ADHD Kids & Screen Time: What Actually Works (Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician)

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If you’ve ever wondered whether screens are helping your ADHD child… or quietly making everything harder — this episode is your wake-up call (in the best way).

Today on Chaos & Caffeine, I’m joined by Dr. Michael Rich — pediatrician, researcher, and founder of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital — also known as The Mediatrician. He’s spent decades studying how digital media impacts kids’ brains, behavior, attention, sleep, and emotional regulation… especially in neurodivergent kids.

And what he shares in this episode?
 It’s not the tired “just limit screen time” advice.

We’re diving into:

•  Why screen time isn’t the real problem (and what actually is) 
•  How screens can amplify ADHD symptoms like impulsivity, inattention, and emotional dysregulation 
•  The difference between healthy vs. problematic media use
•  Why content and context matter more than minutes
•  How screens impact sleep, focus, and executive function
•  What ADHD parents should do instead of constant restriction and power struggles 
•  Practical, science-backed strategies to create calmer, more intentional screen habits

If you’re stuck in daily battles over devices…
 If you feel like screens have a grip on your kid’s brain…
 If you’ve tried limits, timers, threats, and nothing sticks…

This episode will help you stop guessing — and start parenting screens with clarity, strategy, and a whole lot less guilt.

🎧 Hit play, send this to a fellow ADHD parent, and let’s figure this out together.

Connect with Dr. Rich 👉 Digital Wellness Lab  

This Month's Sponsors:

🎲 Taco Cat Games

Helping ADHD families get off screens without triggering a full-blown meltdown… 

📱 My Screen Coach

Helping families raise kids who can actually unplug. 

🧠 Social Thinking

Helping kids build the social and emotional skills that don’t always come naturally. 

🌱 MaryRuth Organics

If you’ve got a kid who treats vegetables like a personal enemy, MaryRuth Organics might become your new best friend. 

🕹️ The Op Games
Building focus, connection, and social skills—one ridiculously fun, screen-free game at a time. 

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📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected].

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Danielle is the host of Chaos & Caffeine, a fast-growing ADHD parenting podcast where she interviews leading psychologists, clinicians, researchers, and neurodivergent advocates about what actually helps ADHD kids thrive in the real world. Through science-backed conversations and very real mom-in-the-trenches storytelling, the show helps parents navigate executive function challenges, emotional regulation struggles, learning differences, and the everyday chaos of raising neurodivergent kids.

Each week, Danielle translates complex ADHD research into practical tools parents can actually use — from building routines that support developing brains to helping kids strengthen focus, flexibility, and self-regulation skills.

Listen to the podcast and explore expert interviews at:
https://linktr.ee/chaosandcaffeinepodcast

Danielle frequently speaks and writes about ADHD parenting strategies, executive function development, emotional regulation, screen use and attention, learning challenges like dyslexia, and building resilient neurodivergent families.