Conversations with Kristi

In this episode of Conversations with Kristi, Kristi is joined by Sharon Collon - ADHD educator, coach, speaker, and founder of The Functional Family - for an honest and practical conversation about neurodiversity, online safety, learning differences, and what actually helps families thrive.

Sharon is also host of the ADHD Families Podcast, where she supports parents navigating life with ADHD and other neurodivergent profiles. Having supported tens of thousands of families, Sharon’s work focuses on turning overwhelming information into clear, doable strategies.

Together, Kristi and Sharon unpack what parents are truly crying out for - not more theory, not more labels - but practical tools that make everyday life easier.

This episode weaves together neurodiversity, digital safety, emotional regulation, learning styles, rejection sensitivity, impulsivity, and body safety education - highlighting how prevention and support must be adapted for how children actually process the world.

This is not a conversation about fear.
It’s about understanding how your child’s brain works - and meeting them there.

What This Episode Explores

1. The Reality of an ADHD Diagnosis

Sharon shares her own journey of receiving her son’s diagnosis - including the overwhelm of being handed outdated information and left to figure it out alone.

She explains why families don’t need more generic ADHD content online - they need:

Clear, practical strategies

Real-world application

Emotional validation

Support that reduces shame, not increases it

2. Processing Modalities: Why Talking Isn’t Always Enough

Sharon explains that children process information in different ways, including:

Conceptual (needing to understand why)

Auditory

Visual

Verbal processing

Emotional

Intuitive

Tactile (hands-on learners)

When parents rely only on talking, many children simply don’t absorb the message - especially neurodivergent children.

This becomes particularly important when teaching:

Body safety

Consent

Online safety

Social boundaries

Risk awareness

Kristi shares how role play - not just verbal instruction - helped her daughter internalise body safety rules. Sharon reinforces the importance of repetition and experiential learning over lecture-style conversations.

3. Online Safety, Gaming & Neurodivergence

Kristi and Sharon have a grounded conversation about what’s actually happening in online spaces — especially for neurodivergent kids.

They explore:

Impulsivity and posting without thinking

Dopamine-driven reward pathways

How predators exploit attention and validation

Difficulty reading social cues

Why online interactions can feel safer than playground dynamics

The very real impact of Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)

Sharon strongly encourages parents to understand RSD - explaining that for many children with ADHD, rejection can feel like physical pain.

Rather than banning technology outright, Sharon recommends:

Curiosity over confrontation

Coaching conversations (not interrogation)

Moving gaming into shared spaces

Researching games before approving them

Using tools like Common Sense Media to review age-appropriateness

Understanding that shame shuts down learning

This episode reframes tech supervision as relationship-based guidance - not surveillance.

4. Social Skills & Emotional Safety

Sharon explains that social skills are not intuitive for everyone - and many adults would benefit from explicit social skills training.

They discuss:

Why some children miss subtle social cues

Why gaming environments can feel predictable and therefore safer

The need for explicit teaching rather than assumption

The importance of consent-based connection (including hugs)

Regulation before conversation

Kristi highlights something powerful: sometimes children - and adults - need a hug before they can process words.

Key Themes Covered

ADHD and late diagnosis

Practical strategies over theory

Processing modalities and learning differences

Role play vs verbal instruction

Repetition and retention

Body safety education

Online grooming risks

Impulsivity and dopamine reward systems

Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)

Social skills development

Curiosity-based parenting

Regulation before correction

Consent in everyday parenting moments

Why This Conversation Matters

Many parents feel:

Overwhelmed

Behind

Outpaced by technology

Unsure how to adapt for neurodivergent children

This episode reminds us:

Children don’t need perfect parents.
They need informed, regulated adults who are willing to adjust their approach.

When we understand how a child processes information, we can teach safety, boundaries, and skills in ways that actually stick.

Prevention doesn’t start with fear.
It starts with connection, repetition, and knowing your child’s brain.

About Sharon Collon

Sharon Collon is an ADHD educator, family coach, speaker, and founder of The Functional Family. She supports parents to move from confusion and overwhelm to clarity and confidence through evidence-informed, practical strategies.

She is also the host of the ADHD Families Podcast, where she explores neurodiversity, regulation, parenting tools, and family wellbeing.

Her work focuses on helping families:

Understand ADHD beyond stereotypes

Develop regulation skills

Strengthen communication

Build practical systems at home

Support emotional and social development

Create Your Family’s ADHD Roadmap – FREE Coaching Week
One clear, tailored plan for your family
https://www.thefunctionalfamily.com/roadmap

The ADHD Family Quest
https://www.thefunctionalfamily.com/questwaitlist

The ADHD Families Podcast
https://www.thefunctionalfamily.com/podcast

Practical Support & Resources

If this episode has raised questions about neurodiversity, safety education, or regulation, Kristi provides trauma-informed education and tools for families.

🔗 Explore resources:
👉 www.kristimcvee.com

Resources include:

Body safety education

Consent and protective behaviours tools

Trauma-informed parenting guidance

Support for calm disclosure conversations

Support Services (Australia)

If you or someone in your family needs support:

Lifeline – 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 | beyondblue.org.au

Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 | kidshelpline.com.au

1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au

If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services.

In this episode of Conversations with Kristi, Kristi is joined by Rosalia Rivera - founder of Consent Parenting, consent educator, and survivor advocate - for a deeply important conversation about prevention, healing, and the responsibility adults hold in protecting children.

Rosalia shares her lived experience of childhood sexual abuse and how becoming a parent resurfaced memories she didn’t yet have language for. Together, Kristi and Rosalia explore why so many parents avoid child safety conversations - whether through fear, overwhelm, or the belief that “this doesn’t happen in our family” - and how both avoidance and overprotection can leave children vulnerable.

This episode unpacks how grooming operates in plain sight, why children communicate harm through behaviour, and how trauma-informed, age-appropriate conversations can dramatically reduce risk. It’s a hopeful, empowering discussion that centres education as a form of freedom - not fear.

This is not about paranoia.
It’s about prevention, connection, and courage.

⚠️ Content Warning

This episode includes discussion of:

childhood sexual abuse

family and domestic violence

grooming behaviours

trauma responses

online and peer-to-peer sexual harm

Some listeners may find this content confronting. Please listen with care and pause or step away if needed. Support resources are listed below.

Key Themes Covered

Why “not my child” thinking places children at risk

How unhealed adult trauma can impact prevention efforts

Grooming behaviours in family, community, and online settings

Why children often communicate harm through behaviour

The importance of trauma-informed education for parents

How consent, boundaries, and body safety protect all children

Why silence and discomfort benefit offenders

The long-term impacts of abuse when children are not believed

How prevention protects children and prevents future offending

Why normalising these conversations creates safer communities

Why This Conversation Matters

Child sexual abuse thrives in silence, stigma, and discomfort.

Many parents avoid these conversations - not because they don’t care, but because they feel overwhelmed, triggered, or unsure where to start. This episode reminds us that education doesn’t create harm - it reduces it.

By noticing behaviour, asking questions, and having ongoing, age-appropriate conversations, adults can interrupt grooming, support disclosure, and create environments where children feel safe to speak.

Prevention is possible - and it starts at home.

Practical Support & Resources

If this episode has raised questions about how to start protective, trauma-informed conversations with children, Kristi has created practical tools to support parents and carers.

🔗 Explore resources and education: 👉 www.kristimcvee.com

Resources include:

conversation guides for parents

body safety education tools

support for having calm, protective conversations without fear or overwhelm

You can also explore Rosalia Rivera’s work at:
👉 www.consentparenting.com

Support Services (Australia)

If you or someone you love needs support, help is available:

Lifeline - 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au

1800RESPECT (sexual assault, domestic & family violence) - 1800 737 732 or 1800respect.org.au

Kids Helpline (ages 5–25) - 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au

If you are in immediate danger, please contact emergency services.

In this episode of Conversations with Kristi, Kristi speaks with Andrew Goss about the lifelong impact of childhood abuse - and the role silence, minimisation, and adult neutrality play in allowing harm to continue.

Andrew shares his lived experience of family violence, sexual abuse (including female offending), and the repeated moments where warning signs were visible - but not acted upon. Together, Kristi and Andrew explore why children often try to communicate harm through behaviour, how grooming operates across different contexts, and why asking questions early can interrupt abuse before it escalates.

This is not a sensational conversation.
It’s a necessary one.

⚠️ Content Warning

This episode includes discussion of:

childhood sexual abuse

family and domestic violence

grooming behaviours

trauma responses

Some listeners may find this content confronting. Please listen with care and step away if needed. Support resources are listed below.

Key Themes Covered

Why silence and “staying neutral” is not harmless

How children communicate harm through behaviour

Grooming behaviours across male and female offending

Why adults often dismiss or minimise warning signs

The long-term impact of not being believed

How early intervention can change outcomes

Advocacy, boundaries, and choosing how to help safely

Why This Conversation Matters

Most abuse doesn’t continue because no one notices.
It continues because adults feel uncomfortable asking questions - or assume someone else will act.

This episode invites parents, carers, and professionals to reflect on the small moments where intervention matters, and how noticing, listening, and responding early can disrupt harm.

Practical Support & Resources

If this episode has raised questions about how to start calm, age-appropriate safety conversations with children, Kristi has created practical tools to support parents and carers.

🔗 Explore resources and education:
👉 www.kristimcvee.com

Resources include:

conversation guides for parents

body safety education tools

support for having protective conversations without fear or overwhelm

Support Services (Australia)

If you or someone you love needs support, help is available:

Lifeline – 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au

1800RESPECT (sexual assault, domestic & family violence) – 1800 737 732 or 1800respect.org.au

Kids Helpline (for young people aged 5–25) – 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au

If you are in immediate danger, please contact emergency services.

Episode Summary:

The conversation delves into the alarming risks that young people face regarding sexual violence, emphasizing the lack of awareness among parents about these issues. It highlights the prevalence of unwanted sexual encounters and the disturbing trend of children perpetrating sexual violence against their peers.

Key Takeaways:

Parents often underestimate the risks of sexual violence.

There are high rates of unwanted sexual encounters among youth.

Children can be both victims and perpetrators of sexual violence.

Awareness is crucial for prevention and protection.

Education on sexual violence should start early.

Open conversations about consent are necessary.

Support systems for victims need to be strengthened.

Community involvement is essential in addressing these issues.

Resources for parents should be more accessible.

Schools play a vital role in educating children about these risks.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to the Conversation on Sexual Education
04:23 - Understanding Parental Challenges in Discussing Sex
07:11 - The Importance of Early Conversations
10:15 - Navigating Teachable Moments
13:22 - Age-Appropriate Discussions and Their Impact
16:26 - Counteracting Negative Influences
19:25 - Promoting Positive Sexual Relationships
22:31 - Empowering Parents to Start Conversations
25:23 - Utilising Resources for Effective Communication
28:24 - Conclusion and Encouragement for Parents
31:45 - Introduction to Child Safety Education

Episode Summary:

The conversation explores the challenges faced by the digital generation as they navigate technology independently. It emphasises the importance of introducing technology in a safe manner, akin to teaching children to swim, where they gradually gain skills and independence.

Key Takeaways:

The digital generation faces unique challenges in technology.

Children are often left to navigate technology on their own.

Introducing technology should be done safely, similar to swimming lessons.

Using apps and platforms can help develop skills in a controlled environment.

Gradual exposure to technology fosters independence in children.

Safety measures, like floaties in swimming, are essential in tech introduction.

Monitoring children while they learn technology is crucial.

As children grow, they can handle more complex tech tasks.

Skills development in technology is a gradual process.

Technology education should evolve with the child's age and abilities.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Cyber Safety
02:23 - Understanding the Dangers of Online Gaming
05:17 - Navigating Parental Guidance and Restrictions
08:19 - Empowering Conversations with Children
11:46 - The Importance of Early Cyber Safety Education
15:34 - Building Trust and Open Communication
20:23 - Introducing Technology Safely
21:53 - Resources for Parents on Technology
23:46 - Establishing Family Rules for Online Safety
25:56 - Understanding App Classifications
27:48 - Reflecting on Childhood and Social Media
29:19 - Tips for Managing Screen Time
31:49 - Transitioning from Screen Time to Offline Activities
34:39 - Empowering Healthy Digital Consumption
37:12 - Introduction to Child Safety Education