I recently discovered a nutritional rating system that is going to make it a whole lot easier to feed my ADHD daughter a well-balanced diet.

The Hy-Vee grocery store chain just introduced a nutritional rating system that promises to be a dream-tool for parents who are concerned about the nutritional needs of their ADHD children. I learned about it when I made a quick run to Hy-Vee last night to get Natalie’s glasses repaired. I chatted with the vision center guy about how well Nat’s bendy glasses are...
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ADHD kids should come with a warning. Caution: Snuggle at Your Own Risk. I might be black and blue, but I love my wiggle-worm girl.

Natalie had been extra snuggly lately. And I have the bruises to prove it! If you’re the parent of a kid with ADHD, you probably know what I’m talking about. Natalie, like a lot of kids with ADHD, is all bone and muscle. She has a fast metabolism, she moves constantly, and there just isn’t enough time in the day to waste...
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My ADHD daughter is easy to love, but hard to raise.

Natalie spent Friday night through Sunday at Aunt Ann’s for a respite weekend. Friday night, after she left, Don, Aaron, and I went to Wallaby’s for supper. (Thank you to the server who brought me fries when I asked for salad. That’s what I really wanted!) Then, Aaron and I went to Borders. (For someone who works at a library, I sure spend a lot...
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We've tried Ritalin and Focalin to treat Nat's ADHD. Now we are moving on to other medications, like Prozac, to help with anxiety.

As promised, here’s the latest on our quest for the best medication to treat Natalie’s ADHD. Natalie and I met with her pediatrician, Dr. Halbur a week and a half ago for an official six week review of how Nat’s switchover from Ritalin to Focalin XR is going. I say official, because, due to several ear aches, a bad cough, and a nasty rash, Nat...
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It helps, so much, to know I’m not the only mom that lets the stress of parenting an ADHD child get the best of her.

Jennifer Choi commented on my recent blog post about how, in the course of trying to cope with parenting an ADHD child, I’ve been ignoring my diabetes. As the mom of two boys with ADHD and other special needs, she’s been there. She knows what can happen when mom ignores her own health. A trip to the emergency room with a panic attack was her...
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As the mom of a kid with ADHD, I have to put just as much thought into taking care of myself as I do into caring for my kid.

I’m feeling better today. No tears; no self-recriminations. I’m ready and willing to face the busy week to come. Having a couple of teary days woke me up—once again—to the fact that, as the mom of a kid with ADHD, I have to put just as much thought into taking care of myself as I do into caring for my kid. Even though my to-do list was...
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I’ve been struggling more than usual with the issue of how those closest to me view my parenting skills, or lack thereof.

Okay, I feel like I have to explain yesterday’s blog post. I really wasn’t telling a bunch of well-meaning people—my closest supports—to f_ off. Here’s what was happening in my brain: I’ve amassed a collection of comments and suggestions in my memory. Regardless of what the speaker intended to convey, I interpreted their words as hurtful; as criticism. This is what they...
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Why is it that Natalie is able to hold it together so well for everyone else... then lets loose the torrent of her ADHD behavior on dear old Mom?

Them: “She was a perfect angel all weekend. I didn’t have to say a word to her. Not one word!” “We sat right up front. She did great.” “She always picks up her toys at my house. It’s not that she doesn’t know how.” “Oh, no. Your mom would never force you to do anything. ” “You just need to keep on top of the...
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Keeping my ADHD kid healthy, happy, and calm consumes so much brain- and body-power that I've neglected my own diet and exercise. Today's glucose reading was a grim reminder that Mom's health matters, too.

I'm not one of those SuperMoms who can do it all. For me, the demands of daily life — work, home, family — are a constant juggling act. And I never — I repeat: never — keep all the balls in the air. Parenting a child with special needs adds extra balls to juggle — occupational therapy appointments and at-home assignments, med-checks with...
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Stricter state requirements mean that our family will lose all ADHD respite services in 2009. Happy New Year to you, too, Iowa.

As I’ve mentioned before in my ADHD parenting blog, our family receives services through a Children’s Mental Health Waiver. The services are designed to help Natalie and the rest of us cope with her ADHD. When we applied for the waiver, our primary need was for respite — regular breaks from high-alert parenting, and perhaps most important of all, time to spend with our non-ADHD...
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