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Mindful Parenting for ADHD: A Guide to Cultivating Calm, Reducing Stress, and Helping Children Thrive
Written by a pediatrician and based in proven-effective mindfulness techniques, this book will help you and your child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) keep calm, flexible, and in control.
If you are a parent of a child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you probably face many unique daily challenges. Kids with ADHD are often inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive, since ADHD affects all of self-management and self-regulation. As a result, you might become chronically frustrated or stressed out, which makes caring for ADHD that much harder. In this book, a developmental pediatrician presents a proven-effective program for helping both you and your child with ADHD stay cool and collected while remaining flexible, resilient, and mindful.
Bertin addresses the various symptoms of ADHD using non-technical language and a user-friendly format. In addition, he offers guidelines to help you assess your child's strengths and weaknesses, create plans for building skills and managing specific challenges, lower stress levels for both yourself and your child, communicate effectively, and cultivate balance and harmony at home and at school.
If you are a parent, caregiver, or mental health professional, this book provides a valuable guide.
If you are a parent of a child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you probably face many unique daily challenges. Kids with ADHD are often inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive, since ADHD affects all of self-management and self-regulation. As a result, you might become chronically frustrated or stressed out, which makes caring for ADHD that much harder. In this book, a developmental pediatrician presents a proven-effective program for helping both you and your child with ADHD stay cool and collected while remaining flexible, resilient, and mindful.
Bertin addresses the various symptoms of ADHD using non-technical language and a user-friendly format. In addition, he offers guidelines to help you assess your child's strengths and weaknesses, create plans for building skills and managing specific challenges, lower stress levels for both yourself and your child, communicate effectively, and cultivate balance and harmony at home and at school.
If you are a parent, caregiver, or mental health professional, this book provides a valuable guide.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
320 people are currently reading
1236 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 12, 2015
I have been reading all I can about parenting strategies for kids with ADHD and/or autism for years. And I’ve been writing about it myself for a while now too. Just when I thought I’d learned it all, Dr. Mark Bertin comes out with the book "Mindful Parenting for ADHD." It’s a bit of a game changer.
Please don’t judge this book by its title. This is so much more than a book about “mindfulness.” Dr. Bertin shares many nuggets of wisdom not commonly found in books on ADHD. He understands human nature on a deeper level — for parents and children alike, especially those with ADHD in their lives (the book is 100 percent applicable for parents of kids with high functioning autism/Asperger’s too). He “gets it” like few do.
As I read, engrossed, I found myself dog-earing dozens of pages, underlining and starring passage after passage. There’s so much good stuff in "Mindful Parenting for ADHD!" Not only is it about listening, but about how to talk with your child in a manner that will produce the best possible outcome.
It’s also very much a book about remaining calm. In that regard, I found the book validating. By the time I reached the end, I was thinking, "Good job, Penny; in working hard to remain calm with Ricochet — especially when he’s not — you’re practicing mindfulness, and laying the groundwork for him to use it as well."
Dr. Bertin also offers strategies to keep your compass pointed toward the positive. That isn’t always easy when parenting kids with ADHD and/or autism, but completely crucial.
I promise this book won’t disappoint.
Penny Williams
Author of "What to Expect When Parenting Children with ADHD," "Boy Without Instructions" and "The Insider's Guide to ADHD" (Dec 2015)
Parent of 2e teen with ADHD, autism, and LDs
ParentingADHDandAutism.com
Please don’t judge this book by its title. This is so much more than a book about “mindfulness.” Dr. Bertin shares many nuggets of wisdom not commonly found in books on ADHD. He understands human nature on a deeper level — for parents and children alike, especially those with ADHD in their lives (the book is 100 percent applicable for parents of kids with high functioning autism/Asperger’s too). He “gets it” like few do.
As I read, engrossed, I found myself dog-earing dozens of pages, underlining and starring passage after passage. There’s so much good stuff in "Mindful Parenting for ADHD!" Not only is it about listening, but about how to talk with your child in a manner that will produce the best possible outcome.
It’s also very much a book about remaining calm. In that regard, I found the book validating. By the time I reached the end, I was thinking, "Good job, Penny; in working hard to remain calm with Ricochet — especially when he’s not — you’re practicing mindfulness, and laying the groundwork for him to use it as well."
Dr. Bertin also offers strategies to keep your compass pointed toward the positive. That isn’t always easy when parenting kids with ADHD and/or autism, but completely crucial.
I promise this book won’t disappoint.
Penny Williams
Author of "What to Expect When Parenting Children with ADHD," "Boy Without Instructions" and "The Insider's Guide to ADHD" (Dec 2015)
Parent of 2e teen with ADHD, autism, and LDs
ParentingADHDandAutism.com
July 28, 2023
3.75/5
January 5, 2022
My biggest disappointment in reading this was the author made multiple mentions of not beating yourself up but with no positive reassurance one can assume nothing good can come from a person with ADHD.
-Taking care of the caretaker could have been expounded on better. I would have preferred more meditation exercises and more chit chat on physical activities that help ADHD children thrive.
Cons: The workbook starts out with saying it will help you be a better parent but in most cases it never really gets beyond bullet points.
*Have a reward system but remember people who think they don't work, don't know how to make it work. A couple pages of how to decide which behaviors to work on BUT there are no working examples provided!
*The workbook promises in chapter one that it will help you figure out if your child has ADHD, but the premise of this book is for people who know their child has ADHD? The rest of this workbook goes back and forth between the parent who knows and the one who doesn't.
*The chapter on 'ADHD Goes to School' -There is nothing here that a parent with an ADHD child in school doesn't already know. (Likewise I don't feel it's enough information for someone starting at ground zero.) The chapter would have been better spent helping identify what an ADHD child would struggle with or what to keep an eye out for. Questions to ask the evaluators or types of learning assessments that have been helpful in identifying ADHD. Instead it starts the chapter on how we should accept the child's pace and ability instead of pushing and expecting them to perform beyond their capabilities. Then it focuses on the importance of getting the child evaluated, creating a 504 or IEP (which really given the target of this book, is this checklist a reminder). The homework tips are great, but is this really all a parent can help their child in regards to the school environment? (This chapter of course neglects a mindful meditation to help you specifically overcome obstacles with getting an evaluation or getting a school to recognize an academic plan.)
*Parenting tips are generic and can be applied to anyone raising a child, with or without a disability.
Overall the workbook sends mix messages. We should parent/teach all children from a similar environment(I agree)... ADHD is a disability that requires additional assistance to help a child learn to manage themselves better(which he says all children need in varying degrees but ADHD need it more?)...but ultimately you don't know how to do that because you don't know how to manage yourself(this workbook should be for the parent who has ADHD parenting a child with ADHD)... but you probably do know (I don't want to insult your intelligence or your abilities) because I'll assume you know how to manage your life well enough to teach a child without an applicable example?
Pros: This is light but a good place to start for someone new to ADHD to get clear tidbits of information about what ADHD is. The facts and myths about medication was simplified but well presented. Each chapter ends with a generally helpful meditation exercise and a worksheet or action plan. Lightly referenced but helpful research to lead you to the author's conclusion (for example the use of technology). The last chapter is basically the most helpful part of this book because it includes a couple of suggestions in cultivating a calm and mindful environment.
This book is good for reminding you to accept the reality of the circumstances in your life and to consider that as a parent you also may have ADHD.
-Taking care of the caretaker could have been expounded on better. I would have preferred more meditation exercises and more chit chat on physical activities that help ADHD children thrive.
Cons: The workbook starts out with saying it will help you be a better parent but in most cases it never really gets beyond bullet points.
*Have a reward system but remember people who think they don't work, don't know how to make it work. A couple pages of how to decide which behaviors to work on BUT there are no working examples provided!
*The workbook promises in chapter one that it will help you figure out if your child has ADHD, but the premise of this book is for people who know their child has ADHD? The rest of this workbook goes back and forth between the parent who knows and the one who doesn't.
*The chapter on 'ADHD Goes to School' -There is nothing here that a parent with an ADHD child in school doesn't already know. (Likewise I don't feel it's enough information for someone starting at ground zero.) The chapter would have been better spent helping identify what an ADHD child would struggle with or what to keep an eye out for. Questions to ask the evaluators or types of learning assessments that have been helpful in identifying ADHD. Instead it starts the chapter on how we should accept the child's pace and ability instead of pushing and expecting them to perform beyond their capabilities. Then it focuses on the importance of getting the child evaluated, creating a 504 or IEP (which really given the target of this book, is this checklist a reminder). The homework tips are great, but is this really all a parent can help their child in regards to the school environment? (This chapter of course neglects a mindful meditation to help you specifically overcome obstacles with getting an evaluation or getting a school to recognize an academic plan.)
*Parenting tips are generic and can be applied to anyone raising a child, with or without a disability.
Overall the workbook sends mix messages. We should parent/teach all children from a similar environment(I agree)... ADHD is a disability that requires additional assistance to help a child learn to manage themselves better(which he says all children need in varying degrees but ADHD need it more?)...but ultimately you don't know how to do that because you don't know how to manage yourself(this workbook should be for the parent who has ADHD parenting a child with ADHD)... but you probably do know (I don't want to insult your intelligence or your abilities) because I'll assume you know how to manage your life well enough to teach a child without an applicable example?
Pros: This is light but a good place to start for someone new to ADHD to get clear tidbits of information about what ADHD is. The facts and myths about medication was simplified but well presented. Each chapter ends with a generally helpful meditation exercise and a worksheet or action plan. Lightly referenced but helpful research to lead you to the author's conclusion (for example the use of technology). The last chapter is basically the most helpful part of this book because it includes a couple of suggestions in cultivating a calm and mindful environment.
This book is good for reminding you to accept the reality of the circumstances in your life and to consider that as a parent you also may have ADHD.
October 20, 2015
Good ideas and nicely organized to make things easier to understand. No doubt some will find fault with the information though. Not sure how much information i could use or apply, but it was interesting regardless.
arc from NetGalley
arc from NetGalley
February 6, 2026
Good book for better understanding executive functioning and using mindfulness to manage executive functioning tasks.
December 21, 2024
Probably the best book I have read on parenting a child with ADHD. Very insightful and helpful!
August 28, 2022
Clearly, I should have read a book about parenting a child with ADHD a long, long time ago. Many of the strategies and advice in this book I currently use, but it took years of trial and error to figure it out on my own...you can't parent kids with ADHD the same way you parent a neurotypical child. I did learn a few nuggets in this book, but I appreciated the affirmation the most. Parents of children with ADHD will spend an exhausting amount of time doing the same thing over and over because their children CANNOT do what other children can. It takes a ton of hard work, patience, and routine to make what seems like a tiny amount of progress. What I feel was missing from this book was all the positive parts and strengths of children with ADHD.
August 15, 2015
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Growing up ADHD had such a negative stigma attached to it. Kids would tease; "That's the boy with ADHD", as if it was a contagious disease. While I've personally never had to deal with ADHD, I do know about compulsion disorders and mental illness, which are often viewed with the same stigma.
This book is a simple easy way to explain ADHD to parents regardless of whether or not they have children who have been diagnosed.
It provides tools for parents and makes communicating with children with ADHD easier.
Great read.
Growing up ADHD had such a negative stigma attached to it. Kids would tease; "That's the boy with ADHD", as if it was a contagious disease. While I've personally never had to deal with ADHD, I do know about compulsion disorders and mental illness, which are often viewed with the same stigma.
This book is a simple easy way to explain ADHD to parents regardless of whether or not they have children who have been diagnosed.
It provides tools for parents and makes communicating with children with ADHD easier.
Great read.
December 17, 2015
I've read a lot of books on ADHD and this was the most easy to understand and gave such practical advice. Loved how hopeful and positive I felt after reading this book.
Want to read
September 23, 2015Really looking forward to reading this. I recieved this book for free from goodreads.com and am in no way bound to give a good review.
Want to read
February 5, 2016what this book is NOT: a light and fun non fiction read. It is TERSE.
February 1, 2024
Mindful Parenting for adhd by Mark bertin. Usually I like and enjoy reading books of this genre as it gives me an insight, but IMO this one seems to be written by someone who has done study in this area but not actually have lived or put anything into use. Like don't get me wrong some things he was spot on with but others points were basic pipe dreams that you would be seeing up your child to have a meltdown
November 23, 2025
E-book.
I think this book would have been more impactful had I not already been very familiar with mindfulness practices and gentle parenting. This book did help explain signs and aspects of ADHD, and therefore has led me to be more patient and understanding towards my school-aged daughter who has trouble with executive function almost exactly as the author described. It also helped me feel better about her taking medication if and when I feel it would make things easier for her.
I think this book would have been more impactful had I not already been very familiar with mindfulness practices and gentle parenting. This book did help explain signs and aspects of ADHD, and therefore has led me to be more patient and understanding towards my school-aged daughter who has trouble with executive function almost exactly as the author described. It also helped me feel better about her taking medication if and when I feel it would make things easier for her.
December 21, 2017
Any book that provides good guidance for parents of children with ADHD is a bonus, and this one is no exception. A good solid read with lots of helpful advice using the modern technique of mindfulness to assist in providing calm, sensible parenting. I give this book four stars.
September 10, 2018
Excellent book. I can be highly critical of self help books but thought this one was realistic and empathetic. I learned lots of new information not just about mindfulness but many new facts about ADHD. Will be incorporating many of these ideas into our family.
April 1, 2020
I would rate this book 3.5. After reading this book, I felt I had a better understanding of my son and his condition. There was a lot of useful information, but the book could have used more examples. Definitely one of the better books I have read about ADHD.
February 15, 2024
This was pretty good. Probably better for parents with younger children but still a good read with a different perspective that was helpful. It had a lot of 'worksheets' for you to complete to help facilitate more indepth thinking and plans.
June 9, 2024
One of the most useful ADHD parenting books. Very validating, realistic and encouraging. I teach some mindfulness in therapy so a lot of the practices he shared were not new to me but I liked how he emphasized their importance in the context of parenting difficult kids.
July 1, 2017
Best parenting book I've ever read. It has literally changed my life and my family's life for the better.
August 18, 2018
Informative without being too dense, with plenty of helpful and straightforward suggestions to put into practice. Very encouraging.
February 14, 2019
I liked the book. There were a few helpful tips, I do wish it had more in how to teach mindfulness to the child.
June 24, 2020
Spoiler: This is not a book about "fixing" a child with ADHD but rather a book that tries - pretty well - to convince parents to see and accept their child as is rather than as desired.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2020
So helpful. I read on kindle and then purchased the actual book so I could make notes, highlight, and re-reference.
September 25, 2021
This book has some good information on ADHD and some interesting ideas for mindfulness practices. Sometimes that felt like a bit of a stretch to put together, but I found some of it helpful.
August 11, 2022
So many good ideas in this book. I've already implemented many of them. This book actually made me excited to parent my child again.
October 4, 2022
I don't know why I keep reading things with a mindfulness focus when it's something I always struggle with. But some good stuff to think about.
October 26, 2022
Good basic explanation of ADHD & tips of how to deal with it. The mindfulness ideas were good takeaways.
January 8, 2023
I liked this book. I want to get a paper copy to refer to when needed. Lots of concrete ways to look at parenting in different ways.
February 16, 2023
I listened to this one as an audiobook and it was great! Full of great suggestions for helping kids with ADHD.
May 2, 2023
Some helpful tips but could have been better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews