Summer break doesn't have to feel like the Olympics of meltdowns, messes, and mental fatigue—especially if you're parenting a neurodivergent child. In this jam-packed episode of Chaos & Caffeine, host Danielle Kelly serves up a raw, relatable, science-backed guide to surviving (and maybe even enjoying?!) summer with ADHD kids in tow.
We’ll unpack why summer is so freaking hard for kids with ADHD, how to create anchor-point routines that actually work, why sensory regulation is a must not a maybe, and how micro-adventures boost dopamine and cooperation without draining your wallet or will to live.
Plus: self-care strategies that don’t insult your intelligence, the tools I swear by to save my sanity, and the truth about what an intentional ADHD summer really looks like.
👉 BONUS: Want the unfiltered ADHD parenting advice Spotify won’t let me say out loud? Join the newsletter here for the chaos, calm, and caffeine-fueled truth.
This is the ADHD parenting summer survival episode every overwhelmed, exhausted, and wildly capable mom needs in her earbuds.
🔥 Resources Mentioned:
This Month’s Sponsor: Play Therapy Supply! They offer incredible products designed to support ADHD families, from sensory tools to therapeutic games that help kids thrive. Check out their fantastic selection at playtherapysupply.com!
🛍️ Products of the Week:
Let’s be real: we can’t uninstall TikTok from the internet, but we can create boundaries that don’t make our kids feel like we’re tracking their every swipe. Aura gives you flexible parental controls that grow with your family—because the goal isn’t to spy, it’s to guide.
Premium Portable Play Therapy Toys Kit
A neurodivergent parent’s secret weapon on-the-go. Packed with carefully chosen sensory tools, calming activities, and regulation-friendly toys, this compact zip-up pouch turns chaos into calm whether you’re stuck in traffic, stuck at a restaurant, or stuck in the pediatric waiting room for the third time this week.
Parenting Simply by Adina Soclof
A gentle, doable intro to positive parenting with rave reviews from parents, bloggers, and experts alike. Check the show notes for the link and why I recommend it to every ADHD parent I coach.
If TikTok is where your kid is getting their mental health info, Bonding Health is where you go to get real, evidence-based tools—without sifting through hashtags and hype. It’s a parent-led platform designed specifically for families navigating ADHD and emotional regulation.
Could Therapy be the Answer? TalkSpace —because let’s be real, even superheroes like you need a sidekick. Get connected with a licensed therapist and start feeling like the rockstar parent you are.
📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at chaosandcaffeinepodcast@gmail.com.
💡 If this episode helped, hit SUBSCRIBE, leave a review, and share it with another ADHD parent!
Popular Podcasts
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.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.