Okay okay. If you tuned in last week and thought, “Wait… didn’t I already hear this?” You did. That was Episode 95 in disguise. But THIS is the real Episode 98, and it’s worth the wait.

This week, we finally finish Chapter 2 of Elaine Taylor-Klaus’s book, The Essential Guide to Raising a Complex Kid, and we go deep. We talk about:

1. What it means to parent yourself with the same love and care you offer your kids.
2. Why meltdowns, big feelings, and broken dishes are all part of the work, and how to handle them with less shame and more curiosity.
3. The four steps to help ourselves and our kids move through a trigger response (and why you can’t skip ahead to “fix it”).
4. Why radical forgiveness is just as important as radical acceptance.
5. Real-life strategies: from marble jars to mug catastrophes, to help build trust and repair when things go sideways.

We also unpack what it really means to “stay calm” as a parent. Spoiler: it’s not as simple as the books make it sound. There’s a reason this chapter took us four episodes to process, and that’s because healing is messy, neurodiversity is layered, and parenting is Olympic-level emotional work.

We’re so glad you’re on this journey with us.

💬 Favorite quote: “If a dish gets washed and no one sees it, did it happen?”

Next week, we’re diving into the chapter titled: “I’ve Tried Everything and Nothing Works”—and redefining what success really looks like for complex parents and complex kids.

The Essential Guide to Raising a Complex Kid by Elaine Taylor-Klaus

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Until next time: stay curious, joyful, and full of radical acceptance and forgiveness. High kick!

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