Is this your Kid? He loses stuff. She stares into space. He takes hours to do simple chores. Homework never ends. One day she makes A's and the next fails the same subject. He's the personification of disorganization. But he's not hyperactive. And she really isn't a discipline problem. Still, last week you found the ketchup in the medicine cabinet. Maybe it's ADHD Inattentive. Labeled lazy, unmotivated, or maybe just a little bit 'slow', these children often fall through the cracks. Yet perhaps, just like their hyperactive classmates, there is a chemical imbalance in their brain that is … [Read more...]
Vote for This MOM
March 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
One of our readers is in a contest, and you can help her win with one click. As the coowner of Big Dog Taekwon-Do school, she's in a competition to be named a leading mom in business. Many of her students have ADHD. Here's what she says: "We have heard from parents and professionals alike that participation in a program like ours helps improve focus because we do emphasize so much self awareness and self control. We are attempting to influence as many young people as we can to not only teach them valuable self defense skills but to help them learn to be more self confident!" Please take a … [Read more...]
In the Navy
March 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Speaking of remembering, some of you have been asking about our second son, whose ADHD was the inspiration for "Who Put the Ketchup in the Medicine Cabinet?" back in 2002. I haven't mentioned him in almost two years, because he joined the US NAVY, and was attending boot camp and undergoing a security check. I was paranoid that something I had written about him - good or bad - would cause him embarrassment or worse. So I didn't bring him up - hard to do when you're bursting with pride! But, I'm breaking my silence. Boot camp, over a year of schooling, and the security clearance are behind … [Read more...]
Memory Training
March 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
It's funny how kids grow up and thank you...without saying so. Ron asked me yesterday for a copy of something we used with the boys when they were in middle and high school. He rolled his eyes at it back then. But now he's got a class where he has to memorize a whole lot of stuff. He wanted me to send him the .mp3's of Memory Training for Students. He remembered how well it worked when he had to learn a lot of material way back when. It's been so long since I've mentioned Memory Training for Students that most of you readers probably aren't familiar with it. Memory Training for Students … [Read more...]
Another Chore Hint – Laminate!
March 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We have another great hint on getting kids to do chores from Molly Donnelly, who graciously gave me permission to include her name and her method! For my kids I have printed out and laminated cleaning cards for each chore. If they have to do the bathroom, they take the card and it lists for them step-by-step instructions so nothing gets forgotten-spray the sinks, toilet and shower with cleaner, wipe down shower and rinse, clean the inside of the bowl and wipe down the outside and floor around it, wipe down the sink and counter, use a clean cloth to dry the sink and counter, wipe down the … [Read more...]
Reviewing Review
March 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
If your child faces tests or exams at the end of the grading period, start NOW to review material. You don't have to wait until the exam is announced, thanks to a little section in almost every textbook called the chapter review. These only take a few minutes to read out loud to your child, and will begin to wake up the memory of the material they have already covered. We got the calendar out, divided the chapters up and for the next few nights, we'll be going back over them. We'll also review any notes that they have managed to save. It won't take long, but it will give us all a leg up on the … [Read more...]
Manners and Self-Esteem
March 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment
My aunt is widowed, and when my grandmother passed away a few years ago, she needed an escort to the funeral. Mike, who was fifteen, volunteered to be the man of the hour. He was really pleased with the opportunity - especially since it meant he could ride in the limousine! He was very interested in being the perfect gentleman, so we let him practice opening doors, putting a lady into a car, helping someone into a pew, and walking with someone on his arm. Knowing manners and basic etiquette gives our children a boost of confidence, and an edge over most of their peers. Hint: In our casual … [Read more...]
I’m the Bad Mother of the Year
March 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Sometimes, we get so caught up in life that we forget how little effort it takes to have fun. The other day I was taking our youngest son Ash back to school from an orthodontist appointment. We had stopped at a stoplight, when I thought my son was going to explode. "LOOOOK! A Viper!" For those of you who don't know, a Viper is a car. My son's favorite. And he'd never seen one live and in person. The Viper driver was pumping gas, and my son just about crawled out of the window. I immediately thought about pulling into the station to give my son a closer look. But I would have had to go … [Read more...]
Reporting on Reports
March 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I'll never forget the very first 'report' I wrote for school. It was on elephants. My mother helped me use our new green and white set of World Book Encyclopedias to craft a two page discourse on the two types of elephants - African and Asian. Over the years, no matter how complicated the assignments became, each research paper, project or essay still began with a look into the trusty green and white World Book. If the topic had a long entry, there was a handy outline at the back that could serve as a model for the outline of whatever I was writing. Next time your child has a report, … [Read more...]
Reader Hint – Getting Kids to Do Chores
March 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment
A reader sent this in last newsletter. It makes me want to go do chores with her! I wanted to throw something out there for working moms who feel like they're always picking up "everyday clutter" constantly, and have a hard time staying organized and caught up. I have two children, ages 8 and 14, with ADD (one inattentive, one hyperactive). I have found that when I say, "clean your room, and help pick up the house", I don't always get a good response, at least not to my satisfaction. Being a working mom, I have had to let go of having the show-room look, but I do like to keep things … [Read more...]
