Don’t say this to your ADHD teen (it backfires every time)

Have you ever paused mid-sentence and thought,
“Wait… did I just make that worse?”

When you’re parenting a teen with ADHD, it can feel like you’re constantly walking on verbal landmines. And the hardest part is this: most of the phrases that backfire sound completely reasonable.

They’re not cruel.
They’re not careless.
They’re often said with love.

And yet… they can instantly trigger shutdowns, arguments, or fibbing.

In this video, I walk you through three common phrases to stop using—and exactly what to say instead so your teen stays calmer, more honest, and more connected to you.

Here’s a quick preview of what you’ll learn:

✅ Why using the word “but” can erase praise and amplify shame—and the one-word swap that helps your teen actually hear you
✅ Why asking “why?” can send your teen’s ADHD brain into threat mode (even when you’re calm)
✅ The yes/no questions that accidentally invite lying—and how to replace them with low-stress, cooperative scripts
✅ How inclusive language like “let’s” and “how about we” lowers defensiveness and builds trust
✅ Why fibbing in ADHD is a stress response—not a moral failure—and how you can respond without escalating the moment

These are small language shifts, but they have a huge impact on your teen’s nervous system—and on the emotional tone of your home.

🎥 Watch the full video here:
👉 Don’t Say This to Your ADHD Teen — It Backfires Every Time