Podcast Summary: "All You Can Be with ADHD (For Kids!)"

Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness — October 14, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this heartfelt and uplifting episode, Kim and Penn Holderness celebrate the release of their first children’s book, All You Can Be with ADHD. Geared toward kids (and their parents), the episode centers on embracing the positives of neurodiversity, sharing real stories and advice from listeners about living with ADHD, and debunking stigmas around the diagnosis. The tone is warm, funny, inclusive, and filled with actionable wisdom for families, educators, and kids navigating ADHD.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Launching the Children's Book: "All You Can Be with ADHD"

• Behind the Scenes: Kim and Penn describe the unique and joyful experience of collaborating with illustrator Vin Vogel, emphasizing how he brilliantly brought their words to life.
  • Kim: “This is all 100% out of his brain. Penn handed him the words, and he handed this back and it was brilliant.” [11:00]
• Book Reading: The hosts read aloud and discuss the first few pages, which focus on the "ADHD clubhouse" and the secret powers of brains that work differently.
  • Penn (reading): “And here is a secret if your brain's like ours, you don't know it yet, but you have secret powers.” [11:16]

2. Living (and Thriving) with ADHD — Listener Stories

• Voicemail from Gordon (Age 10):
  • Gordon’s creativity shines through as he invents campfire stories and dreams of being an inventor. His playful sales pitch for his imaginary robot, the Alpha 113, delights the hosts.
  • Gordon: “I found out I have ADHD and that I'm awesome because ADHD is awesome.” [16:19]
  • Kim: “Could you imagine not having ADHD? Like, what our world would be missing if you didn't have it?” [17:24]
  • Penn connects Gordon's salesman flair to P.T. Barnum and creativity to Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein, noting both are believed to have had ADHD. [17:48]
• Lisa (12 years old):
  • Expresses her dream to become a light technician for concerts, highlighting non-traditional career paths suited for creative, detail-oriented ADHD minds. [18:56]
• Hear from a Specialist:
  • Jennifer, an orientation and mobility specialist for Deaf and Blind students, underscores that varied, challenging, people-centered work is a perfect fit for her ADHD, as every day is different. [20:08]
• The Interest-Based Nervous System:
  • Penn: “People with ADHD are really good at something if it fills three needs: it’s challenging, it’s new or novel, and it’s of personal interest.” [20:50]
• Blair from Canada:
  • Shares how Penn’s parody helped her get diagnosed and reassures kids: “You just gotta figure out how your brain works.” [21:33]

3. Parenting Kids with ADHD: The Delicate Balance

• The hosts discuss the challenge of balancing children's shifting interests and the struggle between encouraging perseverance and allowing exploration.
  • Kim: “Our son has told us, the minute you tell me to do something, I want to do it less. And he's not saying it as a threat. He's like, it’s just the way my brain works.” [27:12]
• They highlight the adult version of “jumping hobby to hobby,” and normalize the pattern as a part of ADHD, showing both the joy in exploration and the limits of forcing interests on children. [29:13]
• Sam (producer): Suggests the social/performance element is key—some ADHD kids love activities with an audience but lose interest in solitary practice. [29:56]

4. Motivation & The Backwards Timeline Strategy (Featuring Dr. Emily King)

• Penn and Kim discuss strategies for self-motivation, particularly Dr. Emily King’s “backwards timeline”—a technique that links a child’s long-term desires (i.e., living independently) to necessary present tasks (i.e., completing worksheets). [31:10]
• Real-life example: Amy’s son’s journey from buying a GoPro at 13 to running his own video company due to interest-based, self-driven learning. [32:28]

5. Celebrating Neurodiversity—More Listener Voices

• A Gen Alpha mom's voicemail celebrates getting the new ADHD book for her daughter, comparing it to waiting for a new Taylor Swift album, conveying excitement and normalization of neurodiversity. [33:26]
• Taylor Swift (not actually the singer!): A listener describes her son’s focus and artistry, highlighting the deep concentration and passion common in many kids with ADHD. [35:30]
• Laura’s Story: Her daughter with ADHD excels in empathy, attracting other neurodivergent kids and dreaming of becoming a therapist. Kim and the team reflect emotionally on the beauty of zooming out and seeing the big picture when parenting ADHD children. [36:22]

6. Humor, Relatability & Community Connection

• The hosts' self-awareness and humor about household chaos, forgotten books, and the quirks of living (and parenting) with ADHD make the topic approachable for kids and parents alike.
  • Robert (caller): “All the kids with ADHD are going to forget their books. They'll have to buy a whole new copy.” [38:11]

7. Innovation & ADHD — Email from Professor David Shepherd

• Professor Shepherd shares research on using VR headsets to help kids with ADHD block out distractions and algorithms to “nudge” them back to focus, sparking both admiration and humor from the hosts. [41:32]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Creativity with ADHD:
  Kim: “Gordon, your brain. Could you imagine not having ADHD? Like, what our world would be missing if you didn’t have it?” [17:24]
• Defining ADHD Strengths:
  Penn: “People with ADHD are really good at something if it fills three needs: it’s challenging, it’s new or novel, and it’s of personal interest.” [20:50]
• On Parenting ADHD Kids:
  Kim: “At what point as parents can we say, not every single day of work as a light technician is exciting and interesting? You have to sort of push through the boring middle moments. And we’re still trying to figure that out…” [27:31] Penn: “It’s a tightrope walk... I don’t know if there’s any way to do it other than present them with opportunities and offer support. But the motivation has to come from within.” [28:18]
• On the Big Picture:
  Kim: “As ADHD parents and partners, you have to look big picture. You have to look down the road and, and hearing these, it, it is, it makes me very emotional.” [37:30]
• On Community & Support:
  Penn: “You are not alone. There are, as we said, millions of us... There are people in your town, probably your family, your school.” [47:17]

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• [10:43] – Behind the scenes of creating the children’s book and reading from the opening pages.
• [16:19] – Voicemail from Gordon, age 10 (inventor/inspiration).
• [18:56] – Email from Lisa: aspirations to be a light technician.
• [20:08] – Email from Jennifer: finding the perfect ADHD-friendly career.
• [20:50] – Interest-based nervous system discussion.
• [21:33] – Voicemail from Blair, ADHD positivity and cheerleading.
• [23:37] – Matt, age 11: learning songs on drums, parents’ balance in supporting fleeting child interests.
• [27:12-29:13] – Kim and Penn discuss hobby-hopping and the challenge of commitment versus exploration for ADHD kids.
• [31:10] – Dr. Emily King’s “backwards timeline” motivation strategy.
• [33:26] – Gen Alpha mom: representation and excitement about the book.
• [35:30-36:22] – Listeners on empathy, creativity, and ADHD as a superpower.
• [38:11] – Caller Robert jokes about kids with ADHD constantly losing their books.
• [41:32] – Email from Professor Shepherd: using VR for focus.
• [45:16] – Penn’s “three piece nugget”: Key takeaways for ADHD kids.
  • 1. You are not alone.
  • 2. Your brain figures things out differently—it’s a gift.
  • 3. Hard work and patience will help you maximize your strengths.
• [47:39] – Outro and encouragement to review and support the new book.

Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Warm, encouraging, and funny: Kim and Penn treat ADHD with both respect and levity, blending science and lived experience, often poking fun at themselves or the chaos of their lives.
• Inclusive: The hosts take care to welcome all listeners (kids, parents, educators) and normalize neurodiversity as a superpower rather than a deficit.
• Supportive: Real stories, expert commentary, and candid discussions aim to leave kids and parents feeling seen, less alone, and genuinely excited about living with ADHD.

Final Message

Kim & Penn’s message to kids and families with ADHD: “Your brain is special. You are not alone. You have secret powers. And with patience and practice, you’ll be able to use your different brain to do amazing things—just keep exploring, connecting, and celebrating what makes you… you.”