My ADD Moment: Jabber Jaws

My cousins gave me the nick-name “Jabber-jaws” when I was about 6.  We went to a Baltimore Orioles game, and I sat and talked to the lady in the stands for the entire double-header. I still remember she had a toy poodle puppy with a pink bow.  I have never lived the nick name down… and I never got the clue, until my children and husband gave me a similar nick name. I can talk to anyone.  My...

My “Mom of a Child with ADHD” Rant

What do your reactions say to a child?  I don’t think many of us ever think about it. Are we angry, when we react?  Are our words a reaction to the assumption that a child is devious, deceptive, intentionally hurtful?  What do our reactions reflect about our assumptions? What knowledge about themselves do we want the child to take away from our interaction?  Are we punishing and reinforcing negative...

Top 10 Grab-and-Go ADHD Friendly Breakfasts

Dopamine is a primary neurotransmitter in the brain. Its low levels is associated with ADHD; so for us ADHD families, maximizing its production is critical.  Dopamine production is at its height during the first half of the day.  Ideally, we should be consuming 10 to 20 grams of protein at breakfast.  The problem with getting that protein-plan in my family, is ease. Typical mornings in my houseful of ADHD, are...

Momma-Mantra

                      In a February 2011 article in Runner’s World Magazine, the power of mantras to push through discomfort  was explored.  ”Mantra,” a Sanskrit word,  literally means an “instrument of thinking.”  These short words or phrases are action words that describe how you want to feel.  Long used in Eastern religions...

My ADD Moment

This posting is a repost for 2008, when my now 15 year old was 13, when my 3 year old was just over a year. Keep a disability perspective. I hate that phrase. I know what it means and I know why CHADD (Children and Adults with ADD) coaches parents on it, but I still hate the statement. It forces me to think about how ADHD limits my children’s performance and how I have to work on accepting my children’s...