The Discipline of a Devoted Mom: Living Through ADHD

As a little girl, I believed I was lazy, crazy, and stupid. I was living through adhd, undigonoised.
No one ever said those exact words—but I felt it.
In every classroom.
After every missed assignment.
Every time I was corrected for talking too much or not working hard enough on the things that “really mattered.”

For someone living through ADHD, it doesn’t take much to feel isolated like that.
And most of the time, no one would have known.
Because we’re good at hiding the ache behind humor and a smile. I was undiagnosed for 27 years because I got good grades and charmed my through school.

I could have an entire class cracking up with my witty comments.
I was first pick for dodgeball—sometimes even over the best guys.
And I somehow passed every class, even though I didn’t try a single day in my life.

I carried those same feelings—lazy, crazy, and stupid—right into motherhood.
Even after reading every self-help book.
Even after memorizing every Bible verse about being wise, disciplined, and hardworking.

And let’s be honest: by modern standards, I am a little crazy. Four kids in four years? That’s not exactly subtle.
(Was it a bit of ADHD dopamine-seeking? Possibly. Ha.)
Does it matter now?
Absolutely not.

This is what living through ADHD can look like.

Devotion means showing up not showing off

We all know the type-A moms who run their households like a Navy SEAL team—and we love them for that!
But devotion isn’t about showing off your fancy organization skills and color coded outfits.

---

It’s about showing up every day and giving your all with whatever drill sergeant shows up in your mind that day.
Some days, that inner drill sergeant is laser-focused, firing on all cylinders.
Other days, she’s just handing out juice boxes and duct-taping the day together.

This is also living through ADHD. Insert nervous laughter.

---

Either way, devotion isn’t measured by how impressive the mission looks.
It’s measured by faithfulness.
Sometimes everything goes according to plan.
Other days, the only win is that everyone made it through alive.

---

The battle won is still a victory—even if there was no fancy equipment, no polished performance, and no medals handed out at the end.

Here’s the real question behind it all—the one you’re probably asking a hundred times a day: “Am I doing enough?”

Let me tell you this:
If you’re even asking that question, the answer is yes.
You are doing enough.

Because only a devoted mom even stops to ask that.
Only a mom who cares deeply, who’s showing up (even when it’s messy), even dares to question if she’s giving her best.

And that kind of heart? That’s discipline.
That’s devotion.
That’s enough.

The problem with discipline today? It’s not you.

When you hear the word discipline, you probably picture someone with a rigid five-year plan—and the terrifying ability to actually stick to it.

You wonder, How in the world do they make a plan and follow through like that? Because, that seems like an absolute far off dream to those of us living through adhd. Am I right?

Sure, their plans probably change along the way—because life happens—but somehow, they still reach the finish line. They launch the business, get the degree, run the marathon.

Meanwhile, you’re still trying to figure out why you dropped out of college, even though you really wanted it. Or why you can’t finish the book you started writing—or reading. Or how it’s been three months since you told yourself you were going to wake up earlier.

You’re not alone in that.
And you’re not broken.
You just need a different framework for discipline.

Creative types like us ADHD Ladies need softer boundaries for discipline.

That doesn’t make us less disciplined.
And it definitely doesn’t mean our discipline is watered down.

It just means we move through life differently.

Sometimes it’s messy.
Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to anyone else.
But if we’re moving with purpose—even a loosely held, ever-evolving purpose—it’s still real. It’s still valuable.

You are still valuable.

Feeling encouraged? Join the Strong & Aligned community for more!

Discipline doesn’t have to look like rigid schedules or perfectly executed plans.
Sometimes it looks like trying again.
Sometimes it looks like resting on purpose.
Sometimes it looks like building something no one else sees… yet.

Practical examples of soft discipline rooted in love

• Reading to your kids daily, despite it being a perfectly curated quite morning
• Showing up to consistently to your kids games and activities to show your support
• Doing a 20 minute walk instead of 60 minute gym session
• Cartwheel contests with your kids and their friends
• Listening to worship music in the morning instead of strict ‘bible studies’
• Stopping to explain to your kids why we show kindness
• Doing the next right thing in the moment

Redefining What Counts

These “small” moments of discipline don’t make headlines.
No one’s clapping when you swap a gym session for a neighborhood walk or decide that reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the fifth time counts as emotional labor.
But heaven sees.
And your kids do too, whether they say it or not.

Because discipline, for us, isn’t about control.
It’s about connection.

It’s the quiet decision to stay rooted when everything in you wants to flee.
It’s the resolve to keep building a life that honors your values, even when your energy, mood, or capacity fluctuates.

It’s easy to applaud the big flashy versions of discipline; launching a business, completing a program, training for a race.

But our kind of discipline?
It doesn’t always have a finish line.
It’s cyclical. Ongoing. Relational.
And it’s harder in some ways because it asks for consistency without applause.

---

In search of a coach who gets your ADHD Tendencies? Excuse me but, you’re done looking. Fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch faster than you can impulse shop at target, mmkay?

Devoted Moms Don’t Always Look Like Disciplined Women

But they are.

They’re the ones choosing to pause and breathe instead of snapping back.
They’re the ones who keep their promises in a world full of flakiness.
They’re the ones who start again after the fifth tantrum, the sleepless night, the shame spiral.

They are the women who, despite all odds, stay.

Stay present.
Stay engaged.
Stay soft.
Stay strong.

That’s not lazy. That’s not crazy. That’s not stupid.

That’s sacred.

The Discipline That Builds Legacy

Mama, if no one has told you this today:
You are devoted.
And that devotion is discipline.

It’s a holy kind of discipline, the kind that says, “Even if I feel unseen, this still matters.”

It’s the discipline of wiping tears and countertops.
Of speaking life when you’re depleted.
Of returning to the Lord again and again, not out of guilt, but out of love.

And every time you do the next right thing, even when it’s small or scattered or imperfect, you’re laying bricks.
Bricks that build trust. Bricks that build stability. Bricks that build legacy.

---

You Don’t Need to Hustle to Prove You’re Disciplined or Devoted

You just need to keep showing up with your whole heart. Living through adhd gives you A LOT of heart, use it!

So here’s your permission to drop the pressure.
To stop comparing.
To embrace your version of discipline—the one rooted in love, not fear.
The one that might look wildly different from the mom next door… but is exactly what your family needs.

Discipline doesn’t have to be loud.
It just has to be real.

And yours is.