ADHD preschoolers don't have to sit still to enjoy Howard B. Wigglebottom's basic listening lessons.

I was checking my ADHD parenting blog for comments this morning, and found a new comment from Howard Binkow. Hey, I recognize that name! Howard B. Wigglebottom--is that you? Howard says he’s the CEO of the We Do Listen Non Profit Foundation, but I recognize his name as the author of the book: Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen, one of my favorite picture books...
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How is it that Natalie's ADHD permeates our whole household? And where the heck are all those Christmas cards hiding?

If you're one of those people who found the time, energy, and organizational skills to send out Christmas cards, I salute you. I haven’t managed to send Christmas cards for several years. If you are one of the kind folks who sent a card to my family, thank you -- and I’m sorry. I hope to find it and read it sometime before...
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Holiday stress isn't just for families with ADHD children. The excitement of Christmas and the upcoming vacation has everyone a little wired.

It’s not just the ADHD kids now: the excitement of the Holiday season has permeated Natalie’s entire school. Natalie has never had a major problem with her behavior at school. Trouble focusing, yes. Serious acting out, no. (She saves that for me.) But, last week, from her reports, there was a disturbing change. She was getting “strikes” and “warnings”. Teachers were “yelling”...
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For a child with ADHD, waiting for Christmas is challenge beyond her capabilities. When Natalie says, “I can’t wait for Christmas!” she means it literally.

Christmas is coming, but not fast enough for Natalie. Do you know that holiday song? “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Not at the Marner house. When there is a child with ADHD in the family, the song goes more like this: “It’s the most challenging wait of the year!” I’ve written before in my Parenting ADHD Children Blog about how hard...
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I tend to cope with my daughter's negative behavior and temper tantrums by blaming it on the ADHD. Is that a parenting cop-out?

Last week, our in-home therapist, Gayle, helped me to feel good about an instinct I have when it comes to parenting my ADHD child. When Natalie is totally out of control—you know the drill—flailing around, kicking and screaming, biting, grabbing everything in sight to throw or to rip apart (shall I go on?) I try to figure out what set her off. I work on...
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Nat's weekend away with her ADHD friend and his parents worked wonders for her behavior and she's sleeping like a baby.

Natalie arrived home from her weekend away with her friend Harry late Sunday afternoon. “We got some great pictures,” Harry’s mom, Victoria said. “There’s one of the two of them at a restaurant. Both of them are resting their heads on the table.” Two kids with ADHD tired out before midnight? Their strategy—let the kids play at the indoor water park until they...
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We’ve created a wonderful arrangement with another family of trading off caring for each other's ADHD kids while one set of parents takes a break.

I kissed Natalie good-bye this morning at the door to her second grade classroom knowing I wouldn’t get another kiss until Sunday night. She’s leaving town at 1:00 pm today (getting out of school early!) with her friend and soul-sibling, Harry, and his family. They’re spending the weekend at a new hotel with an indoor water park at Iowa’s Lake Rathbun. Harry’s mom, Victoria, said...
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ADHD is real. And as the parent of a child who lives with it each day, I hereby vow to stop people like 'Ray' from questioning my judgment or imposing any false guilt. Are you with me, Moms?

To respond or not to respond to an ADHD “non-believer”? That is today’s question. In a comment to one of my recent posts about ADHD medications, Ray writes that he doesn’t believe in ADHD or the use of “mind-altering” medications to treat children. My first instinct, upon reading this, was to argue. But that’s been done by folks who know a...
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On Thursday, the whole family gave heartfelt thanks for Natalie's new medication - Focalin XR - and the calm peace of a happy child.

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we went. Well, east on I-80, actually. To Hills, Iowa, a tiny little town that doesn’t have any. Any hills, that is. For Thanksgiving. A scrumptious, traditional Thanksgiving with family. The big story of The Marner Family Thanksgiving, 2008 is a non-story, a story of nothing happening. Of...
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