Not Quite Grownup

Send Caitlin a Text! If you've ever found yourself reading about the collapse of democracy while your groceries melt in the car, this one's for you. We're being told to "stay informed" and "be engaged"—and honestly, it feels irresponsible to be anything but. But we're also the default parent, the orthodontist appointment scheduler, and the person who remembe...

Send Caitlin a Text! Your kid just asked, "What's a protest?" When protests are all over the news and their social feeds, how do you explain what's happening without panic, preachiness, or paralysis? Today, we're breaking down exactly what to say to kids at different ages, with scripts you can steal and alternatives for when attending a march isn't right for your fami...

Send Caitlin a Text! Parenting through family conflict feels like walking a tightrope. On one side sit your values and a strong urge to protect your child. On the other side lives your love for relatives who see the world differently. And all the while, your kid is watching—not for perfect talking points, but for how you handle the tension. Today we're sharing what to say to kids before, duri...

Send Caitlin a Text! Life hasn't stopped, even though it feels like the world is falling apart. You're still doing laundry, packing lunches, dealing with broken freezers. And your kids are picking up on your tension—the tone in your voice, the headlines they overhear, the things their friends are saying at school. You don't have all the answers, and that's okay. But staying sil...

Send Caitlin a Text! The holidays are over. The decorations are packed away, the laundry pile is bigger than ever, and the calendar just got serious again. You're staring down that jarring shift from holiday magic to alarm clocks, packed lunches, and after-school meltdowns. The post-holiday blues are real—and they hit parents just as hard as kids. We're sharing practical strategies to ea...

Send Caitlin a Text! It's winter break and your kids are already saying "I'm bored" on day two. You're trying to get holiday stuff done relax, but also prevent them from bouncing off the walls for the next week and a half. How do you keep everyone entertained without becoming a full-time cruise director? We're sharing 32 indoor and outdoor activities organized by age...

Send Caitlin a Text! Raise your hand if you've ever looked at a holiday photo and thought, "What was I DOING with my hands?" Or noticed your arm looks twice its normal size pressed against your body? Or realized your front leg looks like a column instead of, you know, a leg? You deserve to look back at holiday photos and love what you see. We're breaking down three photographer...

Send Caitlin a Text! Ever gotten a "dress casual" invite and thought "what does that even MEAN?" Or worse—shown up to a "festive" party in sequins only to realize everyone else interpreted it as ugly sweaters? Same. Holiday dress codes are confusing, ambiguous, and honestly? Half the time hosts don't even know what they're asking for. We're decoding eve...

Send Caitlin a Text! The holidays bring out the best in us—and sometimes the absolute worst on social media. Gift bragging, family drama aired publicly, political hot takes that start comment wars... we've all seen it (or been guilty of it). This week we're breaking down 8 types of posts to skip this season and why they matter more than you think. And for the record: "I'm just...

Send Caitlin a Text! Thanksgiving is full of stories we think we know—but how much is actually true? Was the first Thanksgiving really just Pilgrims and turkey? Why do we pardon turkeys? And why do plumbers dread Black Friday more than any other day of the year? We're trading myths for facts and turning Thanksgiving trivia into stories you'll actually want to share at the table this year...

Send Caitlin a Text! Holiday hosting shouldn't feel like a traffic jam in your kitchen with chaos everywhere and you questioning all your life choices. You want everyone to have fun, make memories, and stay out of your way while you get the meal on the table. We're sharing 7 low-prep, high-joy Thanksgiving activities that keep everyone engaged so you can actually enjoy the day instead of...

Send Caitlin a Text! The holidays are nearly here, which means you're about to sit across from relatives with very different political views. Fun, right? Whether it's Uncle Bob bringing up the recent election or your cousin sharing hot takes nobody asked for, navigating political conversations at family gatherings is exhausting. We're sharing practical scripts, gentle redirects, and...

Send Caitlin a Text! Guess what? It’s tipping season once again. The holidays bring out this weird etiquette stress where you're supposed to know exactly who gets what—your mail carrier, hairstylist, dog walker, that random person who delivers your groceries. We're breaking down holiday tipping so you can show gratitude without the guilt or confusion (or going broke in the process). Stop...

Send Caitlin a Text! Ever wonder how those Spirit Halloween stores just... appear every September and vanish by November? How do they make money being open only 3 months a year?  The origin story is wild: one guy in the 80s watched a line at a neighboring store, had an idea, and accidentally invented an entire business model. Today, we're breaking down how Spirit Halloween went from a women&a...

Send Caitlin a Text! It's October, and you're trying to find Halloween movies that won't bore you to tears or traumatize your kids. Every family has different thresholds for "too scary," and you're looking for that sweet spot between cozy and creepy. We've done the work for you—breaking down Halloween movies by age group, sharing our childhood scares (E.T.’s fing...

Send Caitlin a Text! A curated guide to ADHD creators who actually help, from parenting and relationships to practical home care Social media is full of ADHD content, but which creators actually know what they're talking about? We're sharing the accounts that helped us get diagnosed, parent with more calm, and build systems that work when your energy is nonexistent. From compassionate ho...

Send Caitlin a Text! Your ADHD medication works perfectly one week, then feels like sugar pills the next. Before you blame your pharmacy or your brain, here's what's actually happening: your hormones are messing with your medication's "Wi-Fi signal." When estrogen drops—during your luteal phase, period, postpartum, or perimenopause—your meds can't connect the way they...

Send Caitlin a Text! You were fine until middle school, then everything fell apart. Your postpartum brain fog felt different than "new mom tired." Your 40s hit and suddenly you can't remember words mid-sentence. What if these aren't three separate problems? What if it's all your ADHD brain responding to major hormonal shifts—and nobody told you that was a thing? Stop wonde...

Send Caitlin a Text! Ever notice that your ADHD medication might as well be a Tic-Tac right before your period? Or that some weeks your brain feels sharp while others feel like you're thinking through fog? Here's the thing: it's not in your head. Your hormones are literally messing with your ADHD brain, and not enough people are talking about it. Stop wondering why your ADHD feels l...

Send Caitlin a Text! "There's too much that will make you upset to not start taking action." - Caitlin In the wake of recent tragedies at Annunciation Church and Catholic School in Minneapolis and Evergreen High School in Colorado, we're bringing back an episode that feels heartbreakingly relevant. If you're feeling helpless and angry right now, you're not alone. But...

Send Caitlin a Text! That sinking feeling when you realize you've been paying for three different—and overlapping—streaming services you don’t use? Or when you're staring at a pile of unopened bills wondering how adulting got so complicated? If you have ADHD, money management isn't just challenging—it's playing financial whack-a-mole with a brain that's working against you...

Send Caitlin a Text! Ever notice how traditional self-care advice makes you want to scream? Those peaceful meditation sessions and serene bubble baths that work for everyone else feel like torture for your constantly-moving ADHD brain. Turns out, our brains need something completely different—and we've got seven research-backed strategies that actually work. Click here for links to all source...

Send Caitlin a Text! 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 aroun...

Send Caitlin a Text! 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 ha...

Send Caitlin a Text! 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 newslette...