Are Screens Ruining Emotional Regulation? The ADHD Meltdown Truth No One Talks About (ft. Jenny Radesky)

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If you’ve ever handed your kid a phone during a meltdown just to survive the moment… this episode is for you.

Because what if that “quick fix” is actually doing something deeper to your child’s emotional development?

In this powerful and honest conversation, I sit down with Jenny Radesky, developmental behavioral pediatrician and leading expert on kids, media, and brain development, to unpack one of the biggest parenting questions of our time:

👉 Are screens helping kids regulate their emotions… or replacing the skills they actually need to build?

And if you’re raising a child with ADHD? This conversation hits even harder.

We’re diving into:

•  The difference between true emotional regulation vs. distraction
•  Why screens “work” in the moment—but may backfire later 
•  What’s actually happening in your child’s brain during a meltdown 
•  How screen use impacts ADHD emotional development 
•  Real-life strategies for handling public meltdowns (yes, even in Target 😅) 
•  What to do instead of reaching for a device—without losing your mind 

No guilt. No shame. Just real, science-backed insight for parents who are doing their best in a world full of screens.

If you’ve been wondering whether screen time is helping or hurting your ADHD child’s ability to cope, regulate, and thrive… this episode will change how you see those everyday moments.

🎧 Hit play, and let’s rethink what “calm” really means.

Connect with Dr. Radesky 👉 Center of Excellence   

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.