55. CONFESSIONS: Things I Can’t Say at the Playground

For ADHD mums, school pickup isn’t chit chat — it’s performance. The smiles, the nods, the weather talk. On the outside you look friendly. On the inside, you’re collapsing.

In this Quick Reset, Jane unpacks why masking at the school gate feels so exhausting, how it impacts ADHD and autistic mums, and why it’s not about being unfriendly — it’s about survival.

✨ What We Cover in This Episode

• Why everyday small talk at school pickup can lead to masking, exhaustion, and car park tears.
• How chronic masking in social situations (play dates, birthday parties, pickup and drop off) leads to burnout and mental health struggles.
• Research on the Double Empathy Gap by Damian Milton, and why neurodivergent communication breakdowns are misunderstood.
• Jane’s ADHD Mum School Pickup Guide — practical insights for getting through without faking it.

💛 This Episode Is For You If

• You’ve ever left school pickup early because you couldn’t fake one more smile.
• You collapse in the car after masking your way through birthday parties or play dates.
• You’ve been judged as rude, antisocial, or unfriendly — when you were just maxed out.
• You want to feel less alone in the invisible cost of social masking as an ADHD mum.

📑 References & Research

• Research on the Double Empathy Gap by Damian Milton.
• ADHD Mum School Pickup Guide.

🎧 Listen now: Spotify | Apple | adhdmums.com.au

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