Positive Parenting: Using Strengths to Motivate and Understand our Kids

Ask Rachel anything

We want our kids to do as well as possible, so when they mess up, do dumb things, or seem to be failing, it's easy to focus on their mistakes and what they should do instead. 

Naomi Glover, a leading applied neuroscientist and brain health specialist, says we'd get the best out of our kids by doing the opposite; focusing on their strengths.

Coming from a  neurodivergent family, she truly understands the challenges faced by ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurotypes and offers practical, easy-to-use “brain hacks” for things like anxiety, focus, and emotional regulation.

Naomi believes that once we understand how our brain works, we can work with it—not against it this episode gives us those tips.

Naomi Glover:

https://neuro-informed.com

Find your strengths:

PARENTS: 

https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/pro/parentingstrengths/account/register

UNDER 18'S: https://StrengthBoostU18.pro.viasurvey.org/

Top tips:

1. Lead with strengths, not deficits
   • Regularly name what your teen does well (kindness, perseverance, curiosity, humour, etc.) instead of only correcting what’s missing.
2. Swap judgment for curiosity
   • Use phrases like “I noticed…”, “Tell me more about what happened”, and “What could we do differently next time?” to keep conversations safe and open.
3. Use recognition as rocket fuel (especially with ADHD/RSD)
   • Give specific, genuine praise:
     • “That was really kind leadership when you…”
     • “I really appreciated you helping with the washing up – that was great teamwork.”
4. Reduce brain overload with routines and single-tasking
   • Build simple, predictable habits (e.g. “Saturday is bed-linen day”).
   • Avoid multitasking; do one thing at a time and protect focus where possible.
5. Teach nervous-system resets
   • Use quick tools for you and your teen:
     • Breathing: in for 4, out for 8, 3–5 times.
     • Nature breaks: ~20 minutes outside to reset attention and mood.

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You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk