How to Be a Grownup: A Humorous Guide for Moms, with CK & GK
Hey there! We’re Caitlin and Jenny (she/her). We host How to Be a Grownup: A Humorous Guide for Moms, with CK & GK, AKA the CK & GK Podcast. Our show is dedicated to any mom who's ever looked around and thought, "I need an adultier-adult than me to handle this." We're moms just like you, navigating the everyday chaos and unexpected surprises. We bring a relatable and humorous perspective to parenting, drawing on our own experiences and sharing honest, practical advice you can actually use in your own life. We aim to create a supportive and entertaining space where listeners can learn, laugh, and connect with other adults who are just trying to figure it all out. By offering relatable stories, expert advice, and a healthy dose of humor, we hope to empower listeners to embrace the ups and downs of adulthood with confidence and a positive attitude. ___ Caitlin and Jenny are based in Austin, Texas. They're both married to cool people and parents to cool kids. Caitlin is a former middle school teacher and Jenny is a middle school assistant principal. They're besties who love to laugh.
Episodes
You know that voice in your head that whispers "everyone else has it figured out" while you're standing in some big box store with your keys in one hand, searching for a shopping list you can't find, wondering how you ended up in the home dècor aisle when you came for toilet paper? We're talking about ADHD shame—where it comes from, why it sticks around, and how to finally tell that voice to ...
Ever found yourself holding a peanut butter spoon in your bathroom with absolutely no memory of why you’re there or what you’re doing? Welcome to parenting with ADHD, where working memory glitches meet kid interruptions, and somehow you're still expected to keep tiny humans alive and thriving. We're diving into the real challenges ADHD parents face and sharing the hacks that actually work.
Parenting a neurospicy kid is a special type of challenge. Former teacher Caitlin and ADHD mom Ariella share real strategies for the trenches (because ‘just listen OMG’ isn’t working).
BTW: Your kid isn’t giving you a hard time—they’re having a hard time. And you? You’re doing better than you think.
- This episode’s blog post (+ Sources & Mentions)
- Subscribe to our newsletter!
- Our ADHD Playlist on Spotify
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Who ...
Ever stand in front of an open fridge for 3 minutes, then eat a fistful of shredded cheese like a goblin? Asking for a friend. This week, we’re serving up real ADHD nutrition hacks (no kale… unless that’s your thing).
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Who Should Listen
- ADHDers who’ve ever meal-planned on Sunday and eaten cereal for dinner by Tuesd...
Ever hyperfocus through breakfast and lunch, then inhale an entire bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos at 3 PM? Same. ADHDers Caitlin and Ariella Monti break down why ADHD brains treat food like a dopamine slot machine—and how to stop the guilt spiral.
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Who Should Listen
- Moms who’ve eaten "just one more cookie" 7 ...
Back-to-school season is nearly here, and former teachers Caitlin & Jenny are begging you: Don’t be the parent who shows up hoping for a conference at dismissal or CCs the principal ‘just to be safe.’ This CK & GK classic is a hilarious (but brutally honest) guide that reveals the unwritten rules of teacher etiquette—so you can avoid becoming a teachers’ lounge horror story.
Ever stare at a blank page, willing your ADHD brain to just create already, only to end up deep-diving into crow memes instead? This episode’s for you.
Caitlin and guest co-host Ariella Monti (author, fellow late-diagnosed ADHDer, and mom of an ADHD son) share hilarious, real-world strategies to unstick your creativity—without guilt-tripping yourself into oblivion.
Why do ADHD moms go from talking about birds to debating Chris Evans’ best role in 2.5 seconds? Surprise—it’s not distraction (okay, not just distraction)—it’s your creative superpower. Here’s how ADHD brains are wired for next-level creativity (and how to harness it).
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Who Should Listen
- Moms who’ve been called “too much”...
When ADHD emotions hit, ‘just breathe’ doesn’t cut it. Here’s neurologically-backed first aid for meltdowns—no toxic positivity, just tools that actually work when you’re spiraling.
- Get even more content from this episode’s blog post here.
- Subscribe to our newsletter!
- Homework: Pick one tool from the episode to pair with your biggest trigger this week—then DM us your win (or fail!). As always, no judgment.
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Who ...
Your ADHD brain isn’t ‘too sensitive’—it’s wired for emotional whiplash. Here’s why (and how to survive it)!
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Who Should Listen
- Moms who can’t hear one more noise without losing it.
- Women labeled “dramatic” for intense emotional reactions.
- Anyone whose RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria) turns a thumbs-up reaction into “t...
Jenny spent our entire girls’ trip stealing my travel hacks—from a $11 life-changing wrap to the ADHD-friendly ‘Caboodle’ that organizes my chaos. Here’s the full list of affordable, mom-tested essentials that made her say ‘I need that!’ (and the epic curb-fail that made vendors gasp).
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Who Should Listen
- Moms who overpack but still forget everything.
- ADHD travelers who need syste...
Ever feel like you’re faking it just to survive motherhood/adulthood? Spoiler: It’s not impostor syndrome—it’s ADHD masking. Learn how to ditch the exhausting act without setting your life on fire.
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Who Should Listen
- Moms who feel like they’re pretending to function while drowning in chaos.
- Women who downplay their struggl...
Hey ADHDers: Your brain didn’t come with an ‘off’ switch for distractions (duh). But it DID come with a unique ability to create workarounds. From body doubling to ‘boring task bribes,’ we’re sharing real strategies for when entrepreneurship feels like wrestling a hyperactive squirrel.
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Who Should Liste...
Turns out, your ADHD brain is BUILT for entrepreneurship. From hyperfocus-fueled hustle to crisis-mode brilliance, we’re breaking down why your ‘flaws’ might actually be your unfair advantage.
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Who Should Listen
- ADHDers who’ve ever side-eyed a 9-to-5 and thought "I could do this better… if I could just find my keys"
- Business owners who cry into spreadsheets but also sol...
Vote for Caitlin for the Women Podcasters Awards!
Ever lose your phone while holding it? Start 10 projects and finish zero? Or hyper-fixate on Pope Leo’s baseball fandom at 2 AM? 👀 Welcome to the ADHD club, friend. In this episode, Caitlin and Ariella (a fellow ‘elder millennial with a PhD in awesome’) break down what ADHD really looks like in women—and why so many of us are just now figuring it out.
Vote for Caitlin: Women Podcasters Awards, Education Podcasts
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there—we see you!
Turns out, mom wasn’t blowing off your teenage BS when she said ‘be careful who you hang out with’ or ‘one day you’ll miss my nagging.’ This episode is for every grownup who finally gets it—plus the hilarious (and humbling) mom wisdom we still ignore.
You heard it here first: Laughter counts as a love language (and yes, meme exchanges totally qualify). In this episode, we’re getting real with Valerie Probstfeld—host of To Mom Is To Love—about parenting fails, Back to the Future obsessions, and why school safety shouldn’t be a political debate. And like always, you’ll feel like you’re hangin’ with your funniest mom friends.
Newsflash: Brushing your teeth is self-care. So is sitting in your car for a few moments of quiet away from your family. This episode is for every mom who thinks she ‘isn’t doing enough’—when really, she’s nailing the tiny wins (even if that ‘win’ is finally getting that cabinet door to stop squeaking).
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Who Should Listen
"Spoiler: Your to-do list isn’t the problem—it’s your brain (and maybe your phone). This week, TULA’s Debra Doliner returns to help us hack time management, ditch guilt, and finally make that 5-minute phone call we’ve all been avoiding for months."
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Who Should Listen
- Moms who’ve ever cried over an empty laundry basket (why is it always full again by noon?!).
- Anyone whos...
Between snack emergencies and the ‘second shift’ of mom life, your energy is constantly on E. This week, TULA Life Balanced’s Debra Doliner shares science-backed hacks to recharge—because literally ‘touching grass’ and 8-minute friend calls might just save your sanity.
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Who Should Listen
- Moms who collapse at 5 PM but stil...
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