Episode Description
Your hands are shaking. Your stomach drops. A parent-friend just told you that your child's kindergarten teacher is using a stern voice with your kid "all the time"—and it isn't getting better.
If you hate confrontation but also can't ignore that protective mama bear instinct, this episode is for you.
This week, I'm sharing my appearance on the Uncomfy podcast with host Julie Rose. We talk about what happened when I chose to advocate for my son anyway—and how that teacher meeting led to not one, but TWO ADHD diagnoses: his and mine.
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You Need This Episode If...
- You've ever had to confront a teacher (or need to and you're terrified)
- You suspect your child might be neurodivergent and don't know where to start
- You've wondered if YOU might have ADHD (especially as a woman)
- You need practical scripts for advocating without starting from accusation
- You're a mom trying to survive modern motherhood while carrying all the things
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What You'll Get
How to advocate for your child without making it worse:
- When to contact the teacher directly vs. when to loop in support staff
- The magic phrase: "Can you help me understand?" (turns confrontation into fact-finding)
- How to separate valid teacher frustration from a harmful pattern
The path to ADHD diagnosis:
- How classroom behavior can flag neurodivergence
- What the evaluation process actually looks like
- How advocating for my son led to my own adult ADHD diagnosis at 38
ADHD in women and moms:
- Internal hyperactivity, mind racing, time blindness
- Hobby hopping, hyperfixation, high achievement paired with silent struggle
- How the label gave me language and tools (not excuses)
Survival skills for modern motherhood:
- Setting boundaries around news consumption
- Scheduling joy like it matters
- A sensory reset you can try tonight if you're overstimulated
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Your Host
Caitlin Kindred (that's me!) is a former middle school teacher, current mom, host of "How to Be a Grownup," and someone who got her adult ADHD diagnosis at 38 after advocating for her kindergartener led to an evaluation that changed everything.
Julie Rose hosts the Uncomfy podcast, where hard conversations become useful ones.
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Fear hits differently when it involves your child. But sometimes advocacy—even when it's scary—leads to clarity, validation, and tools you didn't know you needed.
This conversation is about conflict resolution, neurodivergence, and the unexpected ways motherhood reshapes who we are.
Want more from Uncomfy? Find them at uncomfy.podcast on Instagram or email uncomfy@byu.edu.
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Love,
CK & GK
View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on
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Thanks, y'all!