Ep. 89 — ADHD, Parenting Yourself, and Pancake Pandemonium

Living with ADHD or parenting someone who’s neurodivergent can feel like climbing a mountain every day—while carrying a backpack you forgot at home. In this heartfelt and hilarious episode, Michelle and Megan continue exploring The Essential Guide to Raising a Complex Kid by Elaine Taylor-Klaus, with real talk about emotions, burnout, school struggles, and what it means to “parent yourself” as an adult with ADHD.

From pancake chaos to forgotten backpacks and double-fisted coffee mornings, the sisters unpack the second and third challenge areas of complex living: organization and school/home life. Megan opens up about her husband's recent ADHD diagnosis and how grief, growth, and humor show up in unexpected ways. Michelle shares stories of parenting with compassion and what it means to redefine success when you're raising (or re-raising) a complex brain.

Whether you’re managing a complex condition, supporting someone who is, or simply feeling overwhelmed, this episode offers validation, community, and a reminder that being here is enough. You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to keep showing up.

Favorite Line: "The ADHD is strong in me today."

00:00 – Welcome and podcast catch-up
02:00 – The story behind the two-minute episode
06:30 – Why Megan thinks adulting is just parenting yourself
10:00 – Brian’s new ADHD diagnosis and navigating the what-ifs
14:30 – Grief, unmet expectations, and moving forward
20:00 – Challenge 2: Organization and the great water bottle saga
28:00 – Pancake chaos and Kodiak flapjack detours
33:00 – When ADHD meds kick in mid-breakfast
36:00 – Parenting with curiosity, not control
40:00 – Backpack panic and asking for help
45:00 – Challenge 3: Home and school life with complex kids
51:00 – The pressure of potential and “just try harder” culture
56:00 – Slowing down, connecting, and chipping away expectations

Follow or subscribe to the Spicy Brain Podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss next week’s episode on logistics, broken routines, and family relationships. And if this episode resonated with you, leave us a review—it helps other neurospicy listeners find their way here, too.

ADHD, parenting ADHD, reparenting, adulting with ADHD, burnout, emotions, executive function, complex kids, Elaine Taylor-Klaus, ADHD spouse, ADHD diagnosis, school challenges, organization struggles, neurodivergent parenting, radical acceptance, neurodiversity support