Somewhere between curfews, consequences, and crisis, many parents forget how to laugh. The heaviness of your child’s struggle, whether it’s substance use, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation, can weigh down even the strongest parent. Your days start to revolve around monitoring moods, tracking progress, or bracing for setbacks. You stop noticing small, beautiful things—the warmth of sunlight, the smell of coffee, your child’s fleeting smile. But neuroscience and lived experie