Chaos & Caffeine - ADHD Parenting Podcast

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! What if the secret to less chaos in 2026 isn’t another planner, routine, reward chart, or parenting hack — but a fundamental shift you may not be ready to hear?In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine, Danielle sits down with Dr. Michael W. Elice, MD, a board-certified pediatrician and internationally recognized expert in complex neurodevelopmental conditions, to unpack the one change that could radically reduce chaos in your home — and fair warning: you’re either going to love it… or absolutely hate it.Dr. Elice brings decades of experience working with children and families navigating ADHD, autism, immune dysfunction, PANDAS, metabolic and mitochondrial disorders, and the messy gray areas that don’t fit neatly into a diagnosis. He’s taught at NYU Medical School and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, lectured globally through MAPS and the Autism Research Institute, and contributed to cutting-edge research and clinical education in pediatric neurodevelopment.In this conversation, we talk about:Why chaos persists even when parents “do everything right”The biggest mindset mistake neurodivergent families are taught to believeWhat actually reduces overwhelm — for kids and parentsWhy this change feels uncomfortable (and why that matters)How to approach 2026 with less reactivity and more regulationThis episode is part of our New Year, Less Chaos series — created for parents who are done chasing perfection and ready for something that actually works.🎧 Listen now — and don’t be surprised if this episode sticks with you long after it ends.Connect with Dr Elice 👉 Aim Integrative Medicine This Month’s Sponsors:👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Hallowell Todaro ADHD & Behavioral Health Center A strength-based practice co-founded by Dr. Edward Hallowell that actually gets ADHD. They offer evaluations, therapy, coaching, medication management, and parent support that focuses on what’s strong about your kid, not just what’s hard.  If you’re done with shame-based care and ready for science-backed, human-first support for neurodivergent families, head to hallowelltodaro.com. Because ADHD doesn’t need fixing — it needs understanding and the right tools.✨ Social Thinking A strength-based approach to social learning that helps kids, teens, and adults understand the why behind social behavior, not just memorize a checklist of “correct” moves. Their tools, curricula, and resources teach social cognition, perspective-taking, flexible thinking, and real-world problem-solving — so your neurodivergent kiddo can navigate friendships, conversations, and social stress with more awareness and less guessing. If you want practical frameworks and language to help your child think socially (not just act like they’re supposed to), check out socialthinking.com.Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! 📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] the show

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves!If Christmas break has turned into nonstop power struggles, emotional blowups, and you wondering how did we get here before noon, this episode is your reset.In this powerful replay, I’m joined by Dr. Nerissa Bauer, MD, a board-certified pediatrician and ADHD expert, to talk about one of the most game-changing shifts in ADHD parenting: connection before correction.Because when routines disappear, screens increase, and everyone’s nervous system is fried, traditional discipline strategies stop working — especially for ADHD kids. Dr. Bauer explains why our neurodivergent kids struggle most during unstructured time and how parents can respond in ways that actually calm the brain instead of escalating the chaos.This episode is packed with science-backed, compassionate tools for parents who are exhausted from correcting behaviors and ready to reconnect with their kids — without permissiveness, guilt, or losing authority.This is not about being a perfect parent. It’s about understanding the ADHD brain, regulating yourself first, and building the kind of relationship that actually leads to cooperation — especially when everyone is running on sugar, no sleep, and vibes.If you’re parenting an ADHD child and feel stuck in a cycle of correcting, lecturing, and yelling — this episode will remind you that connection isn’t the soft option. It’s the most effective one.Connect with Dr Bauer 👉 Let's Talk Kids HealthThis Month’s Sponsors:🧮 Pop Sugar Cafe The printable shop saving ADHD parents everywhere from pure morning meltdown chaos. Their visual schedules, routine charts, and emotion trackers are actually cute and neurodivergent-friendly. 🎁 Play Therapy SupplyBecause sometimes the best gifts aren’t found in the toy aisle. Play Therapy Supply curates sensory-friendly tools, fidgets, and therapeutic toys that actually help kids calm their bodies and connect with their feelings.🪑 Ted KangarooA line of science-backed sensory furniture and tools designed for kids who feel everything — loudly, quickly, and all at once. Ted Kangaroo’s patented chairs, vests, and rockers give your child a safe, calming, multi-sensory space to refocus, self-soothe, and regulate their emotions. Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! 📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] the show

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! If your family feels like a beautifully chaotic ADHD ecosystem — grandparents, parents, kids, everyone with big feelings and lost keys — this episode is going to hit home in the best, most validating way.In this must-listen replay, I sit down with Jami Goldfarb Shapiro, ADHD expert, coach, and author of the brand-new book This Explains So Much: Understanding Undiagnosed ADHD for People Who Have Too Much, Feel Too Much, or Have Been Told They Are Too Much.Together, we dive into what ADHD looks like across generations, why so many adults were missed or misunderstood growing up, and how those undiagnosed patterns shape parenting, communication, emotional triggers, and family dynamics today. This conversation is funny, real, and wildly eye-opening — especially if you're spending the holidays surrounded by multiple generations of neurodivergent energy under one roof.We talk about:The signs of ADHD in parents and grandparents who were never diagnosedHow undiagnosed ADHD impacts family relationships, communication, and conflictThe emotional inheritance ADHD families carry (and how to break the cycle)Why understanding your own ADHD helps you parent differentlyHow to build connection and compassion across the ADHD family treeWhether you're navigating holiday chaos, reflecting on your own late diagnosis, or raising ADHD kids while healing your own childhood, this episode will feel like a warm, “ohhhh THAT makes sense now” hug for your brain.Grab a cozy drink, hide in the laundry room if you must, and let’s unpack the generational ADHD story no one ever told you — until now.Connect with Jami 👉 Grandma has ADHDThis Month’s Sponsors:🧮 Pop Sugar Cafe The printable shop saving ADHD parents everywhere from pure morning meltdown chaos. Their visual schedules, routine charts, and emotion trackers are actually cute and neurodivergent-friendly. 🎁 Play Therapy SupplyBecause sometimes the best gifts aren’t found in the toy aisle. Play Therapy Supply curates sensory-friendly tools, fidgets, and therapeutic toys that actually help kids calm their bodies and connect with their feelings.🪑 Ted KangarooA line of science-backed sensory furniture and tools designed for kids who feel everything — loudly, quickly, and all at once. Ted Kangaroo’s patented chairs, vests, and rockers give your child a safe, calming, multi-sensory space to refocus, self-soothe, and regulate their emotions. Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! 📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] the show

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! In today’s powerful episode of Chaos & Caffeine, Danielle sits down with Daryl Potter, author of Even the Monsters, to dive into the brutal, beautiful truth of raising a neurodivergent child while navigating grief, loss, depression, and the identity-shifting spiritual journey that comes with it.This is not your typical ADHD parenting episode — it’s honest, unfiltered, and deeply validating. Daryl opens up about the emotional weight parents carry, the moments no one prepares you for, and the raw reality of loving a neurodivergent child through heartbreak, hope, and healing.If you’ve ever felt alone, overwhelmed, misunderstood, or scared you’re “not doing enough,” this conversation will feel like someone finally turned on a light in the dark.Whether you’re parenting an ADHD, autistic, or otherwise neurodivergent child — or you’re navigating your own mental health while trying to show up for your family — this episode holds space for you.Listen in for:The grief and identity shifts neurodivergent parents never talk aboutHow spiritual growth and parenting collide (and sometimes explode)What Daryl learned raising his neurodivergent childA reminder that you are not alone in the hard partsHope, healing, and honesty without toxic positivityIf this episode resonates, share it with another parent who needs to feel seen today.Connect with Daryl 👉 Daryl PotterThis Month’s Sponsors:🧮 Pop Sugar Cafe The printable shop saving ADHD parents everywhere from pure morning meltdown chaos. Their visual schedules, routine charts, and emotion trackers are actually cute and neurodivergent-friendly. 🪑 Ted KangarooA line of science-backed sensory furniture and tools designed for kids who feel everything — loudly, quickly, and all at once. Ted Kangaroo’s patented chairs, vests, and rockers give your child a safe, calming, multi-sensory space to refocus, self-soothe, and regulate their emotions. 🎁 Play Therapy SupplyBecause sometimes the best gifts aren’t found in the toy aisle. Play Therapy Supply curates sensory-friendly tools, fidgets, and therapeutic toys that actually help kids calm their bodies and connect with their feelings.Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! 📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] the show

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! If you’re raising a neurodivergent child and traditional parenting advice makes you want to scream into a throw pillow, this episode is your new safe place. Today, I’m joined by Dayna Abraham — bestselling author, founder of Lemon Lime Adventures, creator of the Calm the Chaos framework, and the internet’s favorite “I’ve-been-there” ADHD mom who turned family chaos into a science-backed system for connection and behavior support.We dig into what actually works for ADHD, sensory, and emotionally intense kids — the kind of strategies parents Google at midnight because nothing else is cutting it. Dayna breaks down her signature approach, shares raw stories from parenting her three neurodivergent kids, and gives you practical, real-world tools you can use TODAY to reduce meltdowns, improve emotional regulation, and feel less alone in the hardest moments.If you want compassionate, realistic ADHD parenting support that doesn’t require perfection, color-coded binders, or pretending your kid is “easy,” this conversation is your lifeline.Listen in and discover:The truth about ADHD and “big behavior” kidsWhy typical discipline fails neurodivergent kidsDayna’s 5-step Calm the Chaos framework (and how to use it fast)The small changes that completely shift home dynamicsHow to build connection when your kid’s emotions are on fireWhat parents can do right now to feel more confident and in controlThis episode is raw, practical, and full of tools you’ll want to replay again and again.Connect with Dayna 👉 Calm the ChaosThis Month’s Sponsors:💊 NeuroNeedsA science-backed supplement line created by Dr. Richard Boles, a geneticist and ADHD dad who walked this exact road. These all-natural formulas were developed to support focus, mood, and brain health—and they helped his own son transition off stimulants and thrive in college. 🧮 Pop Sugar Cafe The printable shop saving ADHD parents everywhere from pure morning meltdown chaos. Their visual schedules, routine charts, and emotion trackers are actually cute and neurodivergent-friendly. 🪑 Ted KangarooA line of science-backed sensory furniture and tools designed for kids who feel everything — loudly, quickly, and all at once. Ted Kangaroo’s patented chairs, vests, and rockers give your child a safe, calming, multi-sensory space to refocus, self-soothe, and regulate their emotions. 🎁 Play Therapy SupplyBecause sometimes the best gifts aren’t found in the toy aisle. Play Therapy Supply curates sensory-friendly tools, fidgets, and therapeutic toys that actually help kids calm their bodies and connect with their feelings.Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves! 📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] the show