Skip to main content

A Little Something on ADHD That Makes a Big Impact

I ran up to my bathroom this morning for just a minute. Every mom knows that despite thinking that the bathroom is a quiet, private place where it is an unsaid rule that you should never be bothered there - you always are. Today was no exception and Preston came wandering on up and started chattering in his usual, loud and un-aware that he is loud voice. The toddler was still sleeping peacefully just around the corner (which was miraculous in and of itself) and Preston knew that after several reminders already. I shook my head in exasperation of wanting my privacy but also that Preston was talking as loudly as if he had a megaphone attached to his face. I realized quite clearly that I couldn't be too upset because both issues at the moment were absolutely and un-deniably categorical ADHD.

I have to remind myself, almost daily, that kids with ADHD are different. Not always different bad, but definitely different. They see things differently, hear things differently, (if they see or hear certain things at all), understand things differently. And really, most of the time they don't understand. I read something last night that truly resonated with me and is something my husband and I often discuss with differing viewpoints:

"Children with ADHD have a hard time learning from experience, whether the experience is positive or negative. The child with ADHD, may make a mistake repeatedly before learning not to do it again. The child with ADHD has trouble applying past experiences to future problems and is unable to predict the consequences of his or her actions."

This seems like fact to me as I see it everyday. Preston rarely takes responsibility for his actions and see's everything as someone else's fault. Hence, I'm the meanest mom ever, all the time. Kids with this disorder are also totally un-aware of themselves or their surroundings - their personal space, others' space, their actions, and the fact that Disaster Clean-Up needs to be on-call 24/7 for the state of their rooms. This is why Preston chattering loudly while the baby is asleep around the corner isn't something crazy - he's just not self-aware. This is where being a parent is challenging as we try to teach and train and consequence and re-inforce because they don't get it like other kids do. I continue to give him choices that he has to live with even most of the time it doesn't sink in. It's still my fault that his lego's got taken away. Yet, I persevere because at some point it will stick. It may take years though. I'm still fighting alot of the same battles, but really as parents, that's what we do until they are moved out of the house, right?

Preston's psychologist told me once that we hold these kids to the same standards as all of our kids; it's how we go about managing them that is different. What does that mean exactly? That's my other big battle - especially with a your's, mine and ours. Talk about crazy dynamics. Oi. And that's what's coming up next. Stay tuned.

Comments

  1. You're an amazing mom, Brittany. I have a daughter just like that... so frustrating when they refuse to take responsibility no matter how hard you try to teach them. But it looks like you're trying so hard to understand him, and help him the best you can. Parenting is sure a refining test, isn't it?! He is blessed to be your son.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Raising these kids make you feel that you aren't succeeding as a parent - quite regularly. Little nuggets like this are good reminders to me when I can't figure out what in the world is going through that little brain of his and realizing that not much is. At least not what I would expect him to be thinking about. There is usually some space battle happening in real time in that mind.

      Delete
  2. You're an amazing mom, Brittany. I have a daughter just like that... so frustrating when they refuse to take responsibility no matter how hard you try to teach them. But it looks like you're trying so hard to understand him, and help him the best you can. Parenting is sure a refining test, isn't it?! He is blessed to be your son.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ah The Joys Of Summer!

Life is nuts isn't it? And we all know that it never really calms down - the challenges simply change. School's out. Yay!! (No - that's not me talking, that's my kids). My two youngest are fighting like the world might end tomorrow and they need to let each other know how annoying and despicable the other one thinks they are. The toddler manhandles Preston's Lego car and Preston throws it in anger yelling that the toddler ruined it - and not just the Lego car - his LIFE! "This is the worst day of my life!" Sigh. I suggest a simple and relaxing game of Candy Land. They show up to the game table with their best of poker faces and they are not going to let anyone or anything steal away their chance at sweet victory. Accusations of cheating and board-manipulation fly, all the while the toddler simply moves his piece from one spot to the next which is simply just too much to take for the real players. The game is over and nobody is ever playing again. My mi

I Can Only Change ME

I CAN ONLY CHANGE ME Welcome my friend! I have taken some time-off (well, a lot of time off) but the break - and long awaited return - is over! And I figured there was no better way to jump back in to this than to re-state what the whole purpose of this blog is. (Are blogs on the out now? Do I need a .com address to be 'legit?' Well, whatever, this is where I'm startin'!) The crazy part is, over the years, this ONE key concept - I CAN ONLY CHANGE ME - is what I keep coming back to and what my ultimate fallback is. I may be a slow learner folks, but I'll probably never get it. Yes - that is not a typo - I probably will  never master this, but I sure can work at it every day! As I say that, I realize I need to offer my kids and my husband way more grace and forgiveness than I do because I am myself am a repeat offender in all things bad and luckily all things good as well. This right here is the foundation to this whole blog: You can't change anyone but your

Have a laugh!

I have a super simple short post to write today.  Now stick with me on this - you'll be confused for a minute... I can totally write this while I look at your cute freckled face. And your giggles make me happy! Are you impressed yet? You need a haircut. And your teeth to be cleaned - don't frowny face me young man! Your freckles will not make up for your nasty dirty teeth! And you have chocolate on your face. Stick your tongue back in your mouth and go wash it off your face! I just typed all that while looking at my son and he read it as I typed. He was of course extremely impressed with my mad skillz, but also got a good laugh out of it. Do you make your kids laugh? Every day? That's actually one of my biggest goals - to make everyone in my family laugh at least once! Not because I'm funny (although - here's to hoping!) but because laughter is good for the soul; on a physiological level - did you know that? When you smile and laugh, it releases the feel-goo