Welcome back to Chaos & Caffeine, where we toss the parenting rule-book and embrace the beautiful, messy reality of raising kids when our brains (and theirs) don’t do “normal.” In this episode, I’m so excited to bring on the brilliant Emry Kettle — a child-behavior specialist, trauma-informed coach, and neuro-affirming badass who works deep with ADHD brains (kid and parent alike).
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of meltdowns, shame spirals, or “but why won’t they just listen?” ruminations—this one’s for you. We dive into:
- Why traditional discipline tactics kill connection (and what actually works)
- How to tailor behavior strategies when your kid’s wired differently (hello ADHD, autism, sensory overload)
- The communication scripts and mindset shifts that save your sanity instead of eroding it
- And the radical truth: you, your kid, and your family aren’t broken — you’re doing the hardest job there is with zero manual.
Emry brings over 20 years in the trenches as nanny, educator, and coach who knows the fatigue, the guilt, the overwhelm. But also the hope, the connection, the real tools that don’t require perfection.
Grab your coffee, lean in, and let’s rewrite the parenting playbook — for our brains, for our kids, for the chaos.
Connect with Emry 👉 emrykettle.com or on IG: @emrykettle
This Month’s Sponsors:
👩🏼⚕️ Dr. Lorian Phillips
Dr. Phillips helps families ditch the chaos and build calm through emotional regulation and practical tools that actually work in real life (you know, the life with homework battles, missing shoes, and bedtime meltdowns). Learn more about her ADHD Parenting Course and how she helps families thrive!
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. Head to Pop Sugar Cafe and grab the tools your kid will actually use — because structure shouldn’t suck.
A longtime favorite of parents, teachers, and therapists who want kids to have the tools they need to regulate, focus, and thrive. From fidgets and sensory tools to calming corner essentials, therapeutic games, and classic sand play, they’ve got everything to support kids both at home and in the classroom.
A 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. So if you’ve ever wished you had a scientist in your back pocket, this is it.
Resources:
Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves!
📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at chaosandcaffeinepodcast@gmail.com.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.