Who ARE These People?

As I sit here typing this, my son has come in announcing "I hate you!" because I wouldn't put his chocolate milk in a different cup than it already is.

Well exccuuuuussseeee me.

This is his daily routine: Wake up, whine, be grumpy, demand something, get medication, drink milk, play Legos, whine, demand, laugh, watch TV, go outside, be grumpy, drink milk, get medication, watch TV, drink milk, go to bed.

Every.Day.

 

ADHD rules our lives with an iron fist. I speak in generalities in the previous paragraph because there is no way to determine what mood Logan will be in when he wakes up. But I know exactly what mood he will be in before he goes to sleep. Grumpy. Its a lot like a crying baby who needs a naptime.

I do a lot of research online about ADHD and various other issues Logan has, like insomnia. I read a lot of online articles, and even articles out of magazines that my mother dog ears for me when I go to her house. And let me tell you, most of those people who write those articles are way off base.

I wonder if they even have ADD or ADHD kids, or kids at all. They speak as if everything is very cut and dry. And people I've talked to think its gospel!

Be organized. Seriously? Have you SEEN Logan's Lego collection? There is no way to organize that!

*Disclaimer: Not actually Logan's Legos, but trust me, its pretty dang close

Take Breaks. Want me to tell you what happened the last time I took a break? My son went toppling over the end of a dock two stories in the air into water. I was home, sick. He was with his grandparents. I'll leave it at that.

Feed your child a balanced diet. Ok, this one....I understand that this is a great idea all around. Obviously, good food grows strong kids. Got it. But my son has been on his ADHD medication for 2 years. This is an extreme amount of time for a medication. One of the most severe side effects is loss in appetite. Logan's BMI is 3%. Let me say that again: 3%. Now, I bet you are all sitting there going, "Oh dear, is she starving him? Is he not getting his daily vitamins and proteins?" I won't even touch that. I can't tell you how many times someone has stopped me in the grocery store while I BEG Logan to choose something to eat, ANYTHING, and said, "you really need to feed him more. He's skin and bones."

Why thanks lady, I hadn't noticed.

Logan's diet: chocolate milk (yes, that's food to us), popcorn, cereal (it changes week to week), chocolate chip muffins, ice cream (he's had it three times today, go ahead and judge me), and on extreme days, chicken nuggets from McDonalds.

That's it. That's what he will eat.

He pediatrician scared the bejebes out of me right before Christmas last year by telling me with Logan's 3% BMI, he was a prime candidate for a feeding tube. Panic ensued. I cried, I Googled pictures to try to scare Logan into eating (didn't work by the way), I talked it out with family and friends, and eventually caved and went to the gastroenterologist who basically told me that Logan could eat all the dairy he wanted, and no feeding tube was required. Yeah, I said the same thing that you are thinking, "doesn't that have a lot of fat in it?"

Why, yes it does. And fat is what he needs. Hence the ice cream three times a day if he wants it.

oh come on, you know its funny

Explain your child's condition to people you meet. *cough* What? Everytime my child meets a new person I have to precursor the conversation with "My kid has ADHD, sorry if he misbehaves"? No. I'm sorry, but that is not going to happen, and let me tell you why.

First, ADHD does not define Logan. His every waking moment is not ensnared by his symptoms. I do not want people to judge my child because we've announced his condition.

Second, its none of their dang business. People don't walk up to me saying, "I have COPD. Excuse me if I cough in your general vicinity."

Third, no wait, I don't think there is a third. I covered it.

Don't allow sarcasm. Seriously. I saw this in an article I read last month. I don't know what sarcasm has to do with ADD or ADHD, but to me, sarcasm is a verbal tool, in which, if used correctly, can really lighten up a conversation. Logan is a wiz at sarcasm. He has a sharp wit and a great sense of humor. I would never allow him to hurt anyone's feelings, and he's very aware of when sarcasm is appropriate and when it is not.

I understand that the writers who complete these articles are trying to be helpful, and its possible that they give some good tips, but its not for everyone. As a parent, you know your child better than anyone, and you know what works, and what doesn't. God gave you that little bundle of dynamite because he knew you could handle it, because there was no one better to teach and guide that child than you.

Use your intuition, and your love. It will take you farther than any article ever will.