November 20th, 2013
Wow, I should probably confess that I too am ADD, not officially diagnosed. I am rather inconsistent about my posts, not due to lack of material but lack of reminders to put said material on the blog! I mean hubby states he is thirsty and me being the good wife offer to grab him something b/c I need to go do "x" anyways. 25 minutes later when I finally sit down with my mug of hot chocolate he just looks at me. It was at this point I remembered I was supposed to get his water...OOPS. This wouldn't be so dang funny if it didn't happen a LOT! I told him the other night he had about a 30% chance of me following thru with whatever it is he has requested. I kid you not. My problem is I walk out of the room and anything can happen...like hey wow my bladder is full I sure do need to pee...oh yeah, that pile of dirty clothes needs to be washed b/c I heard the dryer buzz telling me clothes were dry...oh I was emptying the dishwasher and got interrupted and forgot to finish it........you get the point. Life with me is interesting, if not very frustrating to say the least.It is a wonder I get anything on my grocery list!
I do have the best of intentions but I take the long track to get there. Hubby hates it when I clean house with him because it takes me ALL DAY. I start in one room, find something that belongs in another, find something to do in that room, then find yet something else that belongs in yet another room, find something to do in that room, then eventually end back up in the room I started with a sudden remembrance of why I was in there in the first place. I mean I get it all done but with my constant wanderings it takes me a while...a long while. However, I do finish most of my projects. I can stop and start something without any effort. I have at least 4 books around the house and car that I am in the middle of, I have at least 3 magazines that I am in the middle of reading, and I have a stack waiting for me (an arrival of a new months issue triggers me to get a move on to finish the last months!). I am quite comfortable in my chaos. Neat, tidy and OCD hubby...not so much. He does what bothers him and what he can to contribute and just ignores the rest. He had too, after 17 years of marriage it was that or major drug therapy (and he hates taking medicine).
So I sit here and think how the HECK am I going to home-school one kid, much less two, in the future AND juggle a full time job. But I am forever the optimist, so I will cross that bridge and difficulty when I get there. I have managed to get this far so I think I will figure it out, even if the first year is a bit wonky.
I have learned tips and tricks and I am teaching Monkey these as well, since that apple did not fall far from the tree! If I don't go and write something down that I need to pick up at the store, I will NOT remember it 99% of the time when I get to the store unless I see it...and even then it is not guarantee that it will trigger that I need to pick some up. I have learned that if someone I am thinking about pops in my head for example: telling hubby I love him or ask him about his day, asking my friend about her swollen jaw and her sick kid (true story) RIGHT when it pops in my head, then that moment is gone forever or at least until I see that person and I think darn I meant to text you. That way you don't look like a sap or a liar when you constantly say I was thinking about you and wanted to ask how you were. I have also learned to write things down if I have tons of things to do. I flag my work e-mail but when that number approaches 150...it really isn't helping me prioritize! I still do it and go back to look at it but I have learned to make lists on a daily planner. It jogs my memory. I have also learned to try and take care of what someone is asking immediately or it will get buried in my e-mail and I forget.
I teach Monkey to write notes and get into a habit or routine, the risk is the routine gets interrupted and she forgets, but the reward is that she begins to think less about remembering and more about other things b/c she now has an ingrained habit. We use time out to reinforce where possible her forgetfulness issues. She doesn't clean up her plate or socks, she gets 5 boring minutes in the hallway. She HATES it. So does Lawyer for that matter who thinks she is too old, at 9 years of age, to sit in it. It really works well for her b/c the fear of complete boredom for 5 whole minutes is more than she can take. Monkey on the other hand seems to hate it too but not enough to remember that is her punishment should she have an infraction of the rules again. She is a bit hard headed like her momma.
I have had some success with Monkey remembering her daily planner she is supposed to bring home. She is now doing it when I left it up to her. She also remembers to clean up after her self most days and pick up her belongings. It is not perfect but much better than it was. I began to get her back on her vitamins again but she has not been on them consistently to tell a difference yet. My biggest thing is to get her in bed on time and wound down. She has been falling asleep quicker with me giving her an easy book to read before she has to turn off the light. It is good b/c I am convinced she is in a picky phase right now b/c she has gotten way too picky about her food. She has had at least two nights early this week where she chose not to eat what was given her and had to wait until breakfast. I think as I said another post that it is a battle of wills and I will win! I just have to give new food again and again to expose them and expand their palates. Heck I just started liking some foods a few years ago myself!
It is coming onto winter so I am hopeful she will pass thru this phase and quit driving me crazy!
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