Becoming Your Child's School Advocate

In this conversation, therapist and long-time school advocate Keischa Pruden shares 25 years of hard-won wisdom on helping neurodivergent kids access safety and learning inside traditional schools. We talk whole-child lenses (bio-psycho-social), what actually derails learning (surprise transitions, sensory overload, inflexible expectations), and how to build a true “village” between home and school. Keischa walks through the key components of practical school advocacy—and names the heavy load parents carry (and why support is non-negotiable). It’s a compassionate, concrete guide to lowering demands at school without losing sight of what matters most: each child’s definition of a meaningful day. Meet our guest: Learn more about Keischa Pruden here. Additional Resources: Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!  Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward! Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom   Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!  Instagram Facebook Pinterest   The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!   

In this rich, practical conversation, Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman—PDA adult, rabbi, and creator of the PDA Safe Circle—maps out a body-based way to understand PDA using her “safe circle” metaphor. We explore why capacity, not compliance, defines what’s truly “safe,” how trauma can sensitize antenna without being the cause of PDA, and what actually widens a nervous system’s circle. Learn more about Shoshana: Experience a free week in the PDA Safe Circle community Download the PDA Safe Circle Coloring Book (for free!) Follow Shoshana on Instagram Additional Resources: Low Demand Course - a powerful 6 week course to learn the 6-step Low Demand approach and change your parenting journey! Enrolling now through September 15. Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!  Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward! Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom Follow @LowDemandAmanda on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!  Instagram Facebook Pinterest The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!

In this episode, I welcome Dr. Angele Close, a psychologist, motherhood coach, and author, to discuss the transformative power of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy in parenting. We explore how understanding and healing our internal parts can lead to more effective, compassionate, and empowering low-demand parenting. Dr. Close shares her personal journey with IFS, how it changed her approach to parenting her neurodivergent son, and offers practical insights into how parents can shift their inner dialogues to better manage triggers and stress. Our personal and raw conversation sheds light on the importance of unburdening ourselves from societal expectations and embracing the dynamic healing journey, which gifts us with a richer relationship to our children and ourselves. Bio: Dr. Angele Close is a clinical psychologist, motherhood coach, and certified mindfulness teacher who supports mothers and couples through the emotional challenges of parenting and partnership. A mom to a neurodivergent teen, she discovered the therapeutic model of Internal Family Systems (IFS) during her own parenting journey and found its tools transformational. Practicing and training in IFS helped her shift from chronic reactivity to greater clarity, calm, and compassion, for her kids and herself. Dr. Close now brings this approach to her clients, guiding them to feel more grounded, connected, and confident through their own inner healing. She is the author of the forthcoming book Unburdening Motherhood and is passionate about helping parents apply IFS in everyday moments so they can not only show up with the steady, wise presence their children and relationships need most, but also experience more ease, joy, and fulfillment in parenting. - Episode Resources: 5 part free video series - https://www.drangeleclose.com/courses IFS Book: You Are The One You've Been Waiting For IFS Workbook Dr. Close is also hosting a workshop/webinar for PDA North America August 21st (6pm CST) titled Finding Calm in the Chaos: How Internal Family Systems Can Shift the Way You Parent.  - Additional Resources: When Siblings Feel Like Enemies - a DIY course for overwhelmed PDA families navigating constant sibling conflict Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!  Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward! Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom - Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!  Instagram Facebook Pinterest - The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!

In this episode, we delve into the intricate dynamics of sibling relationships in families with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Whether your family is neurodivergent or mixed neurotype, sibling interactions can be challenging. We'll explore practical strategies for creating a safe, compassionate, and understanding environment. Learn about the importance of repairing relationships, avoiding comparisons, and fostering open conversations about disabilities. Additionally, I introduce my self-paced course, 'When Siblings Feel Like Enemies,' designed to help you navigate these dynamics with tools and conversation guides. When Siblings Feel Like Enemies - a transformative DIY course for PDA families with challenging sibling dynamics Additional Resources: Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!  Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward! Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom   Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!  Instagram Facebook Pinterest   The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you! 

I am joined by Amelia Nagoski, co-author of Burnout, for a deep conversation about autistic burnout, systemic stress, and why traditional self-care often fails. We both reflect on our personal experiences of autistic burnout and how healing can begin by dropping unrealistic expectations—especially those rooted in systemic oppression. Episode Details: Burnout Workshop - June 12, 4-6pm - Get a ticket for $27 Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski Amelia and Emily’s YouTube channel with autistic insights on burnout recovery Additional Resources: Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!  Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward! Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!  Instagram Facebook Pinterest The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!

In this episode of the Low Demand Parenting Podcast, I’m answering your toughest, most honest questions about screen time — especially during burnout. Together, we unpack big concerns about whether screen use is “addictive,” whether dropping limits is the right choice, and how to respond when your child is glued to YouTube all day or spending your entire budget on Roblox. I offer a grounded, shame-free perspective on how screens can meet vital needs for rest, novelty, and autonomy — especially for neurodivergent kids — and how we can offer our most powerful parenting tool: a wholehearted yes. Whether you’re new to low demand or deep in phase two of burnout, this episode offers clarity, reassurance, and practical insight for one of the most emotionally loaded topics in parenting today. More details on this topic: To listen to more about burnout, check out episodes 11 and 14! I also have a mini-course on screens to get more of this compassionate, shame free approach. Screens Without Shame,    Additional low demand resources: For shame-free coaching, including a safe space to process your kid's screen use, check out coaching with the Low Demand team! We have skilled, passionate, deeply compassionate coaches ready to help you step into more acceptance and support. Find out more about coaching. Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!  Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward! Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom   Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!  Instagram Facebook Pinterest   The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!

When you’re parenting a high-needs or PDA child, it often feels like their needs dominate the household. But what about the siblings? In this episode, I share five core truths that have helped me show up with compassion and clarity in the most impossible-feeling moments of sibling conflict. From managing competing needs, to navigating rupture and repair, to having real conversations about disability, this episode explores the messy, nuanced reality of raising multiple children in a low demand household. I’ll walk you through practical steps and hard-won insights, all rooted in deep love, radical acceptance, and the commitment to building safe, shame-free family relationships. Additional Resources: Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!  Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward! Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom   Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!  Instagram Facebook Pinterest   The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!

This week, I’m answering your questions about partnerships — about how to talk to your spouse about low demand parenting, what to do when they’re not on board, how to respond when they’re getting really triggered by meltdowns or moments of being hit or yelled at, and how to support a PDA partner in sharing their emotions safely. I share how I approach partnerships: with radical acceptance, deep listening, and letting go of expectations that are too hard. I also name that this conversation is based on my own experience being married to the person I co-parent with — and that things might look different if you’re navigating co-parenting after separation or with trauma present. I hope this episode gives you a fresh way to think about dropping demands for the other adults in your life and trusting that you can do your work, even when someone else is on their own journey. Additional Resources: Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!  Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward! Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom   Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!  Instagram Facebook Pinterest   The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you! 

This is a deeply personal episode. I am in the guest seat to share my transformation from high-demand, perfectionist parenting to the radical practice of Low Demand Parenting. Interviewed by my dear friend Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman, I open up about the turning point in my parenting journey, how the collapse of old paradigms gave way to deep healing, and why letting go isn’t failure—it’s freedom. Together, we explore the spiritual depth of radical acceptance, the impact of privilege on parenting choices, and why practicing low demand is never all-or-nothing. This episode is a love letter to the part of you that’s wondering if it’s okay to stop trying so hard. Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman: https://www.rabbishoshana.com The PDA Safe Circle is a new app, course, and welcoming online community designed to decrease distress and increase thriving for PDAers and our loved ones. Diane Gould of PDA North America calls The PDA Safe Circle Approach “a game changer.” No waitlist. Membership rates are equity-based and no one is turned away for financial reasons. Ross Greene and the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions model: https://livesinthebalance.org Misophonia information: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24460-misophonia 

In this powerful and deeply moving conversation, I am joined by Ambreia Meadows-Hernandez of Free Black Motherhood. Together, we unpack what it means to mother freely within systems built to demand your erasure. Ambreia shares how she is deconstructing martyr-based motherhood, reclaiming her identity as a liberated Black mother, and moving toward a more expansive and embodied parenting practice rooted in presence, emotional transparency, and intergenerational healing. We talk about the impossibility of perfection, the false expectations placed on mothers—especially Black mothers—and how parenting can be a radical act of justice. If you’ve ever felt like you had to disappear to be a “good” mom, this episode is for you. ~~Join the next Masterclass community group in April 2025!~~ MEET AMBREIA: Ambreia Meadows-Fernandez is a storyteller, public speaker, facilitator, and motherhood scholar who processes the world through her award-winning writing. Sometimes, these efforts are birthed as reported journalistic-style pieces. Other times, they manifest as essays where she tries to use her personal experiences as a window into larger societal trends. She found her writing voice in the aftermath of birth trauma. The experience compelled her to share her story and create Freeblackmotherhood – a way of mothering that asks 'Black mothers and others' to prioritize self-love and authentic expression in all things while asking them to imagine a world where Black women are free to feel. Her mediums change, but her passion for health, especially reproductive matters, remains the same.  • Learn more about Ambreia  • Follow her on Instagram at Free Black Motherhood  • SisterSong  • Patricia Hill Collins (Black Feminist scholarship)  • Adrienne Rich (Of Woman Born)  • Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now)  • Ambreia's article exploring Partus sequitur ventrem (status of the child follows the mother)