We’re all so busy.

Between work, school, therapy appointments, meal planning, and just trying to survive the day, it’s easy to look up and realize you haven’t had a real conversation with your teen in days. Not just “Did you finish your homework?” or “What do you want for dinner?” — I mean a real moment of connection.

But when you’re parenting a teen with big feelings, big behaviors, or mental health struggles, connection isn’t just nice — it’s necessary. It’s the glue that holds everything together when the wheels are falling off.

Because yes — teens can still have them.

Let’s just start here: teenage meltdowns are real. They’re not tantrums. They’re not “bad behavior.” And they’re not something they can just “grow out of.” For teens with ADHD and anxiety, meltdowns are often a sign that the world has become too loud, too fast, too much — and their brain just can’t process it all at once.