Impulsivity & Hyperactivity

Shorter Days, Please

It’s not even 3PM, but this mom has already had a long day of challenges with her son and his ADHD. Thanks to equal parts humor and patience, she’s not prone in bed… yet.

Alarm clock on table
Alarm clock on table

Every time I have a day like today, I want bedtime to come quickly, so I can collapse. Most people think they need more hours in their day. Not me. Not more.

It’s barely 3 on a Sunday afternoon and I’ve already asked my son Bobby, “What were you thinking?” at least three times. The following things prompted my question:

1. I went out to clean up the barn for a party, and I found screws and nails everywhere. When I asked Bobby about it, his reply was honest: “I was throwing them at the pigeons, to get the pigeons out of here!”

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2. I sent Bobby to the house with a wheelbarrow full of produce from the garden. When he didn’t return, I discovered he was “washing the windows” — with a hose.

3. I came into the house to find a large fishhook stuck into the couch cushion. I felt ridiculous even asking, “Why did you put a fishhook in the cushion?” I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t remember doing it.

I love my boy to the moon and back, and, at times, I think we’ve been to the moon and back. But I’m a mom of a boy with ADHD, and, like all parents of kids with ADHD, I’m exhausted! This is not a “phase,” but my daily life.

Fewer hours in the day would help me out. That would mean fewer hours to repair, discipline, explain, and argue. My days are long enough.

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