Our story
Back when we used to go to our friends' houses and sit on each other's couches and talk over coffee while the kids were at school. I was sitting on Christie’s comfy couch, with one of her mini doodles snuggled in my lap, begging for advice on how to handle my then five year old son with ADHD. I listened intently to Christie’s experiences with her older sons, their challenges at school and managing their increasingly busy lives. I worried about my son’s impulsivity, that he climbed too high in the trees, swinging like a monkey before jumping down.
Christie matched my stories with her own. The time her son climbed on the roof, how he rewired the trampoline to jump higher and more. She also offered advice and what she wished she had known. Our talks were long and filled with laughter and for me, offered the comfort that I was not alone, that I was not crazy. That our children were not like most of their peers. They pushed harder, climbed higher, yelled more and struggled with regulation and holding it together at school. We commiserated in our isolation and sadness in seeing our children (and our families) being excluded, stared at, and judged.
From these conversations, Constant Chaos was born. We realized that for all of the great podcasts, books and other resources available to parents of ADHD kids, no one else was speaking for the parents' experience. We knew very well what we were supposed to do to help our kids - the reward charts, the structure, the scaffolding - but no one was talking about how isolating and challenging it could be.
Our goal is to add our voices and maybe a bit of levity. To let other parents and caregivers out there know they are not alone. They are not crazy. They are not bad parents. That our kids are wonderful and extraordinary but they are some very hard moments. We welcome a wide breadth of guests to discuss the array of issues, experiences and questions that parents of kids with ADHD face. From medication to IEPs, choosing schools, attorneys and yes, tips from experts to support you in this journey.
We hope you enjoy our episodes and our blog. And if you have an idea for a guest or topic, please contact us!
Oh - and if you like us, please give us a review!