From Overwhelmed to Empowered – The Real Truth About Parenting Confidence

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the EPIC Families podcast, Freddie Bennett gets raw and real about something every parent of a neurodiverse child has faced: Overwhelm.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing as a parent…

If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I should be better…”

If the mental load, school stress, guilt, and emotional rollercoaster of parenting a child with ADHD or Autism has you running on empty — this episode is for you.

Freddie shares his own story as a dad with ADHD, the shame spiral so many parents find themselves in, and why we often let overwhelm hold us back from the confident, connected parenting we dream of.

You’ll discover:

🫣 The 4 hidden drivers of parenting overwhelm (L.I.F.E.)

🚨 The 8 ways overwhelm shows up in everyday life — from procrastination to perfectionism

💪 Why confidence isn’t a mystery... it’s a muscle you build by keeping promises to yourself

🧠 How to shift your mindset from crisis to clarity — and finally feel like you’re back in control

This is more than just a podcast — it’s a wake-up call, a mirror, and a warm hug for every parent who feels like they’re not enough.

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EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s child neurodiversity centre of excellence. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/

Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.

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ADHD can feel overwhelming at times. As an ADHD adult or a parent of a neurodiverse child, there are days when the struggle feels impossible. Whether it’s dealing with emotional meltdowns, rejection, self-sabotage or workplaces & schools that just don’t ‘get it’, ADHD ain’t easy.

But you are NEVER alone…and the story told by this week’s guest proves it. We were delighted to welcome Neal Manley, Chair of ADHD UK, neurodiversity champion and a father who was diagnosed with ADHD in his early 40s.

In this raw, open and honest episode of the EPIC Families podcast, Neal reveals how ADHD doesn’t have to be a tripwire…it can be the missing piece of the puzzle:

🗺️ The personal journey of undiagnosed ADHD in his younger years that went from ‘hyperactive kid’ to school-leaver with zero qualifications to jumping from job to job and struggling with mental health and alcohol challenges.

🔎 How an ADHD diagnosis can help to explain the aspects of our lives that we’ve struggled with for so long, and trigger a vast range of positive lifestyle changes.

⚠️ The shocking statistics highlighting the links between ADHD and mental illness in young people and adults, and the strategies that can be put in place to help.

👋 Why ‘letting go’ can be the secret to dealing with ADHD-related challenges, and how vulnerability can be your greatest strength.

❤️ The importance of creating environment that offer psychological safety and the acceptance to allow people to let their authentic strengths shine.

🎓 How to help your children thrive in a learning environment, and why ‘being their authentic selves’ may be easy to talk about…but almost impossible to achieve.

PLUS, Neal reveals:

💪 How he discovered the secret ‘confidence to not conform’ in the most unlikely of places.

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EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, one of New Zealand’s leading child neurodiversity clinics. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/

Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you want to unlock your child’s unique learning abilities and help them to thrive in the classroom, meet the expert who specialises in supporting the "neuro-spicy" and "neuro-sparkly" learners - those brilliant minds who process information differently and often struggle to find teachers who truly understand them.

Dani Archer is the owner of The Study Nook (https://www.thestudynook.co.nz/) - a child learning organisation that doesn’t just help students to learn, they focus on building confidence, fostering understanding and celebrating extraordinary minds.

In this fascinating episode of the EPIC Families podcast, Dani reveals:

📝 What ‘structured literacy’ is, and why it’s seen as the secret weapon to support children who are neurodiverse or with additional learning needs.

🔬 The importance of taking an individualised approach to your child’s learning…even in a classroom that wants everybody to be the same.

👀 “They’re not just being naughty” How to understand why certain behaviours creep into the playground.

⏳Why patience is a virtue for parents when it comes to helping children with their learning, but nothing matters more than TRUST.

⚠️ Hidden signs of learning difficulties - what you need to look out for in your children.

🧠 The ‘working memory’ secret that can create an individual learning breakthrough for your child.

PLUS, Dani reveals…

♥️ How to help your child build resilience and inner confidence so they’re not afraid to FAIL

>>>>>

EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, one of New Zealand’s leading child neurodiversity clinics. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/

Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.