Is My Child A Monster? A Parenting Therapy Podcast · Leslie Cohen-Rubury

Krystal & Burt Part 3 of 3: When One Parent Worries and The Other Parent Doesn’t

July 8, 2025·49 min·4 clips

It can feel like those differences are in conflict, but it's important to look a

Leslie Cohen-Rubary opens by naming the tension between Bird's positive perspective and Crystal's worries. Margo was formally diagnosed with ADHD between session two and today, and the family is now adjusting. Matt is part of the family, too. Leslie keeps coming back to the same center of gravity: communication and connection. Bird speaks from a place of optimism about his daughter's differences. Crystal's concern is real, and the episode does not ask her to set it aside. The point is not to choose a winner, but to look at the same situation from more than one angle and find value in both. Leslie points out that children build their own story if adults leave the meaning unsaid. She uses a left-handed child as a clear analogy for support that should help without shaming. A helpful device is not the problem; the problem is when a child feels singled out before they understand why the help exists. If a child hears that they are different without context, different can start to feel like bad or broken. Leslie recommends Dr. Liz and her website Explaining Brains for talking to children about different brains, including autistic, ADHD, and dyslexic brains. The goal is to make the support understandable, not mysterious. The conversation also addresses Crystal's fear that she might make the diagnosis feel bigger than it is. Leslie offers a more grounded way to explain medication and support without boxing a child's future in. The closing turn is simple and direct: communication leads to connection, so conflict has less room to grow. She signs off by pointing listeners toward DBT strategies like mindfulness for the overwhelm ahead.

As heard by us

A grounded conversation about ADHD, mixed parental reactions, and the value of clear explanation.

Leslie Cohen-Rubary frames the episode around a familiar tension: one parent keeps a more hopeful tone while the other sounds more worried. That contrast gives the discussion its shape, especially as Margo's new ADHD diagnosis prompts the family to adjust.

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Why you'd press play

When one parent sees the upside and the other sees the risks, you need language that keeps the room calm.

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