How did you pick your kid’s name? It’s my favorite question to ask families as soon as I meet them. It tells me about:

Partnership Dynamics

“Oh we got in a big fight over that one! But my wife had the final say like she always does…”

Family History

“My grandmother had died a few weeks before she was born so we named her after her”

And MOST importantly it tells me

The vision they had for their kid even before they were born

“I wanted a strong, masculine son so I went with Alexander… like The Great”

So much wrapped up in a few short syllables. Names are like labels – they can give us feelings of comfort and safety but can also be limiting and confining.

And labels don’t allow for the full spectrum of our beingness.

On this month’s “Good Enough Parenting” episode, I share where my name came from and explore why we are so drawn to labeling our kids with diagnoses that may or may not suit them.

In this episode:

How diagnoses like ADHD and anxiety are more of a continuum than a binary 💡
What Pride Month can teach us about full-spectrum parenting 🏳️‍🌈
Why your child’s story is still being written (and yours is too) 📖

Identity and development are more fluid than we’d like to believe—and that’s both frustrating and freeing.

Whether you’re questioning a diagnosis, navigating your kid’s self-expression, or like me, just trying to make it through another school concert season this one’s for you.

From sonograms to rainbows to Ritalin, this episode is a reminder that parenting isn’t about finding the right label, but about staying present as our kids unfold – and that’s good enough.

🎧 Hit play, and let’s make peace with not knowing.
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Like what you hear? Follow, rate, and share with a fellow “good enough” parent in your life.

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play

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ADHD, Anxiety and Full Spectrum Parenting 🌈