As I mentioned, I have two kids who’m I lovingly call Stassy and Zell– short for Anastasia and Drizella. I have Attention Defecit Disorder, or at least I think I do and I mean that in the most compassionate way.
Stassy was diagnosed about nine years ago with it and boy has it been a ride. Not only have we had to observe her every action, be it at school or with friends, evaluations, teachers and on and on, it’s made me take a good long look in the mirror. They say the condition is inherited. Why couldn’t I have just left her a large dowry? It’s hard to escape when I nag her to zip her bag closed and stop wearing her tennis shoes as mules while I am doing the exact same thing as we race towards the car on a Monday morning.
As I write this, I am supposed to be filling out a contract for a local Rec Center. Forgot to mention I own a very small fitness company where I certify instructors to teach this p.e. -style fitness class I created. It’s based on the way I played with Stassy and Zell when they were younger but that’s a whole other post. I merely mentioned that I am blogging instead of reviewing the contract as an example of how people with ADD have a hard time getting started on things like homework–in this case paperwork. Seriously, it exhausts people like us.
After years of struggling with it, I have learned to embrace it. If you have or suspect you have ADD, try breaking up your tasks into shorter pieces of time. The game Bejeweled and reality shows work great for me when I’m dreading something I find mundane. Honestly, if you use this method with a child that has ADD it can make for a calmer life–sometimes. Okay, maybe Bejeweled and reality shows aren’t appropriate choices when dealing with a child. Perhaps a timer would work better.
It might be that your kid has just gotten home from school and wants to run around or play a little before doing homework. Why not let him? Enter the timer. Sounds kind of Betty Crocker, I know but just try it.
Tell him to pick out one subject or project that he plans to work on when he is finished playing. When the timer goes off, it’s time to hit the books. Set the timer for another 30 minutes and let him know he’ll get to take a break as soon as the timer dings. Tedious, kind of, but I know when I have done this, I am less of a nut job. Works for a lot of stuff, like cleaning or getting your kids to be more active as well. Although with a kid that has ADHD, that’s not usually the challenge.
Well thanks for reading. Back to the contract.
