| ADHD Directory |
| ADHD Printables |
| ADHD Guides |
| Expert Answers |
| ADHD News |
| Tools and Checklists |
| ADHD Topics A-Z |
| Book Reviews |
| Podcasts |
 |
| ADHD Groups |
| ADHD Discussions |
| ADHD Blogs |
| Share Your Story |
| E-Newsletters |
| ADHD Events |
| ADHD Videos |
|
| Subscribe |
| Give a Gift |
| Current Issue |
| Archives |
| Buy Back Issues |
| Buy Booklets |
| Customer Service |
| Contact Us |
| Advertise |
|
|
||||
« All Blogs
ADHD Parenting Blog« Recent Blog PostsArchives: February 2009
If I get to take one evening a month for myself, having it revolve around ADHD is not the way I want to spend it. "I read some of your blog," my supervisor said, "and now I understand your situation a little better. I have a better idea of why you're leaving." And then, the question: "Do you go to a support group?" I get that question a lot. There is a support group in town for parents of kids with ADHD. And no, I don't go. The central Iowa chapter of...Continue Reading »
I’m rambling on like a sleep-deprived fool. Hey Doc, how about some meds for me, too? Natalie has always had problems with sleep, and, right or wrong, I tend to blame those problems on her attention deficit disorder (ADHD). When Natalie was younger, falling asleep was the problem. Even though taking a stimulant to help with sleep seems counterintuitive, a 7 p.m. dose of Ritalin used to help with that issue. In addition, Natalie has long had a pattern of waking up...Continue Reading »
To paraphrase Ned Hallowell, ADHD drives some people to distraction. It’s driven me to unemployment. I am turning in my letter of resignation in approximately 97 minutes. What in the world would lead me to give up a part-time, decent-paying job with paid vacation and sick time in this economy? At a library, no less, the perfect setting for someone who loves to read and write. ADHD-fueled desperation, that's what. And I don't even have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)! My...Continue Reading »
And the countdown to self-destruction continues: seven...six...five... Last time, I wrote about how my part-time job has gone from being a stress reliever to a stress inducer, and how this impacts my ability to cope with the competing stresses of parenting my sweet, funny, exasperating child with ADHD. You know that request for one week of unpaid time off work that I mentioned yesterday? DENIED! Want to hear about my big blowup last...Continue Reading »
Lately, my ADHD parenting cope-o-meter has been hovering dangerously close to the “Danger: About to Self-Destruct” reading. I had a real fuse-blowing, smoke-coming-out-of-my-ears, tears-running-down-my-face, sobbing-with-breath-hitching meltdown just last week. I threw a fit to rival Natalie's Top Ten Best of the ADHD Fit-Thrower's fits. When I'm asked what my greatest stressor is, I always say it's parenting a special needs child. But it's really much more complicated than that. Thus, I discovered my cope-o-meter: a highly sensitive measurement of my ability to...Continue Reading »
Between working with doctors on my ADHD daughter's medication adjustments and advocating for her special education, I spend a lot of time in ADHD-related appointments. Another day, another ADHD-related appointment. Today’s outing was a med check with Natalie’s pediatrician. This time, instead of making any major changes in Natalie’s ADHD medication, we’re just adjusting doses. Thank goodness. Natalie is taking Ritalin LA twice a day now, with fairly good results, and starting today, we’re moving up to what we hope will be the ideal dosage. I’m crossing my fingers. Whew...Continue Reading »
As my daughter's temperature went up, her ADHD symptoms subsided--the fever effect made the ADD go away. For a few days. Have you ever noticed that having a fever reduces your child’s ADHD symptoms? Natalie crawled into bed with me at 5:30 Thursday morning. “I think I have a fever,” she said. Sure enough, she was broiling. On Friday, the fever persisted, and in addition, Nat complained of a sore throat. A trip to the pediatrician’s office resulted in a positive strep test. My...Continue Reading »
Like many children with attention deficit, my ADHD daughter lets her impulsiveness get the better of her and it really stinks! I went to bed with a headache. I woke up with a headache. Could that have anything to with the SMELL permeating our house? Natalie and several friends were playing upstairs in Natalie’s room last weekend while I worked in the kitchen. Lindzey came down to find a Nintendo DS game, and then ran back upstairs. The scent of too much perfume followed her...Continue Reading »
Instead of treating my daughter's ADHD with Ritalin, I added a dose of stupidity. As if it isn’t hard enough to feel okay about medicating my ADHD child, yesterday I gave her an added dose of my own stupidity. Natalie was playing outside (thank God for a break from winter!) with several neighborhood friends when med time rolled around. I went into the house, grabbed her medicine and a glass of milk, and took them across the street to her...Continue Reading »
I know my daughter's not actually broken. But some days I just want a magic fix to make all the distractibility, impulsivity, and anxiety go away. Last night a desperate thought fought its way through the harried chaos of my brain and into my consciousness: I CAN’T DO THIS. I need to send Natalie away for a week -- somewhere — and have someone “fix” her. Sadly, “somewhere” doesn’t exist. And what she has can’t be “fixed.” I know, I know. She’s not actually broken, she’s just wired differently. And with...Continue Reading »
Natalie's love fests with our family cat often end in nips and yowls. Yet, still, Smokey Joe comes back for more. Does he know? Aaron holds you upside down. Natalie holds you way too tight. Daddy doesn’t hold you at all. Mama holds you just right! Smokey Joe, our fat gray cat, loves Natalie, and Natalie loves him. And being Natalie, with her ADHD, she shows her love — sloppily, vigorously, exuberantly… …and often! In fact, every single time Natalie spots him — whether he’s asleep on a...Continue Reading »
This week's Top 5 ADHD-powered plays by my impulsive MVP, Natalie. In just the past week, my all-star ADHD daughter has really opened up her impulse-powered playbook to... 1. Pick up Daddy’s razor and run a finger across the blade 2. Dump out every bottle of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower 3. Drink the last drops of beer out of the empty bottles under the sink 4. Pour several colors of paint on the garage floor, then brush...Continue Reading » « ADHD Parenting Blog's blog « All Blogs |
    
|
|||
