If you’re an ADHD parent who feels constantly overwhelmed — even on days when “nothing big” happens — this episode is for you.

In this New Year, Less Chaos conversation, Danielle sits down with Amy Briggs, a speech-language pathologist turned tech founder, to talk about the invisible weight parents carry every single day: the mental load.

Amy shares what she saw firsthand while working with families — parents drowning in schedules, emails, school portals, and unspoken responsibilities — and why traditional organization advice fails neurodivergent families. That insight led her to create Aviva, an app designed to reduce cognitive overload instead of adding another thing to manage.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What mental load actually is — and why ADHD parents feel it more intensely
• Why “just get organized” doesn’t work for neurodivergent brains
• How parental overwhelm impacts kids’ emotional regulation and development
• What real support systems look like (hint: not more planners)
• How to create less chaos without chasing perfection or burning out

This episode isn’t about becoming a better parent.
It’s about building systems that hold you when your brain is already maxed out.

🎧 Perfect for ADHD moms, neurodivergent parents, and anyone craving less chaos and more capacity this year.

Connect with Aviva 👉 Aviva App

This Month's Sponsors:

📱 Talkspace

Therapy that fits real life. With Talkspace, you can message or chat with a licensed therapist right from your phone, no face-to-face required. Perfect if you’re shy, anxious, overwhelmed, or just communicate better in writing.

🎒 Miacademy

An online learning platform that makes school feel less like a daily power struggle. With engaging videos, games, quizzes, and built-in rewards, Miacademy helps K-8 kids stay motivated while giving parents tools to track progress without hovering.

🛒 Insight Family Market

A thoughtfully curated marketplace created by an educator and parent who actually gets neurodivergent families. Insight Family Market brings together sensory-friendly clothing, adaptive tools, educational supports, and wellness essentials that are chosen with real life in mind — not trends or quick fixes.

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves!

📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at chaosandcaffeinepodcast@gmail.com.

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Ever notice how your ADHD kid can’t start homework alone—but magically focuses the second you sit nearby? Or how you suddenly become productive when someone else is in the room?

That’s not coincidence. That’s body doubling—and it’s one of the most powerful (and misunderstood) tools for ADHD brains.

In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine, I’m joined by Maria DelCorso, ADHD coach and founder of New Agenda Coaching, to break down what body doubling really is, why it works for both kids and adults with ADHD, and how ADHD parents can use it without micromanaging, nagging, or burning themselves out.

We talk about:

• What body doubling is (and what it’s definitely not)
• The neuroscience behind why ADHD brains regulate better with another person present
• How body doubling supports executive function, emotional regulation, and task initiation
• Practical ways to use body doubling with ADHD kids for homework, chores, and routines
• Why body doubling isn’t “dependency”—it’s scaffolding success
• How parents with ADHD can finally stop doing everything the hard way

If you’re parenting a child with ADHD—or realizing you might have ADHD yourself—this episode will change how you think about productivity, support, and success.

Because sometimes the solution isn’t another strategy… it’s not doing it alone.

Connect with Maria 👉 New Agenda Coaching

This Month's Sponsors:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Hallowell Todaro ADHD & Behavioral Health Center

A strength-based practice co-founded by Dr. Edward Hallowell that actually gets ADHD. They offer evaluations, therapy, coaching, medication management, and parent support that focuses on what’s strong about your kid, not just what’s hard.

✨ Social Thinking

Social learning that helps kids, teens, and adults understand the why behind social behavior, not just memorize a checklist of “correct” moves. Their tools, curricula, and resources teach social cognition, perspective-taking, flexible thinking, and real-world problem-solving.

📱 Talkspace

Therapy that fits real life. With Talkspace, you can message or chat with a licensed therapist right from your phone, no face-to-face required. Perfect if you’re shy, anxious, overwhelmed, or just communicate better in writing.

🎒 Miacademy

An online learning platform that makes school feel less like a daily power struggle. With engaging videos, games, quizzes, and built-in rewards, Miacademy helps K-8 kids stay motivated while giving parents tools to track progress without hovering.

🛒 Insight Family Market

A thoughtfully curated marketplace created by an educator and parent who actually gets neurodivergent families. Insight Family Market brings together sensory-friendly clothing, adaptive tools, educational supports, and wellness essentials that are chosen with real life in mind — not trends or quick fixes.

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves!

📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at chaosandcaffeinepodcast@gmail.com.

Support the show

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves!

What if medication wasn’t the first step—but one of many options?

In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine, I’m joined by Dr. Amber Brooks, a pediatric functional medicine expert who helps families understand what’s really happening beneath their child’s ADHD symptoms.

We talk about why so many parents hesitate to start medication, what steps families can take before going that route, and how a more natural, integrative approach can reduce chaos without adding pressure, guilt, or unrealistic expectations.

Dr. Brooks breaks down how nervous system regulation, brain function, and root-cause support can play a powerful role in helping ADHD kids feel calmer, more regulated, and better supported—at home and at school.

This episode is especially for parents who:

• Want to explore ADHD support beyond medication
• Feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice
• Are trying to make thoughtful, informed decisions for their child
• Need reassurance that there is no “right” or “wrong” path—only the one that fits their family

We also discuss how to know when it may be time to bring medication into the conversation—and why that choice doesn’t mean you failed or gave up.

If you’re craving clarity, calm, and a plan that actually respects your child’s brain, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Dr. Brooks 👉 Healing Roots Pediatrics

This Month's Sponsors:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Hallowell Todaro ADHD & Behavioral Health Center

A strength-based practice co-founded by Dr. Edward Hallowell that actually gets ADHD. They offer evaluations, therapy, coaching, medication management, and parent support that focuses on what’s strong about your kid, not just what’s hard.

✨ Social Thinking

Social learning that helps kids, teens, and adults understand the why behind social behavior, not just memorize a checklist of “correct” moves. Their tools, curricula, and resources teach social cognition, perspective-taking, flexible thinking, and real-world problem-solving.

📱 Talkspace

Therapy that fits real life. With Talkspace, you can message or chat with a licensed therapist right from your phone, no face-to-face required. Perfect if you’re shy, anxious, overwhelmed, or just communicate better in writing.

🎒 Miacademy

An online learning platform that makes school feel less like a daily power struggle. With engaging videos, games, quizzes, and built-in rewards, Miacademy helps K-8 kids stay motivated while giving parents tools to track progress without hovering.

🛒 Insight Family Market

A thoughtfully curated marketplace created by an educator and parent who actually gets neurodivergent families. Insight Family Market brings together sensory-friendly clothing, adaptive tools, educational supports, and wellness essentials that are chosen with real life in mind — not trends or quick fixes.

Join Our Newsletter and Find All of Our Faves!

📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at chaosandcaffeinepodcast@gmail.com.

Support the show