It was a tough start for Laura Poirier when her family made the move from Nova Scotia last summer.
Her family moved to North Bay as her husband was stationed at CFB North Bay.
Poirier found a job at the Military Family Resource Centre but due to COVID-19 and budget cuts, her position was eliminated after just about a month into her new job.
"We are in a new town, we only moved to North Bay last summer, because we are a military family moving from Nova Scotia and I did not know what I was going to do," said Poirier.
Like many, Poirier had no choice but to adapt to her situation. So she turned to the social media platform called TikTok in late January of 2021 and how has turned her popularity into a new freelance life coach occupation as the ADHD Mama.
"I have been a ADHD Mama for a number of years but just on Facebook, and I have a good following there but I was not turning this into a career, I just wanted the rest of the world to understand ADHD, because I have it and I have been misunderstood a lot and one of my daughters looks like she has it so I have been reaching people all over the world, but not making this into a career," she said.
ADHD or "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" is a brain disorder that affects how you pay attention, sit still, and control your behaviour. It happens in children and teens and can continue into adulthood. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder in children. Experts claim boys are more likely to have it than girls.
She was shocked that one of her first funny videos depicting a typical parent-child interaction went so viral.
"My first video that went viral has over 450,000 views and this one was trying to showcase a Mom telling her child to go get dressed and the child is just laying down on the bed completely distracted," said Poirier.
"This scenario happens to every parent with a child who has ADHD. They ask them to go do something and it is a small, normal task and their child is missing somewhere in the house and they find the child is not dressed or doing something they are not supposed to and they are completely oblivious to what they were supposed to be doing. It is not their fault but the way parents react makes a huge difference on the mental health of that ADHD child so that is what I kind of showcased."
Poirier, who admits she suffers from ADHD herself, says her video shows how you should not respond and then how to respond and it has taken off since then.
She believes using humour to drive her message home has certainly helped.
"I would like to think so," she says about her clever videos.
"I am alone doing this, I don't incorporate my own children so I have to pretend to be a child or adult and lots of my videos are funny, but a lot of them are emotional and that's really what is hitting home is I am showcasing peoples experiences that they may have forgotten years ago."
Poirier, who is a mother of two, claims since then she has helped thousands of families and individuals from 50 different countries around the world. Reaching over two million people.
Now through her website, she is teaching adult and parenting ADHD courses
"I am reaching parents and adults to try to really change the world in how they view ADHD because it is completely misunderstood."
See some of her videos below:
