Moms With ADD: A Self-Help Manual by Christine A. Adamee
I bought this book 5 years ago. I read about 25 pages and got distracted by something shiny.
Recently I have picked it up again in hopes to actually finish it. (and no I have not finished Birth Day, yet)
This book is like a hug and a voice saying "It's ok sugar, you are not a bad mom you are just a different kind of mom." Something I could really use right now.
I was diagnosed ADD when I was 18 after years of therapists and testing, trying to figure out why I did not quite function like others. Females being diagnosed as ADD is less common and being diagnosed at an older age was also unique. I was put on Ritalin and I could focus better but I felt like I was stuffed with a fog. It calmed me down and I could read easier but I had less ideas to distract me and I was not sure about that. After awhile I decided I did not like it much at all, it was like part of my personalty was cut out. Like phantom limb but phantom personality.
I did not like being labeled ADD so I looked at it as a personality type rather than a disorder. Or maybe a really weird super power. Depression was also something I struggled through in the time as a young adult out on my own. That time was more like swimming in chaos (as most do in their 20's). Three colleges (I kept dropping out when I would hit rock bottom) and 7 years for me to get a college degree. It probably would have been easier to be medicated during this time but it just did not feel right to me.
Even now I have professionals and friends recommend that I try medication. I have had times where I seriously considered it but after all the factors are taken into account it still is not for me.
So here I am reading a self-help book to find more tools to help me stay sane and keep all the amazing things about being ADD.
In the book there is a section on how to handle your children being in school and what works for everyone. She talks about public schools but also introduces charter schools and then I noticed that she lists homeschool as an option! I was instantly geeked to see a bit on homeschooling as an ADD mom.
The excitement was short lived as I flipped to page 135:
"This section is a very short section, because I could find nothing on homeschooling in regards to moms with ADD. In fact, it seems to me that homeschooling would be very difficult for a mother who has ADD herself. At one point my son asked me to homeschool him, and I nearly burst into laughter. I know teaching a child takes a certain regimine and structure, and I also knew it was beyond my capabilities. I told him that it was really not a good idea, because I didn't know how to teach children and didn't think I could learn it, especially 'on the job.'
It is possible that some might be able to handle homeschooling. One mother did tell me that she was homeschooling her children. I suspect, however, that for most of us, it's not a very good idea."
WOW! Talk about deflating. Luckily I like to defy the odds, I am stubborn and I believe in my kids ability to learn in non-traditional ways. The compliments I get on my kids are enough to tell me that I am not doing all that bad.
I am determined to read this entire book. It is full of great insight and tools... even if she is a gray cloud on my parade at times. I will get distracted and forget about the gray cloud by tomorrow anyway.
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