In one minute

Parenting rewards exactly the things ADHD makes hardest: routine, patience, remembering, planning ahead, staying calm while someone screams. Many people first seek assessment after having children, when the wheels come off a life that was just about holding together.

You are not failing your children by having ADHD. Warmth and repair — being close to your kids and putting things right when you get it wrong — matter more than perfect routines, and ADHD parents are often very good at both.

ADHD runs strongly in families. If you have it, there is a real chance one of your children does too. Knowing early matters, because the right support at school makes a large difference.