Post by misty on Jan 5, 2007 21:55:42 GMT -5
Charlie Girl
Submitted by: Carol Sadler
State: Georgia
Country: USA
An AD/HD Mother's Resolutions
Carol Sadler © 2004
1. I will not have a nervous breakdown after finding the purple nail polish poured all over the bathroom counter top, I will just take a picture and consider it “ART”.
2. I will remain calm in my daughter’s IEP when the teachers report to me that my child is manipulative and a liar, I will simply ask them “So, what’s your point?”. (This seems to be a standard complaint from schools regarding children with AD/HD, duhhhhh)
3. When my kids get older I will explain to them the meaning of “Piles” and teach them the technique of extracting the exact piece of paper you were looking for.
4. I will refrain from killing my sister-in-law for giving my children finger paint and a trumpet for their birthdays, I will simply “lose” them while they sleep.
5. When I lock my keys (with the car running) and my children (strapped in their carseats) in the car, I will explain to the 911 operator that it is not a joke, and I will finally remember to go straight to the hardware store and get a second set of keys.
6. I will never get in the car for a 10 hour road trip to the beach without first giving my husband two Valiums and my children their medication. Always remember, it is not “Vacation”, it is merely “RELOCATION”!
7. I will be more empathetic & try harder not to laugh when my child’s teacher calls from school and asks “Did you give your daughter her medication this morning, I don’t recognize this child?”. I will not take the opportunity to point out to this teacher that the child she is seeing is the one I see in the afternoon when she sends home two hours of homework. I will merely try harder to remember to set out my entire family’s medication first thing in the morning, so I do not forget or re-dose.
8. When my daughters are grown, I will teach them the 10 minute shuffle before dad arrives from work, which consists of sweeping/vacuuming/mopping the floors; picking up the toys, homework, hammer & nails; washing the paint off the cat; un-tying the dog from the trampoline; retrieving the bicycles from the front of the subdivision; and having a well balanced dinner (from Kentucky Fried Chicken) on the table when he walks through the door.
9. When the 4th Pharmacist in a row at midnight tells me that he is out of my children’s Adderall, I will refrain from jumping over the counter and beating him to a pulp! (Reminder, never wait until the last minute to refill your medication!!)
10. When I’m tired of my relatives telling me “There is nothing wrong with your children, they are just being kids”, I will refrain from leaving them for a month (without their Ritalin!).
11. I will develop an ability to have a conversation with an adult that doesn’t revolve around GCN, CHADD, LDA, IEP’s, accommodations, Psychiatrist’s, Psychologist’s, emergency room visits, developing my children’s social skills, or the differences between Ritalin and Concerta. (OK, well maybe not!)
12. I will always protect the rights of my children, especially their right to IDEA, Section 504, ADA and to be contributing members of society regardless of their disability! I will focus on their “Abilities”, not their “Disabilities”. I will continue to teach teachers that “FAIR” does not mean EQUAL” and tell them to “Occasionally challenge, but DON’T consistently frustrate”!
Carol Sadler is an AD/HD Mom with two AD/HD (plus) daughters. She is a Special Education Consultant and Advocate in Atlanta, GA.
Submitted by: Carol Sadler
State: Georgia
Country: USA
An AD/HD Mother's Resolutions
Carol Sadler © 2004
1. I will not have a nervous breakdown after finding the purple nail polish poured all over the bathroom counter top, I will just take a picture and consider it “ART”.
2. I will remain calm in my daughter’s IEP when the teachers report to me that my child is manipulative and a liar, I will simply ask them “So, what’s your point?”. (This seems to be a standard complaint from schools regarding children with AD/HD, duhhhhh)
3. When my kids get older I will explain to them the meaning of “Piles” and teach them the technique of extracting the exact piece of paper you were looking for.
4. I will refrain from killing my sister-in-law for giving my children finger paint and a trumpet for their birthdays, I will simply “lose” them while they sleep.
5. When I lock my keys (with the car running) and my children (strapped in their carseats) in the car, I will explain to the 911 operator that it is not a joke, and I will finally remember to go straight to the hardware store and get a second set of keys.
6. I will never get in the car for a 10 hour road trip to the beach without first giving my husband two Valiums and my children their medication. Always remember, it is not “Vacation”, it is merely “RELOCATION”!
7. I will be more empathetic & try harder not to laugh when my child’s teacher calls from school and asks “Did you give your daughter her medication this morning, I don’t recognize this child?”. I will not take the opportunity to point out to this teacher that the child she is seeing is the one I see in the afternoon when she sends home two hours of homework. I will merely try harder to remember to set out my entire family’s medication first thing in the morning, so I do not forget or re-dose.
8. When my daughters are grown, I will teach them the 10 minute shuffle before dad arrives from work, which consists of sweeping/vacuuming/mopping the floors; picking up the toys, homework, hammer & nails; washing the paint off the cat; un-tying the dog from the trampoline; retrieving the bicycles from the front of the subdivision; and having a well balanced dinner (from Kentucky Fried Chicken) on the table when he walks through the door.
9. When the 4th Pharmacist in a row at midnight tells me that he is out of my children’s Adderall, I will refrain from jumping over the counter and beating him to a pulp! (Reminder, never wait until the last minute to refill your medication!!)
10. When I’m tired of my relatives telling me “There is nothing wrong with your children, they are just being kids”, I will refrain from leaving them for a month (without their Ritalin!).
11. I will develop an ability to have a conversation with an adult that doesn’t revolve around GCN, CHADD, LDA, IEP’s, accommodations, Psychiatrist’s, Psychologist’s, emergency room visits, developing my children’s social skills, or the differences between Ritalin and Concerta. (OK, well maybe not!)
12. I will always protect the rights of my children, especially their right to IDEA, Section 504, ADA and to be contributing members of society regardless of their disability! I will focus on their “Abilities”, not their “Disabilities”. I will continue to teach teachers that “FAIR” does not mean EQUAL” and tell them to “Occasionally challenge, but DON’T consistently frustrate”!
Carol Sadler is an AD/HD Mom with two AD/HD (plus) daughters. She is a Special Education Consultant and Advocate in Atlanta, GA.
