There are some weeks where it feels like everything is falling apart. Meltdowns, changed plans, school calls, surprise bills, or just sheer exhaustion can throw our whole world off balance. As a parent—especially raising a neurodivergent teen—you start to realize that you can’t control everything. But you can control some things. And that matters more than we think.

One of the most powerful tools I’ve found to bring calm into our chaos is routine. Not the rigid, schedule-every-minute kind. But the dependable, calming kind. The kind that tells our brains and bodies: you are safe here.

**Food has become the battleground in our house—**and I never thought it would be.

My teen takes meds that suppress his appetite. He prefers processed food or takeout. And even when I finally make a meal he eats and likes? Next time, he says, “I don’t like that anymore.”

It’s frustrating. It’s exhausting. It’s daily. But I also know this: real food supports his body and his brain. So I’m not giving up—I'm just getting smarter about it.