ADHD Parental Burnout

ADHD Parental Burnout

From All Aboard ADHD by Claire Quigley Ward

March 20, 2026 · 57 min · Season 1 · Episode 57

About this episode

This episode discusses parental burnout in the context of raising ADHD children and offers insights on managing stress and understanding the biological processes involved.

What is parental burnout and how can we better manage our stress levels as parents of ADHD children? In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by Dr. Claire Plumbly, a clinical psychologist and author of the bestselling book ‘Burnout’. Together, they tackle the subject that many parents of neurodivergent children feel but rarely have the words for: the bone-deep exhaustion of parental burnout. When you are raising a child with ADHD, you aren't just parenting; you are often acting as their external executive function, their sensory filter, and their emotional regulator. Dr. Claire explains why this constant "high-alert" state isn’t just tiring - it’s a biological process that can push your nervous system to its absolute limit. They discuss: 🔥 What parental burnout is vs "normal" levels of tiredness and how it is characterised by a “triad” of symptoms: emotional and physical exhaustion, detachment from children, and reduced sense of accomplishment. 🧠The unique challenges of parenting ADHD kids and how the unpredictability, sensory demands, and the constant need to "fix" situations can make parents of neurodivergent kids…

People in this episode

Host: Claire Quigley Ward

Guest: Dr. Claire Plumbly

Topics covered

  • parental burnout
  • ADHD parenting
  • stress management
  • neurodivergent children
  • nervous system
  • emotional regulation

Keywords

  • parental burnout
  • ADHD
  • stress levels
  • neurodivergent
  • nervous system
  • emotional regulator
  • chronic stress

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Burnout

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