Routines get a bad reputation - as rigid, controlling, or something parents impose on children. But for many parents (especially neurodivergent parents), routines are actually self-regulation tools.

In Episode 21 of Not Just Theories, we unpack why routines and control feel so important, what’s happening in the brain and nervous system when structure disappears, and why losing your routines can feel genuinely destabilising - not just inconvenient.

This episode explores what happens when children inevitably disrupt the systems we rely on, and how to adapt without shame or self-blame.

You’ll also hear compassionate strategies for increasing flexibility without abandoning structure altogether, including building “flexible routines,” shifting from time-based to rhythm-based routines, and allowing yourself to grieve for lost control.

This episode is about understanding yourself better - and letting go of the idea that needing routines means you’re doing parenting wrong.