up, and humming little tunes until she “fell asleep.” She went everywhere with me, and in those tender moments, I imagined what it would be like to be a mom one day.

Of course, the real thing turned out to be very different from what I envisioned. My early years of parenting weren’t filled with storybook moments and picture-perfect days—they were emotional, chaotic, and demanding.

Nothing came easily.

My son struggled to sleep unless he was in motion. He cried endlessly, couldn’t sit still, was easily overwhelmed, and kept running into the same challenges again and again.

It was exhausting.

When preschool began, his quirks quickly turned into “problems.” He crawled under tables, climbed trees, and interrupted circle time with potty words.

Eventually, the school recommended an evaluation.

And so began our journey with ADHD.

I will never forget that day. We left the practitioner’s office with a diagnosis—and nothing else. No resources, no hope, no reassurance.

Just me, driving home in silence, full of fear and trepidation. Was this a mental illness? Was it permanent? What did it mean for my son’s future? I cried that night, feeling as though my son’s future—and mine—had just been rewritten in ways I didn’t understand.

And to make matters worse, the little guidance we did receive revolved around punishment and rewards: “Good behavior gets rewarded, bad behavior gets punished.”

It was disastrous.

I share this with you because October is ADHD Awareness Month. It also happens to be the month my son was born. And I don’t want other parents to feel what I felt that day—alone, afraid, and empty-handed.

Here’s what I’ve learned since then:
✨ ADHD is not a character flaw —it’s a brain-based difference.
✨ ADHD is manageable—and it comes with strengths.
✨ Kids with ADHD bring creativity, spontaneity, and joy to the world.
✨ With compassion and connection, our kids can thrive.

How we receive and process an ADHD diagnosis shapes how our children see themselves. If we treat it as a burden, they will too. But if we approach it with hope, truth, and possibility, they step into a future full of potential.

That’s why ADHD Awareness Month matters to me. It’s a chance to rewrite the story—not just for our kids, but for parents like us.

💌 I’d love to hear from you: What would you like us to cover in the following newsletter? More about school support? Motivation? Connection? Or maybe strategies that are working for other families? Just hit reply and let me know.

Here’s to filling our children’s lives with POSSIBILITY!

With love & respect,
Coco

P.S. Hit reply and let me know what topics would be most helpful for you. I’m listening!