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ADHD Parenting Blog
In addition to writing and blogging for ADDitude, she is the author of one (so far!) children's picture book, the editor of an anthology about the experience of parenting kids with ADD/ADHD, and contributes to a collaborative blog, "a mom's view of ADHD." She loves reading, Breyer's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, sleeping in, and Club Night (drinking wine and eating gourmet food with three other couples). She's thankful for her extended family, good friends, and reliable babysitters. Her life may look picture-perfect, but one of her biggest blessings -- being Natalie’s mom -- is also her biggest challenge! And the reason she blogs about living in knee-deep clutter, managing Nat's special services, Nat's intense neediness (“MOM-EEEEEEEEE!”), and (oh, let's not forget) finding time to mother her other child, and how she copes -- or doesn't -- with this picture-perfect life. Read Kay Marner's full bio and browse her blog archives: 2008, 2009, and 2010. Recent Blog Posts
Letting my preteen daughter text has helped her join the in-crowd, but her ADHD makes it hard for her to control her digital impulses. Some of you may find this hard to believe, but I’ve never had to set limits on my daughter Natalie's use of electronics. The hyperactivity that comes with her ADHD is extreme enough that she's never been interested in sitting still very long -- at the computer, the Wii, or with her Nintendo DS. Until recently, that is. At age 11 and in fifth grade, Natalie doesn't...Continue Reading »
School-related anxiety was making both Natalie and me sick - literally. Until a meeting with her pro-active special ed teacher proved that ADHD guardian angels do exist. Last Friday morning, I met with my daughter’s special education teacher to discuss Natalie's recent attempts to avoid school by claiming sickness. I believe her illness is really school-related anxiety, a side-effect of her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I entered the meeting with Mrs. McCasland incredibly worried -- and left feeling like I’d been over-reacting. It felt suspiciously like I'd just had a therapy appointment...Continue Reading »
Under the state's new education reform plan, my ADHD daughter Natalie almost certainly would have repeated third grade due to reading deficiencies. Is there really no other option? Last Friday, Iowa’s Republican governor, Terry Brandstad, released an education reform plan aimed at making Iowa’s public schools into World Class schools. One component of the plan, perhaps the most controversial, calls for ending social promotion for third graders who don't meet a certain standard for their ability to read. Third graders would take a state-wide exam in March, with their promotion to fourth grade riding on the...Continue Reading »
After years of bullies, ADHD accommodations, and social-skill meltdowns, school-related anxiety is literally making Natalie ill. Her mom feels pretty sick about it, too. I often wish homeschooling my daughter, Natalie, who has ADHD, was a realistic option, but I know myself well enough to know that it’s beyond my capabilities. I dearly wish that weren't the case because school is (literally) making her sick. One day during the week of Thanksgiving I received a series of texts from Mrs. McCasland, Natalie’s special-education teacher. Nat wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t have...Continue Reading »
Ever noticed how ADHD kids enter sixth grade and suddenly hit a brick wall? Thanks to Chris Zeigler Dendy, MS, I learned why that happens, and what savvy parents and teachers can do about it. My daughter, Natalie, who has ADHD, is in fifth grade this year, so next year she'll make the big transition to middle school. She's excited, mainly because we've told her she can finally have a cell phone then. But I’m terrified. She has enough problems in the small, familiar, warm womb of Sawyer Elementary School. What will happen when she steps through the doors of Ames...Continue Reading »
When Nat begged for clarinet lessons, we wanted to encourage her musical interests but we also knew practicing would be tough for an ADHD kid who lacks self-discipline and organization skills. I just got home from a hair appointment, where my stylist, Julie, told me how much her 6th grader, Madeline, is enjoying being Natalie’s clarinet practice buddy. "She always comes home with a new Natalie story," Julie said. I’m not sure I want to know the details — you never know what Natalie might do or say, due to her attention deficit disorder (ADHD). In our...Continue Reading »
I don't think ADHD kids are the only ones who need to work on their social skills. Someone please explain to me why our kids, the kids with ADHD or other neurological differences, always have to be the ones who change. Yes, our kids are the ones with a diagnosed problem, "difference," or disorder. But many of the “normal” kids who surround them each day could use a little self-improvement too, if you ask me. The ADHD kids are the ones targeted for...Continue Reading »
The struggle to keep my ADHD daughter wearing glasses and contacts continues, now with a 3-D twist. My daughter, Natalie, who has ADHD, wears glasses. That is, she’s supposed to wear glasses. But, more often than not, her glasses are bent, missing a lens, or broken. As I’ve written in the past, we’ve tried a variety of frames but have never found any that are Natalie-proof or that we deem ADHD-worthy. Trying to keep her glasses-clad is hard on the budget, and even...Continue Reading »
~ADDitude~'s mom blogger bucks the trend toward forced inclusion at school, and advocates maintaining self-contained classrooms as one option for ADHD and LD kids. Dr. Mark Bertin, a developmental pediatrician and author of the book The Family ADHD Solution, has an interesting post on his Psychology Today blog. The topic of the blog is the growing trend to integrate kids with ADHD, LD, and other issues into general education classrooms, and the gradual demise of self-contained special education classrooms. Dr. Bertin’s take is that one size doesn’t fit all;...Continue Reading »
The ADHD roller coaster is a nerve-wracking, gut-wrenching series of social victories and defeats that leaves both Natalie and I feeling queasy -- especially on days like this one. People often compare living with ADHD, or parenting a child with ADHD, to enduring a thrill ride: One minute you’re up, suddenly you drop, and surprises wait around every curve. Social problems have seat-belted my daughter, Natalie, onto that friendship roller coaster for several days now, and my emotions have been riding right alongside her. Our First Downward Plunge Natalie had one particularly difficult day last week...Continue Reading » « All Blogs |
    
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