When you’re parenting a child with ADHD who has “Mess” as a middle name, it’s the little things that count.

I came across an organizing tip that is absolutely thrilling. Life changing! I’ll share it with you. But first, you have to promise not to laugh. With a child with ADHD creating chaos in a house, stashing, stowing, and sorting stuff becomes a full-time job. That’s why I was so happy to find just one little, itty-bitty but oh-so-satisfying no-cost tip that really works. It’s...
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During a visit from our case manager, we had an embarrassing moment.

I thought I’d die of embarrassment the time Natalie announced to our pediatrician that she’d eaten ice cream for breakfast (and was telling the truth!). I won the “Miss Ugly” contest at Camp Fire Girls camp one year; I might as well win the “Worst Mom” award to go with it. As if the ice cream for breakfast revelation wasn’t bad enough, Nat managed to raise the...
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I found a coping technique that reduces this daily struggle.

Natalie hates brushing her hair. Lots of kids do, right? But most kids don’t have Sensory Processing Disorder, making them extra-sensitive to the feeling of the brush’s bristles and the tugs. And not all kids have ADHD, making holding still long enough to do the dirty deed into a challenge in itself. Even fewer kids rock back and forth to fall asleep, creating super-sized knots. No...
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Natalie reached a major milestone last week. She was discharged from occupational therapy!

Natalie and I arrived at ChildServe for our weekly appointment with Nat’s occupational therapist, Summer Barber. “It’s time for a quarterly review,” Summer said. Nat played on the bolster swing while Summer and I talked. Nat’s handwriting has improved dramatically. Her core strength, motor planning, and coordination have too. We’ve worked on Nat’s Sensory Processing Disorder. We talked about how well Natalie did in social...
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As a mom of a special-needs child, I'm willing to forgive--this time.

I stayed up late last Thursday night to watch President Obama’s appearance on Jay Leno's show. I’m a big Obama fan. I desperately want him to have a kick-butt presidency, for his sake, for the U.S.’s sake, for the world’s sake. So, I gladly gave up an hour or two of sleep to watch him cast about his charm via Leno. “He’s so...
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Who was that woman who was so stressed out just a few weeks ago?

Last time I wrote about Natalie finally reaching the point, at age 8, where she can play outside for short periods of time without direct supervision, while other neighborhood kids are achieving that level of trustworthiness at age 5. For Natalie, two factors are clearly at play. One: kids with ADHD mature later. Two: the meds to treat Natalie’s ADHD must be doing all they possibly...
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I’ll take summer--and the ADHD-friendly active play that it offers--over winter anytime.

Here in central Iowa, we’re having a reprieve from winter weather, with temperatures in the mid 60’s to low 70’s. Being able to send Natalie outside to run, bike, and swing away her ADHD energy is a dream come true. It’s been a l-o-n-g winter. I’m feeling my way as to how much freedom Natalie, at age 8 1/2, will be able to handle this spring and...
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My car is a microcosm of my life as the mom of a kid with ADHD.

Empty cups and fast-food wrappers cover the floor. Legos, markers, mittens, and school papers add to the chaos. Every time Natalie gets in the car, she grabs all the toys she can carry and takes them with her, and there they stay. If she’s carrying her backpack, whether to school, or home from daycare, she can’t leave it zipped. She has to empty it out...
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The novel I'm reading is a compelling and painful must-read for parents of kids with special needs.

Whoa. The book I chose to bring with me on vacation, Jodi Picoult’s new novel, Handle with Care, is not a light read. But it sure as heck isn’t a book I could close easily in favor of a quick nap on a lounge chair by the pool. Handle with Care is the story of Charlotte, a mother of two girls, the younger...
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Could my vacation be ADHD-kid compatible--and relaxing?

This getaway vacation for two to Florida started out, in the dream stage, as a family vacation. “Our younger child has special needs,” I’d e-mailed the travel agent. “In order for her to travel with us, we need a direct flight--no connections. And the shortest ride possible from the airport to the resort. We need a beach, a pool, and food on-site, so we don’t...
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Hello from sunny Sanibel Island! Don and I are on a four-day getaway. Grandma Helen (brave soul) is home with our kids.

I spent the week leading up to take-off worrying that, for one reason or another, this vacation wouldn’t be a go. Reason Number One: Natalie’s ADHD; specifically, the unsettled state of her ADHD meds. Natalie recently starting taking Clonidine to help her sleep, and we are right smack in that critical evaluation stage, where I track an untried med’s effect, day and night. After week one,...
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I learned the hard way that ADHD and artificial coloring in foods are not a good mix.

Yesterday, I wrote about ADDitude’s new free printable ADHD diet guide. One of the things it suggests is reducing artificial colors in our children's diets. I found out--the hard way--that there's more than one reason ADHD and artificial colors don't mix. When Natalie came home from a respite weekend with Aunt Ann a couple of weeks ago, she brought some Trix yogurt home, too. I...
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ADDitude's ADHD diet guide is on our fridge as a reminder that diet matters.

I recently downloaded and printed ADDitude's new free printable: 5 Ways to Cook Up an ADHD-Friendly Diet. Thanks, ADDitude! It was just the tool I needed to try and bring my husband, Don, on board with some ADHD diet recommendations for our daughter, Natalie. Natalie's ADHD behavior is clearly reactive to her level of hunger. When Natalie is busy, the last thing she wants to...
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Can you imagine how much better school life would be for our special needs children if more teachers were open to non-traditional ideas?

A big thank you to Jeff for highlighting this New York Times article in his blog, Jeff's ADD Mind: . The article focuses on fidget-friendly classroom furniture developed by Abby Brown, a Minnesota sixth-grade teacher. Ms. Brown's classroom boasts stand up work stations with--get this!--swinging foot rests, and adjustable height, optional-use stools. Students can sit or stand, shift their weight from one foot to the...
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