169: Creating Your ADHD Family Playbook with Caz Pringle-Bowden

2025-07-31

In this episode of The Soaring Child, host Dana Kay welcomes back counselor, neurodiversity educator, and yoga facilitator Caz Pringle-Bowden for a deep dive into a transformative concept for ADHD families — the Family Operational Manual. If parenting your child with ADHD often feels like chaos without a game plan, this episode offers a unique and practical tool that could change the way your household operates. Dana and Caz explore how understanding each family member’s brain wiring can shift a household from reactive to regulated. With real-life examples, creative metaphors, and small, act...

Dana and Caz explore how understanding each family member’s brain wiring can shift a household from reactive to regulated. With real-life examples, creative metaphors, and small, actionable tips, they walk you through how to create a shared playbook tailored to your family’s needs — helping you move from daily friction to connection and confidence.

Link Mentioned in the Show:

Caz’s first Soaring Child Podcast episode on Equine-Assisted Therapy - https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/podcast/soaring-child-episode-155/

Free Breakfast Guide - https://bit.ly/4b98NZe

Key Takeaways:
[3:14] Introduction to the ADHD Family Manual
[4:10] Understanding Brain Differences Through Metaphors
[6:20] Creating Shared Language in Families
[10:20] Practical Steps for Manual Creation
[19:35] The Importance of a System Over Discipline

Memorable Moments:
If parenting your child with ADHD feels like coaching a team that doesn't know the rules or the plays or even what sport they're playing, you are definitely not alone.

You’re yelling instructions, your partner is doing something else entirely, and your kids are off in the corner melting down.

The operational manual is sort of like a brilliant metaphor for externalizing a person's pathway to best and calmest functioning.

If we are in a calm, regulated state, we can really enjoy ourselves.

We're supposed to move in and out of those states, but ultimately we do want to set things up for success.

This isn't a discipline issue, it's a systems issue.

Creating a family operational manual removes assumptions and builds understanding.

Authenticity is contagious.

It’s not bad. It’s not them doing anything wrong. It’s just the wiring.

Rome wasn't built in a day, listeners. Remember that one.

How to Connect to Caz: