Why does getting everyone out the door in the morning feel like its own daily battle for so many moms?

This week I sit down with Dr. Jenny Demark and Conrad Leung from Child Solutions, two of the three authors of Complex Kids, Simple Solutions, to talk about morning meltdowns, mom guilt, and what is actually happening when mornings fall apart.

We get into their framework, prepare, teach, and motivate, and how it applies to real families, including a story about an eight year old who went from daily meltdowns to meltdowns on only about one in ten days.

Key mom takeaways about morning routines, meltdowns, and mom guilt:

• A simple way to spot exactly where your morning is breaking down
• A real script for working backward from your leave time, step by step
• Why letting your kid help build the plan makes it stick
• What counts as praise that works, and why constant praise stops working
• Permission to let a rule slide without feeling like a bad, inconsistent parent

I also get honest about my own mornings, including the moment I catch myself sounding exactly like my own mother and the specific trap so many moms know: either I am patient, or I am a complete a-hole, nothing in between.

Resources:

• Complex Kids, Simple Solutions - check your local bookstore or library first. If you would rather order online: Amazon (affiliate link) or Amazon (non-affiliate link)
• Child Solutions: childsolutions.ca
• Child Solutions on Facebook and Instagram (@childsolutions)

About the guests: Dr. Jenny Demark is a psychologist in private practice in Ottawa, working with kids and families navigating developmental, learning, or behavioural concerns. Conrad Leung is a Registered Behaviour Analyst with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario and a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst, focused on children with severe problem behaviours. Together with Dr. Linda Reinstein, they run Child Solutions in Ottawa and co-wrote Complex Kids, Simple Solutions.

If mom guilt shows up for you the way it shows up for me, Good Moms Get Mad is a free series built for exactly that.

Head to kaylahuszar.com/gmgm to sign up.