{"id":12892,"date":"2026-01-20T11:02:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T11:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/?p=12892"},"modified":"2026-01-25T13:22:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T13:22:25","slug":"8-keys-to-parenting-kids-teens-with-adhd-what-every-parent-needs-to-know-by-cindy-goldrich","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/8-keys-to-parenting-kids-teens-with-adhd-what-every-parent-needs-to-know-by-cindy-goldrich\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Keys to Parenting Kids &#038; Teens With ADHD: What Every Parent Needs to Know by Cindy Goldrich"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_12893\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12893\" style=\"width: 683px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-12893\" src=\"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cover-Image-of-8-Keys-to-Parenting-Kids-and-Teens-with-ADHD-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cover-Image-of-8-Keys-to-Parenting-Kids-and-Teens-with-ADHD-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cover-Image-of-8-Keys-to-Parenting-Kids-and-Teens-with-ADHD-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cover-Image-of-8-Keys-to-Parenting-Kids-and-Teens-with-ADHD-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cover-Image-of-8-Keys-to-Parenting-Kids-and-Teens-with-ADHD-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cover-Image-of-8-Keys-to-Parenting-Kids-and-Teens-with-ADHD-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cover-Image-of-8-Keys-to-Parenting-Kids-and-Teens-with-ADHD-40x60.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cover-Image-of-8-Keys-to-Parenting-Kids-and-Teens-with-ADHD-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12893\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">8 Keys to Parenting Kids and Teens with ADHD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><strong>Book Review<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>8 Keys to Parenting Kids &amp; Teens With ADHD: What Every Parent Needs to Know <\/strong><em>by Cindy Goldrich <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12894 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cindy-Goldrich-930x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"145\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cindy-Goldrich-930x1024.jpg 930w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cindy-Goldrich-272x300.jpg 272w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cindy-Goldrich-768x846.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cindy-Goldrich-54x60.jpg 54w, https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cindy-Goldrich.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 145px) 100vw, 145px\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parenting is never simple and parenting a child with ADHD can feel like navigating a world with its own rules, rhythms, and surprises. In her book\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thriftbooks.com\/w\/8-keys-to-parenting-kids--teens-with-adhd-supporting-your-childs-executive-function\/55607438\/item\/85008858\/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=shopping_new_condition_books_high_14637440387&amp;utm_adgroup=&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=593819619485&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=14637440387&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADwY45gR_8p-lvIOiDdAvFAbVQL62&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMI88mn752OkQMV64ZaBR0MYCvtEAYYASABEgIKbfD_BwE#idiq=85008858&amp;edition=73353387\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">8 Keys to Parenting Kids &amp; Teens With ADHD<\/a><\/em>, Cindy Goldrich combines neuroscience, practical strategies, and decades of coaching experience to help parents understand their child\u2019s struggles and support their growth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This blog-style summary brings together the core ideas of the book so you can quickly grasp the essentials and start applying them at home.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Why ADHD Isn\u2019t What Most People Think It Is<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ADHD is not caused by bad parenting, a lack of discipline, too much sugar, or too much screen time. It is a\u00a0neurodevelopmental condition\u00a0with well-documented differences in brain activity, especially in areas that regulate:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>attention<\/li>\n<li>impulse control<\/li>\n<li>emotional regulation<\/li>\n<li>organization and planning<\/li>\n<li>motivation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kids with ADHD\u00a0<em>aren\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0choosing to be difficult. Their brains are wired differently, and once you understand how those differences show up, everything about parenting becomes clearer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ADHD is also deeply tied to\u00a0executive function, EF, skills. These are the brain\u2019s management abilities like starting tasks, planning ahead, regulating big emotions, and staying organized. Most kids with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/training\/continuing-coach-education\/add-coach-program-overview.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ADHD<\/a> lag behind their peers in these EF skills by 3\u20135 years. This gap often explains why bright children struggle with seemingly simple daily tasks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The 8 Keys Every Parent Should Know<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below are the eight essential principles Goldrich teaches to help parents guide, support, and truly understand their child with ADHD.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key 1: Get Educated<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The more you understand ADHD, the more effectively you can respond.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kids with ADHD aren\u2019t being lazy. They aren\u2019t unmotivated. They\u2019re often overwhelmed, flooded, dysregulated, or trying to keep up with a brain that doesn\u2019t process time, emotion, or instructions like a typical child.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning how ADHD affects learning, behavior, and relationships empowers you to parent with confidence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key 2: Create Calm<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calm isn\u2019t a luxury; it\u2019s a requirement.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children with ADHD are highly sensitive to emotional tone. Chaos triggers chaos and calm creates safety. When parents learn to regulate themselves first by slowing down, breathing, and responding instead of reacting, children follow their lead.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calm is the foundation for cooperation, connection, and growth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key 3: Strengthen Connection<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connection comes before correction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When children feel safe, understood, and accepted, their ability to listen, collaborate, and recover from setbacks improves dramatically. Connection builds:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>trust<\/li>\n<li>resilience<\/li>\n<li>self-esteem<\/li>\n<li>motivation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A connected child is a teachable child.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key 4: Cultivate Good Communication<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kids with ADHD need communication that is:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>clear<\/li>\n<li>brief<\/li>\n<li>concrete<\/li>\n<li>non-emotional<\/li>\n<li>specific<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long lectures don\u2019t work. Punitive language backfires. Effective communication focuses on collaboration, not control and helps build the child\u2019s problem-solving and self-advocacy skills.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key 5: Teach Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of \u201cDo it because I said so,\u201d Goldrich emphasizes\u00a0working with your child, not against them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shared problem-solving teaches them how to:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>identify challenges<\/li>\n<li>brainstorm solutions<\/li>\n<li>negotiate needs<\/li>\n<li>evaluate outcomes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaboration helps kids take ownership of their choices and builds their confidence and maturity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key 6: Achieve Clarity &amp; Consistency<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Predictability reduces stress both for kids and parents.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children with ADHD rely on:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>routines<\/li>\n<li>visual schedules<\/li>\n<li>clear expectations<\/li>\n<li>consistent follow-through<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When structure is predictable, kids feel safer, more in control, and better prepared to manage their responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key 7: Build Impactful Consequences<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequences shouldn\u2019t be about punishment; they should be about teaching skills.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many traditional reward systems, sticker charts, or punishments don\u2019t work for kids with ADHD, because their brain\u2019s reward centers function differently. Impactful consequences focus on:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>learning<\/li>\n<li>accountability<\/li>\n<li>reflection<\/li>\n<li>growth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal is to help the child internalize skills.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key 8: Navigate Choices<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ADHD makes decision-making hard.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents can help by:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>offering limited, structured choices<\/li>\n<li>teaching decision-making steps<\/li>\n<li>helping children evaluate risks<\/li>\n<li>building independence gradually<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empowering kids at a pace that matches their developmental readiness creates competence and confidence for adulthood.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Seeing the Whole Child<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most powerful ideas in this book is Goldrich\u2019s mantra:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u201cParent the child you have.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Not the imaginary child.<\/li>\n<li>Not the child you\u00a0<em>wish<\/em>they were.<\/li>\n<li>Not the child others expect them to be.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your child, exactly as they are, is whole, capable, creative, and full of potential.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you see their strengths as clearly as their challenges, everything changes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Why This Book Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ADHD affects every aspect of a child\u2019s life: academic, emotional, social, and family dynamics. Without support, the long-term risks are real: school failure, low self-esteem, substance misuse, depression, and more.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With understanding, structure, and compassionate parenting, children with ADHD can:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>succeed<\/li>\n<li>thrive<\/li>\n<li>excel<\/li>\n<li>discover their strengths<\/li>\n<li>build meaningful lives<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their brains aren\u2019t broken; they\u2019re wired differently, often with extraordinary creativity, perspective, and resilience.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This book gives parents the roadmap to help their children reach their full potential while strengthening the entire family system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Book Review 8 Keys to Parenting Kids &amp; Teens With ADHD: What Every Parent Needs to Know by Cindy Goldrich Parenting is never simple and &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12893,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,40],"tags":[402,2874,2269,1781,2873],"class_list":["post-12892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books-and-resources","category-tools-and-techniques","tag-adhd","tag-cindy-goodrich","tag-kids","tag-parent","tag-teens","latest_post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12892"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12892\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12895,"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12892\/revisions\/12895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coachcert.com\/coachingblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}