The One with the Squirrels

Autistic elopers are like squirrels.

Everything can be calm. Regulated. Peaceful.
And then one tiny thing irritates their brain — and they’re gone.

In this episode of Chaos with Kori, a free Starbucks coffee, a pair of pants that refused to cooperate, and one very dramatic squirrel collide into a powerful realization about autistic elopement.

We’re talking about nervous systems, not defiance.
Flight mode, not misbehavior.
Security hoarding, not greed.

And maybe most importantly — we’re talking about Mrs. Squirrel.

Because everyone talks about the child who runs.
No one talks about the parent who never stops scanning.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted from tracking exits, anticipating triggers, and living in “this time” mode… this one’s for you.

You’re not failing.
You’re watching a squirrel.

#ChaosWithKori
#AutismParenting
#AutisticElopement
#NeurodivergentKids
#ParentingPodcast
#AutismAwareness
#SpecialNeedsParent
#NervousSystem
#FlightMode
#MomLife
#ParentSupport
#InvisibleWork
#PodcastLife
#Neurodiversity

No one hands you a manual for your child.

In this episode of Chaos with Kori, I talk about the truth of parenting a neurodivergent, high-support-needs child — the exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix, the shrinking village, the advice you’ve already tried, and the loneliness of being the only one who sees what happens at home.

This is about grieving the life you thought you were going to have while fiercely loving the child you do have.

It’s about being the safe place when you feel like the punching bag.

It’s about reading the reports, crying in the bathroom, and still showing up.

This life isn’t for the weak.
It’s for the tired, the brave, and the ones who keep going anyway.

If you’re stumbling through your own journey, this one’s for you.

You’re not alone.

#ChaosWithKori
#NeurodivergentParenting
#AutismParent
#SpecialNeedsParenting
#HighSupportNeeds
#InvisibleLabor
#ParentingTruth
#ParentingPodcast
#MomLifeUnfiltered
#GriefAndGrowth
#YouAreNotAlone
#RealMotherhood
#AUHDParenting

We went to the ER because something wasn’t right.

My autistic, nonverbal child hadn’t eaten for days. He wasn’t drinking. He was clearly uncomfortable—and unable to tell us what hurt. We didn’t go looking for answers we already had. We went looking for care.

What we got instead was dismissal.

In this episode of Chaos with Kori, I share the story of an ER visit that failed us—not in dramatic ways, but in quiet, exhausting ones. No full vitals. No tests. No curiosity. Just “it’s viral” and a reminder to hydrate a child who wasn’t drinking.

This episode isn’t about blaming one doctor or one hospital. It’s about the invisible struggle of parents advocating for autistic children, the emotional toll of being dismissed, and the weight families carry after the visit ends.

And as we head into a follow-up appointment with his pediatrician, I talk about what it means to keep showing up—even when you’re tired, even when another fight feels like too much.

If you’ve ever trusted your gut and been made to doubt yourself, this one’s for you.

#ChaosWithKori
#AutismParenting
#NonverbalAutism
#MedicalGaslighting
#ERExperience
#ParentAdvocacy
#HealthcareFailure
#InvisibleDisability
#SpecialNeedsParenting
#TrustYourGut
#MedicalTrauma
#CaregiverBurnout
#ParentingPodcast
#RealLifeParenting

Sometimes support doesn’t end with a conversation.
Sometimes it ends with an email.

In this episode of Chaos with Kori, I talk about what it felt like to be unexpectedly dropped by my therapist — the timing, the tone, and the emotional fallout that followed.

We talk about vulnerability, about being told your feelings are a “choice,” about naming fears that feel shameful to say out loud, and about how quickly old doubts resurface when help disappears at the wrong moment.

This isn’t an anti-therapy episode.
It’s an honest one — about sitting with uncertainty, questioning yourself, and not having neat answers yet.

If you’ve ever asked for help and walked away wondering if you were too much, you’re not alone.

#ChaosWithKori
#MentalHealthPodcast
#TherapyExperience
#TherapyTalk
#EmotionalVulnerability
#PostItMoment
#SexAndTheCityReference
#BeingTooMuch
#AskingForHelp
#ParentingAnxiety
#NeurodivergentParent
#MentalHealthJourney
#UnresolvedFeelings
#StillShowingUp

Christmas doesn’t always look like the movies — and that’s okay.

In this post-Christmas reflection episode of Chaos with Kori, I talk about what the holidays really looked like for our family this year: quiet moments, low-pressure traditions, growing kids, and learning to meet each other exactly where we are.

From honoring P’s need for calm and going at his pace, to navigating Christmas with an 18-year-old who wants fewer but bigger “toys,” this episode is about adjusting expectations, naming the hard parts, and recognizing the strength in simply continuing to show up.

This year wasn’t our easiest — but we made it this far.
And we’re not giving up.
We keep showing up.
We keep loving.

If you’re sitting in the quiet after the chaos, this one’s for you.

#ChaosWithKori
#PostChristmasReflection
#AfterTheHolidays
#RealLifeParenting
#LowPressureHolidays
#ParentingTeens
#NeurodivergentParenting
#FamilyLife
#QuietChristmas
#ParentingWithoutPerfection
#LoveLooksLikeShowingUp
#GentleParenting
#NewYearWithoutPressure
#ResilientFamilies
#HonestParenting

My big kid just turned eighteen!!
Christmas is a week later.
And somewhere between those two moments, time reached in and took my breath away.

In this episode of Chaos with Kori, I reflect on the memories that come with raising a child into adulthood — the good, the bad, the terrifying — and the kind of love that shapes both parent and child along the way.

I also share a moment I’ll carry forever: my youngest, P, independently initiating the birthday song for his big brother. A quiet milestone. A full heart. A reminder that sometimes, time gives back.

This episode closes out the season with gratitude, love, and hope — plus a holiday hello, a look ahead to the new year, and a preview of my new podcast, Hunted & Haunted: Evidence & Echoes.

If you’re holding joy and ache in the same breath, this one’s for you.

What starts as responsible research and good intentions quickly turns into a 45-minute bathroom boss battle.

In this episode of Chaos with Kori, Kori shares the painfully funny, brutally honest story of her first (and last) attempt at using a menstrual cup. From deep-diving beginner guides and accidentally asking Discord about the wrong cup, to contorting into a pregnant flamingo and ultimately rage-yeeting a silicone goblet into the bathtub, this episode is about more than period products — it’s about knowing when to walk away.

With humor, vulnerability, and zero shame, Kori reminds us that empowerment doesn’t have to be complicated, sustainable doesn’t have to hurt, and sometimes the best choice is the one that lets you live your life without acrobatics.

No folding required.

#ChaosWithKori
#TheOneWithTheCup
#MenstrualCupFail
#PeriodProblems
#StorytimePodcast
#PodcastHumor
#RelatableChaos
#MomLife
#WomenInPodcasting
#TMIRealness
#PeriodTalk
#BodyAutonomy
#NormalizePeriods
#FunnyPodcast
#ChaosQueen

Ever catch yourself comparing your Level 10 chaos to someone else’s sunny-sky life and somehow deciding you’re the problem?

Yeah. Same.

In this episode of Chaos with Kori, I talk about the emotional whiplash of comparing my tornado-level reality to other people’s gentle breezes. We get into therapy revelations, Home & Garden houses, neurodivergent tornado energy, and why giving myself grace feels like trying to learn a language no one taught me.

It’s funny, honest, messy, and a reminder that we’re all running different weather systems — and none of them make us less.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re losing a competition you didn’t sign up for, this one’s for you.

• #ChaosWithKori

• #MomLife

• #NeurodivergentParenting

• #SpecialNeedsParenting

• #ComparisonTrap

• #GiveYourselfGrace

• #DifferentLivesDifferentChaos

• #RealMomTalk

• #HonestMotherhood

• #TherapyJourney

• #ParentingTruths

• #MomHumor

• #EmotionalChaos

• #PodcastLife

• #TornadoEnergy

Content Warning:

This episode discusses the emotional challenges of parenting a neurodivergent child, including moments of fear, overwhelm, physical aggression, and parental guilt.
Please listen with care, and skip or pause if this topic feels too heavy today.The One Where I’m Afraid of My Own Child

No one prepares you for the kind of motherhood where love and fear live in the same heartbeat.

In this raw and quietly powerful episode, I talk about something most parents of neurodivergent kids never feel safe saying out loud: sometimes I’m afraid of my own child. Not of him—but of the moments when he’s overwhelmed, hurting, and his storm hits me on the way out.

We talk about the bruises we hide, the shame we carry, the grief we never name, and the guilt that crawls into the spaces between love and survival. And we talk about the other side too—the soft moments after the meltdown, when he climbs into my lap with tear-sticky cheeks and I hold him even though I’m still shaking.

This is for every parent sitting in the dark, wondering if they’re alone.
We’re not.
We’re doing the best we can in storms we were never trained for.
And love—real, stubborn, steady love—still wins here.

#ChaosWithKori#NeurodivergentParenting#AutismParent#RawParenting#MomLifeUnfiltered#ParentingReality#MeltdownMoments#SensoryOverload#ParentingThroughStorms#SpecialNeedsParenting#TraumaResponses#ParentalHonesty#PodcastLife#RealTalkPodcast#EmotionalParenting#ParentingWithoutShame#CompassionOverPerfection

Some episodes of parenting are heavy, and this is one of them.

In this raw and unfiltered episode, I share what it feels like to face the possibility that my son’s struggles may go beyond behavior — and the heartbreak of preparing for a psych evaluation. It’s about the exhaustion, the smacking and screaming on our hardest days, the tears I shed while waiting for the bus, and the endless love that keeps me standing even when I feel broken.

This is for the parents who keep showing up, no matter how many times their hearts shatter. For the ones who reset every day, who forgive, who keep asking “How was your day?” even when the answer never comes.

Because no matter what the diagnosis says, our love remains. And if you’re walking this road too — you are not alone.

#ChaosWithKori #ParentingPodcast #SpecialNeedsParenting #PsychEvaluation #AutismJourney #ParentingStruggles #ParentingWithLove #ExhaustedButStrong #RawParentingStories #ParentingPodcastLife #MomLifeUnfiltered #EndlessLove