Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Send us a textIn this conversation, Michelle sits down with Lisa Watson, inner-child healing coach and creator of the Reparenting Method, to unpack why parenting—especially complex kids—can feel so emotionally overwhelming, and how our children often activate unhealed parts of ourselves that are asking for compassion, validation, and repair.Lisa shares: Why your triggers aren’t about your child. Our strongest reactions come from subconscious beliefs formed between ages zero to seven—long before we had language, logic, or choice. The truth about the past. The past doesn’t exist in time, but it lives in the body. Healing happens by validating emotional experiences, not reliving or rehashing them. The Reparenting Method. By meeting your inner child as your higher, wiser self, you can correct the lies learned in childhood and replace shame with safety and self-trust. Why validation is the only job during a meltdown. Dysregulated nervous systems can’t learn. During emotional overload, presence and validation matter far more than correction. How healing yourself changes your parenting. When you release shame, perfectionism, and control within yourself, it becomes easier to respond—rather than react—to your child’s behavior. A powerful reframe for parents of complex kids. Your child isn’t here to break you—they’re here to guide you back to yourself.Quote to tape on the fridge: “Your children were divinely designed to be your guide. Every trigger is a gift pointing you back to yourself.”Whether you’re navigating meltdowns, neurodivergence, or your own inherited parenting patterns, Lisa’s message is clear: healing the child within you creates safety, regulation, and connection for the child in front of you.👤 About Lisa Watson Lisa Watson is an inner-child healing coach, conscious parenting educator, and creator of the Reparenting Method. With a background in childhood development and conscious parenting, she helps adults dismantle limiting subconscious beliefs so they can show up with more presence, compassion, and emotional regulation—especially as parents.🔗 Connect with Lisa Watson📧 [email protected] 📸 https://www.instagram.com/reparent_yourself 📘 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571427100884 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/watsonlisak 🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@reparent.yourself 🌐 www.reparent-yourself.com

Send us a textIn this episode, Michelle sits down with pediatric dietitian and eating-behavior specialist Jessica Setnick to talk about one of the most stressful parts of raising complex and neurodivergent kids: mealtimes. Jessica breaks down why picky eating, food battles, and nutrition worries are rarely about the food itself—and how families can create calmer, more connected routines around eating.Jessica shares:Why mealtimes feel so emotional. Parents carry their own childhood memories, family rules, and pressure to “get nutrition right.” Jessica explains how these expectations quietly shape the stress we feel at the table.How to reduce the pressure—starting today. From separating ingredients to offering a reliable “safe food” at each meal, Jessica shows parents how to build trust and remove the power struggle without turning into short-order cooks.Understanding hunger with ADHD and complex needs. Medication, sensory issues, and delayed awareness can mean kids don’t realize they’re hungry until they melt down. Jessica offers scripts and strategies to involve kids in solving the “after-school crash.”Her “experiment, not expectation” approach. Taste tests, paper-bag spit cups, counter snacks, and low-pressure exposures help kids explore new foods without fear—and help parents stop interpreting every bite as a measure of success.Healing your own food story. Jessica reveals how our childhood patterns around food still show up in our parenting today—and how her Healing Your Inner Eater workbook helps families break shame-based cycles.Quote to remember: “Only really good parents worry that they’re failing their kids.”If your child refuses most foods, eats the same thing every night, melts down at dinner, or panics at the sight of something new, Jessica’s message is freeing: you can lower the stress, reduce the shame, and build a healthier relationship with food—one calm moment at a time.Connect with Jessica📧 Email: [email protected] 🌐 Website: www.JessicaSetnick.com 📘 Facebook: JessicaSetnick 💼 LinkedIn: JessicaSetnick 📸 Instagram: @UnderstandingNutrition#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #PickyEaters #FeedingTherapy #NeurodivergentKids #MealtimeStress #ParentSupport

Send us a text In this episode, Michelle sits down with young-adult consultant Joanna Lilley to talk about the moment so many parents fear: the 18th birthday. Joanna breaks down why turning 18 doesn’t magically make a child ready for adult life—and how families of complex and neurodivergent kids can create a calmer, more supported transition.Joanna shares:Why 18 feels so scary. Parents worry they’ll suddenly lose all control and access. Joanna reframes the transition as a process—not a deadline.A realistic “launch plan.” Some 18-year-olds function like 15-year-olds, and that’s okay. Joanna helps families map out individualized paths: living at home longer, supportive housing, or step-by-step independence.The power of the right team. Conflicting providers can derail progress. Joanna explains how to build a collaborative team before 18—and ensure they’ll keep communicating after your child becomes a legal adult.Her signature process. From gathering IEPs, evaluations, and histories to creating a personalized “Who You Are / What You Need” roadmap, Joanna vets every provider before bringing them to the young adult.A skill-building approach to adulthood. Even when parents still hold most decisions, Joanna treats the young adult as the lead—using releases, interviews, and choices to build real adulting skills.Quote to remember:“Eighteen is a date—not a finish line. Adulthood gets to fit your child, not a checklist.”If your child is close to adulthood—or nowhere near ready—Joanna’s message is grounding: there are many valid paths forward, and you don’t have to build that path alone.Connect with Joanna🔗Connect with Joanna🌐Website: https://lilleyconsulting.com 📧Email: [email protected] 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-lilley-ma-ncc-12546566/ 📘Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilleyConsultingLLC/ ▶️YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LilleyConsulting/featured#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #TransitionToAdulthood #ComplexYoungAdults #NeurodivergentFamilies #ParentAdvocacy

Send us a textIn this conversation, Michelle sits down with Dr. Jack Hinman, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Engage Young Adult Transitions, to unpack why so many 18- to 30-year-olds are stuck between adolescence and adulthood—and how parents can help their “kids” move forward with confidence, connection, and purpose.Dr. Hinman shares:The crisis of connection. Today’s young adults are more connected than ever online—but lonelier and more anxious than any generation before. Dr. Hinman calls this the Crisis of Connection and explains how real, face-to-face relationships are the key to healing.The anxious generation explained. Born after 1995? Your brain literally developed differently. Between overprotection, constant screens, and “concept creep” around trauma and anxiety, today’s youth are growing up in a world that equates discomfort with danger—stunting resilience and identity formation.Overprotected offline, underprotected online. Parents guard their kids from playground scrapes but hand them unfiltered access to social media during puberty—the most vulnerable neurological window for comparison, shame, and emotional reactivity.When therapy meets autonomy. At Engage, young adults (17–25) live in supervised homes that gradually transition to independent apartments. Staff offices are embedded in the same homes, creating mentorship through proximity and connection, not confinement.Why 30-day programs fail. Short-term fixes don’t build independence. Engage focuses on long-term (9–12 month) support combining clinical care, mentoring, neurofeedback, and community integration—because growth takes time.Quote to tape on the fridge: “Anxiety isn’t the enemy—it’s the gym where resilience grows.”Whether you’re parenting a teen or watching your 20-something stall out, Dr. Hinman’s message is simple: Stop rescuing from discomfort. Start teaching that hard things are part of growing strong.👤 About Dr. Jack Hinman, Psy.D. Dr. Hinman is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Engage Young Adult Transitions in Cedar City, Utah. With over 20 years in mental health, he specializes in helping neurodiverse and anxious young adults overcome depression, avoidance, and executive-functioning challenges to rediscover autonomy, purpose, and self-trust. He also serves on the board of the Young Adult Transition Association (YATA) and is a leading voice in emerging-adulthood psychology.🔗 Connect with Dr. Hinman & Engage Young Adult Transitions 🌐 Website: engagelifenow.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 📸 Instagram: @engage.transitions 🎵 TikTok: @engageyoungadult 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jack-hinman-engagelifenow 📘 Facebook: Engage Young Adult Transitions#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #AnxiousGeneration #YoungAdultTransition #NeurodiverseTeens #ParentingAnxiousKids #ResilienceBuilding #ScreenTimeAwareness #ParentAdvocacyMama, step into this week knowing that every hug, every smile, and every small win matters. You’re building something beautiful 

Send us a textIn this conversation, Michelle sits down with special-needs family wealth strategist Michael Ringel to demystify the money side of raising complex kids—how to get organized fast, protect eligibility for services, and build a plan that cares for your child long after you’re gone.Mike shares:Why families delay (and how to start in 15 minutes). Your financial life isn’t a mess—it’s a junk drawer. Mike’s free “Living Balance Sheet” tool turns scattered accounts into a single snapshot and scorecard so you know what is and what’s possible.Benefits without the gotchas. The big rule of thumb: assets over $2,000 in your child’s name can jeopardize SSI/Medicaid. How third-party Special Needs Trusts preserve benefits, and when an ABLE account (tax-advantaged, spendable for qualified needs) makes sense—plus the key difference on what happens to leftover funds.Funding the future (without wrecking today). Why many families combine term and permanent life insurance to ultimately fund a Special Needs Trust—while using riders and disability coverage to protect income now.Hope for the best, plan for the rest. Build a team—financial pro, special-needs attorney, and benefits optimizer—so you protect today, plan for tomorrow, and avoid painful “do-overs.”Cash-flow judo. Most households leak money in invisible ways. Mike shows how to capture “found dollars” to fund protection and long-term goals without lowering your lifestyle.Quote to tape on the fridge: “Something is worth what it can do for you—not the price you pay.”Whether your child is 3 or 33, Mike’s message lands: get organized, protect eligibility, and set up funding so your child—and your whole family—can live a life without compromise.👤 About Mike Ringel For over 20 years, Mike has helped families with complex-needs children protect, grow, and enjoy their wealth—planning for two lifetimes while preserving access to vital services. He coordinates with attorneys and benefits specialists to quarterback a clear, compassionate plan.🔗 Connect with Mike Website: mikeringel.com Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikeringel/🧰 Get the Free Tool Mike mentioned: Ask Mike for access to the Living Balance Sheet to create your 15-minute snapshot and scorecard, then decide your next best step.#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #SpecialNeedsPlanning #SpecialNeedsTrust #ABLEAccount #SSI #Medicaid #IEPParents #TwoLifetimesPlanning #ParentAdvocacy #CaregiverFinance