Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com

Support Circle Membership: https://andiclark.thrivecart.com/support-circle/

Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall

When your child struggles with homework, meltdowns, or falling behind—especially when they’re bright—the issue may not be academic at all.

In this episode, Andi sits down with Allie Bourke, owner of Oxford Learning in Waterloo, Ontario, to talk about how executive functioning shapes everything from learning and memory to focus, flexibility, and frustration tolerance.

Allie shares insights from her 19+ years supporting kids through cognitive and academic assessments—and explains why understanding how your child learns is often more important than what they’re learning.

Key Takeaways:

• Why executive functioning struggles often show up as academic issues, behavior challenges, or emotional outbursts
• How standard report cards miss critical learning and cognitive skill gaps
• The difference between the school system and individual teachers—and how to build collaborative support
• How to help your child when they “know it” but can’t show it
• Why some kids shut down over homework even when the material is “easy”
• The role of flexibility, memory, inhibition, and self-monitoring in learning success
• How parents can advocate more effectively (and when to bring in outside support)

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] – Andi introduces Allie and her background in child psychology and education

[02:00] – Why so many kids struggle in school even when they’re bright

[05:00] – What executive functioning looks like in everyday classroom behavior

[07:30] – Real-life examples of cognitive inflexibility and how they impact learning

[10:00] – The homework meltdown: why it’s not just about the math

[12:00] – Executive functioning vs. academic level—when your child knows the answers but can’t get them on paper

[15:00] – How Oxford Learning uses both academic and cognitive assessments to get a full picture

[19:00] – Dysgraphia, working memory, and why testing format matters

[24:00] – Why some parents shouldn’t be their child’s teacher—and how to recognize when to step back

[30:00] – Talking to schools when expectations don’t match your child’s current ability

[35:00] – What to do if your child is always chasing “perfect marks” but losing confidence

[42:00] – Helping kids build self-awareness, pause before reacting, and choose recovery

[45:00] – Final thoughts from Allie: don’t wait if you suspect something’s off

Resources Mentioned:

FREE Dynamic Assessment (Reg. $275):

Oxford Learning Waterloo is offering a free academic + cognitive assessment to Kids With Big Emotions podcast listeners!

Offer expires May 31, 2025.

Available in-person only at the Waterloo, ON location.

👉 To book:

📧 Email: waterloo@oxfordlearning.com

📞 Call: 1-519-725-3577

📍 Mention you heard about it on the Kids With...

Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com

Support Circle Membership: https://andiclark.thrivecart.com/support-circle/

Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall

What if your child’s “too muchness” is exactly what the world needs?

In this episode, Andi explores how children who are sensitive, intense, passionate, or deeply curious are often misunderstood, redirected, or told to tone it down—and how this can quietly create lasting emotional wounds. She breaks down the subtle, invisible forms of trauma kids experience when the world isn’t ready for their gifts and offers tools for helping your child celebrate who they are instead of shrinking to fit in.

Whether your child is being told they’re “too loud,” “too sensitive,” “too smart,” or “too intense,” this episode will help you reframe those messages and support them in developing confidence, connection, and self-awareness—without ever having to change who they are.

Key Takeaways

• Trauma isn’t just big events—it’s anything that feels like too much, too soon, too fast, or too long.
• Many neurodiverse kids internalize subtle redirections and dismissals as proof that something is “wrong” with them.
• Kids who are deeply curious or emotionally intense may feel misunderstood unless we celebrate their “too much” instead of trying to fix or mute it.
• Teaching kids how to use a “dial,” not a mute button, helps them adjust to different environments without losing their identity.
• Supporting kids through their sensitivities and passions builds resilience and helps them develop a strong sense of self.

[00:00] – Opening reflection: Why kids are told they’re too much—and what it does to them

[02:00] – Personal story: How a whiteboard and math at dinner challenged expectations

[03:00] – Trauma redefined: Not just big events, but how experiences shape nervous systems

[05:00] – The impact of being misunderstood or redirected as a child

[06:00] – How feeling others’ emotions can be overwhelming—and how to manage it

[07:00] – Breaking down trauma: too much, too soon, too fast, too long

[08:30] – Academic mismatch: When a child’s intellectual level doesn’t match emotional readiness

[10:00] – Sensory sensitivity: The real impact of smells, sounds, and environment

[12:00] – Practical examples: Why 20 questions on a test might trigger a meltdown

[14:00] – Personal school story: Being accelerated without emotional preparation

[16:00] – The hidden trauma of chronic stress, boredom, or masking

[18:00] – Supporting your child: Let them voice how they feel about being brushed off

[19:00] – Creating safe spaces where “too much” is celebrated

[21:00] – Teaching the concept of the emotional and behavioral “dial”

[22:00] – Self-awareness vs. self-rejection: Supporting authenticity with boundaries

[24:00] – Helping kids find their people and communities where they belong

[26:00] – Mourning what we thought parenting would look like—and leaning into who our child really...

Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com

Support Circle Membership: https://andiclark.thrivecart.com/support-circle/

In this powerful episode, Andi sits down with Courtney Hobbs, the heart behind MotherTelling, to explore how the simple act of sharing our motherhood stories can be deeply healing—not just for ourselves, but for others too. From NICU beginnings to stage-worthy stories, Courtney shares how storytelling builds connection, creates understanding, and reminds us we’re never alone.

• Your silence isn’t protecting you—it's keeping you isolated. Sharing your story invites connection and support.
• You don’t have to have the same experience to relate. Emotional truths like doubt, fear, and hope are universal.
• Telling your story helps others understand your world—especially in settings like school advocacy for your child.
• Stories are more impactful when told from a scar, not an open wound. Healing creates space for meaningful connection.
• Daily moments matter. Tracking even the tiniest memories can lead to powerful stories down the road.

[00:00] Meet Courtney Hobbs and the origin of MotherTelling

[03:00] Why silence can make motherhood feel lonelier than it is

[05:30] How shared stories create deep understanding across different experiences

[07:00] The importance of using language others can relate to—especially when discussing neurodiversity

[09:00] Tips for identifying jargon in your story and rewording it to connect with more people

[11:00] Storytelling for advocacy: how to describe your child’s needs in a way schools can understand

[14:30] What behaviors might look like at school and how parents can offer insights to teachers

[18:00] Parents are the experts on their kids—don’t underestimate the knowledge you have

[21:30] The impact of screens and the shift in focus and attention in the classroom

[24:00] Helping kids use tech as a tool, not just a distraction

[27:00] Movement and creativity in the classroom—and why they matter so much

[28:30] Healing through storytelling: how the 10-week journey supports moms in finding their voice

[33:30] Sharing from a scar, not an open wound: why timing matters in storytelling

[40:00] The Daily Momment Challenge: capturing story-worthy “mom”ents from everyday life

[42:00] Why collecting small memories can shift your mindset and preserve your legacy

• 🌟 Courtney’s Daily Momment Challenge – A 7-day guided journey to help you capture meaningful moments in your motherhood story: https://mothertelling.myflodesk.com/dailymomentschallenge
• 📓 MotherTelling Journals (Coming soon on Amazon!) – Sentimental and funny guided journals to help you keep track of story-worthy moments
• Oh they are available now
• https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=courtney+hobbs&crid=39IDBAT0MRBZU&sprefix=courtney+hobbs%2Caps%2C93&ref=nb_sb_noss_1...