When raising kids in elementary school, junior high, and high school, a lot of parents wonder if they're preparing their kids for what lies ahead in college and adulthood. 
We can't look in to a crystal ball and predict the future, but we can bring insights from our own failures and successes to the way we parent. 


That's why in this episode, Joe and I continue our conversation about his experience going through school, including:

How he initially failed out of college, but then later went back and got a master's degree from the same university. What he wishes he would have learned after being evaluated for ADHD, and how we bring these insights into the way we parent. How he learned to be more disciplined and structure his environment so you he can perform his best and focus (without using medication). 

If you want to better prepare your K-12 kids for what lies ahead, you'll get a ton out of listening in to this episode. 

(Disclaimer: This episode should not be considered medical or legal advice, and should not be used to diagnose or treat any specific medical condition).

If you’re a parent who wants to set your kids up for success as adults, then then you’re going to love my free parent guide, which I mentioned in this episode.
In this guide, I share the set of skills that kids need in order to stay organized, focused, and motivated during their day-to-day tasks like chores and homework. You can sign up for the guide here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/parentguide

The De Facto Leaders podcast was formerly the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast. As of November 2022, the name of the show has changed, and we’ve shifted from a focus on parenting to a focus on supporting clinicians and educators to design effective services for kids (but parents are still welcome to listen). Episodes published before November 24, 2022 will still contain some of our old branding. 



We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning. 


IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.


MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year.