Parents Who Suffer From ADHD: Not Theirs, Their Kid’s!

She may be in 8^thGrade, but every morning at breakfast we still have to review the litany of rules for school: no hitting; no touching; no spitting (on the ground or people); no horsing around on the bus; no talking back; no doing homework during class; no cutting class; no forging passes to go to the library to play games on the computer during orchestra; etc….the list goes on and on I assure you.

However, today she bested me. Who knew she would add a new compound rule to the list: no using weapons to hurt others…while on the bus?!

That’s right. You heard me. Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water. Please tell me she’s eventually going to mature and this will all go away…or that they lowered the age of enlistment in the military to 14.

I was so thrilled when she made the Field Hockey Team at school. Who knew she’d cast a pall over that excitement by using her hockey stick to whack someone over the head on the bus home today?! Never a dull moment and here I was all thrilled that finally she’d taken an interest in a sport. Little did I know that interest would be used as a WMD.

She does suffer from ADHD…rather we suffer from her ADHD…and so did that kid on the bus. For the record, just let me say that punishment was meted out swiftly at home and at school.

Getting back to the ADHD, I digress…Was that a bird?...I’m hungry…Do you have a band aid? (Sound familiar to any parents of children with ADHD out there?!) One of the symptoms of ADHD is poor impulse control. However, she takes daily medication to help manage these symptoms and I have her days structured to the second on boards all over the house: 6:00am wake up; 6:02 dress; 6:05 breakfast; etc… I know it sounds crazy but organization is key for children with ADHD. That’s also why I review the official Davey Family Code of Conduct on a daily basis as well.

This probably all sounds very tedious and tiring but it has become part of our daily routine and let me tell you days without these routines are much more tedious and tiring.

Despite all this structure at home, support in school and medication, she still exhibits poor impulse control, poor judgment and is very immature. I realize this is all part of the ADHD but I’m really fed up with it and it’s only September! I’m really trying to see the positive changes in her: joining a sport after school without being threatened to; making age appropriate friends; behaving more responsibly in class; not shoving bananas up her nose during lunch anymore; etc… So why am I so frustrated by the beast on the bus behavior?

Is anyone out there? Please tell me you’re equally as frustrated by your kids with ADHD? It’s okay. No one is going to judge you…just make sure you don’t use your real name. Think of this blog as your confessional and spew…