Adoption Attuned Coaching with Petra

24/04/2026

When you begin to understand where these feelings come from, something can shift.

It becomes less about
“Why am I like this?”
and more about
“There’s a reason for this.”

If this resonates, you can read the full post here:

I’m so glad you’re here. This blog is a space where I share thoughts, insights, and support around ADHD, adoption, and the places where the two meet. Whether you’re exploring your own story or supporting someone else’s, I hope you find something that resonates, offers perspective, or helps y...

23/04/2026

I’ve recently become an advocate for Find the ADHD Girls-an initiative focused on helping girls with ADHD to be recognised and supported before their 8th birthday.

Because early recognition can make a huge difference.

But if your daughter is already older and still doesn’t have answers—you haven’t missed your chance.

ADHD in girls often looks very different to how it presents in boys.

Instead of being disruptive, they might be:
• daydreaming
• overwhelmed
• masking how much they’re struggling

And because of that, it often gets missed.

I’ll be sharing a series of these resources over the next few weeks.
If you’d like me to send you the first one on Helping Your Daughter with ADHD, Why Comprehensive Care Matters, comment "Find the ADHD Girls" below.

Every child is different, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.
This is about giving you information so you can make the choices that feel right for your child and your family.

23/04/2026

When I was 6, I got the bus to school.

My parents bought me a really nice bag for my games kit.

And I left it on the bus.

Gone.

I can completely understand how that must have felt from their side.

They’d spent money on something nice.
They trusted me with it.
And I lost it.

Of course that’s frustrating.

But looking back now, I see something I didn’t understand at the time…

I was 6.

Managing a journey.
Keeping track of my belongings.
Moving from one thing to the next.

That’s a lot for any child.

And for a child with ADHD? Even more so.

Because children with ADHD often develop skills like organisation, memory, and managing transitions later than their peers.

So what looks like carelessness…
is often capacity.

And this is the bit that really matters.

When things get lost or broken (especially more than once), it’s so easy to think:

“They need to be more careful.”
“They need to try harder.”
“They can’t be trusted.”

And honestly? That reaction makes total sense.

But over time, children don’t just learn to “be more careful.”

They start to believe something about themselves.

“I mess things up.”
“I can’t be trusted.”
“I always get it wrong.”

And that’s the part that sticks.

And for adopted children, where there may already be layers around trust, belonging, and self-worth…
experiences like this can land even more deeply.

So if your child loses things, forgets things, or damages things…

It might not be deliberate.

It might be capacity.

And capacity can be supported.

Not punished.

I’m really curious—how does it land for you when something gets lost or broken?

20/04/2026

There’s a reason this feels so hard.

Not everything we experience emotionally starts in the present moment.

Some patterns have deeper roots.

You might recognise parts of this in yourself.

If you’d like to explore this further, I’ve written more here:

I’m so glad you’re here. This blog is a space where I share thoughts, insights, and support around ADHD, adoption, and the places where the two meet. Whether you’re exploring your own story or supporting someone else’s, I hope you find something that resonates, offers perspective, or helps y...

17/04/2026

Rejection isn’t always about what’s happening now.

It can be linked to earlier experiences of separation, uncertainty, or loss.

Even when those experiences aren’t consciously remembered, they can still be felt.

I explore this more in my latest blog post:

I’m so glad you’re here. This blog is a space where I share thoughts, insights, and support around ADHD, adoption, and the places where the two meet. Whether you’re exploring your own story or supporting someone else’s, I hope you find something that resonates, offers perspective, or helps y...

13/04/2026

Sometimes it’s not the situation itself…it’s what it brings up underneath.

For many people connected to adoption, experiences around rejection can feel particularly intense.

Not because they’re “too sensitive”, but because there may be more to it.

You can read more here:

I’m so glad you’re here. This blog is a space where I share thoughts, insights, and support around ADHD, adoption, and the places where the two meet. Whether you’re exploring your own story or supporting someone else’s, I hope you find something that resonates, offers perspective, or helps y...

10/04/2026

Have you ever replayed a conversation in your head…wondering if you said the wrong thing?

Or felt affected by something that others seemed to brush off?

Sometimes the feeling lingers far longer than the moment itself.

There can be deeper reasons for this.

I’ve shared more here:

I’m so glad you’re here. This blog is a space where I share thoughts, insights, and support around ADHD, adoption, and the places where the two meet. Whether you’re exploring your own story or supporting someone else’s, I hope you find something that resonates, offers perspective, or helps y...

09/04/2026

There’s something I’ve been quietly working on behind the scenes…

I’ve just created my new coaching support package.

This is for parents of children with ADHD, adult adoptees, and anyone within the adoption triad who would benefit from more consistent support.

Because let’s be honest…understanding ADHD (and the added layer of adoption, for some) is one thing

👉 living with it day to day is another

So I wanted to create something that feels:
supportive
structured
realistic for real life

To mark the launch, I’m opening up 5 introductory spaces for my one-month coaching support.

The first 5 clients will receive a reduced introductory rate.

If that might be you, you’re very welcome to take a look and secure a space here:

https://www.petraearnshawcoaching.co.uk/815774c0

Use code START20 at checkout.

If you’d prefer to chat first before booking, feel free to message me and I can share a link for a complimentary Discovery Call.

ADHD coaching for parents and adult adoptees. Adoption attuned support across the adoption triad to help you feel calmer, more understood and in control.

08/04/2026

There’s a particular kind of emotional intensity that’s hard to explain.

It’s often labelled as:
“too sensitive”
“overreacting”
“too much”

But for many adults with ADHD, especially those who are adopted, it’s not any of those things.

It’s layered.

ADHD can mean:
• emotions arrive quickly
• reactions feel intense
• it’s harder to shift out of a feeling

Adoption can mean:
• a heightened sensitivity to connection
• noticing subtle changes in others
• a deeper response to disconnection

Put those together… and emotions don’t just feel strong.

They feel important.

So instead of asking:
“What’s wrong with me?”

A more helpful question might be:
“What’s influencing this feeling right now?”

Because when you understand the layers, something shifts.

Less shame.
More clarity.
More self-compassion.

And that’s where things start to feel a little steadier.

Here's the blog:

Explore why emotions can feel overwhelming when ADHD and adoption overlap, and how understanding this connection can reduce self-doubt and increase self-compassion.

06/04/2026

Rejection doesn’t always look like rejection.

It can show up as overthinking something you said,
questioning yourself afterwards, or wondering if you’ve done something wrong.

There’s often more behind this than it first appears.

I’ve written more about this here:

I’m so glad you’re here. This blog is a space where I share thoughts, insights, and support around ADHD, adoption, and the places where the two meet. Whether you’re exploring your own story or supporting someone else’s, I hope you find something that resonates, offers perspective, or helps y...