Becoming Together: Teaching Social Skills Without Crushing Confidence

Before we start teaching our ADHD kids social skills, maybe we need to ask a different question.

What if the challenge isn't that they don't know how to be a good friend? What if they're simply missing the invisible social cues that so many of us take for granted?

In this week's episode of Backpacking Through ADHD, we're continuing our five-part Becoming Together series by exploring how to help our children build social awareness without making them feel like they need to change who they are.

Through a real moment from tennis practice, Tera shares the delicate balance of helping a child grow while fiercely protecting their confidence. You'll also hear insights from Parent University, featuring Ryan Wexelblatt (ADHD Dude), and learn this week's simple Family Lesson: The Detective Game—a curiosity-based way to practice noticing social clues together without shame or criticism.

Whether you're parenting an ADHD child or you're an adult who's still learning these same lessons, this episode is a reminder that becoming isn't about becoming someone else. It's about becoming more fully yourself, one small step at a time.

In this episode:

• Why social awareness is different from social skills

• How ADHD affects reading social cues

• A simple shift from correction to coaching

• Parent University: Ryan Wexelblatt (ADHD Dude)

• Family Lesson: The Detective Game

Song of the Episode: Better Place – Rachel Platten

If this episode resonates with you, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with another family walking this trail. Together, we're becoming—one conversation, one lesson, and one connection at a time.