Archived ADDvice Newsletters
May 2005
Welcome to ADDvice for ADD-Friendly Living
Each month, ADDvice will provide
tips, tools, and strategies to help you live well despite
your ADD. This month, in honor of Mother's Day, we have decided
to dedicate this column to helping moms with ADD develop daily
routines that work for them and for the whole family.
Many mothers, with ADD, have come to us over the years, frustrated
because they can not find adequate resources to guide them
through their own ADD. One mother, with ADD, succinctly described
her challenge, asking, "How am I supposed to organize
my child when I can't even organize myself?"
Developing Daily Routines - The ADD-Friendly
Way
Daily life, in many families with ADD members, can be chaotic.
Developing daily routines, particularly a "morning routine"
and an "evening routine", can help your family be
more orderly. Work on developing these routines as a family,
and problem-solve as a family when a routine isn't working.
Morning Routine
A morning routine begins with getting out of bed, and ends
with departing for the day's activities. Different family
members may have different routines, but they need to be coordinated.
Decide:
- What time should each family member get up in the morning?
- What should be done if that family member oversleeps?
- Who needs help getting ready for school and who will help
them?
- What time is breakfast and who prepares it?
- When is departure time?
Problem-solve when the morning routine isn't working smoothly:
- Maybe the "late-sleeper" needs an earlier bedtime.
- Maybe the "can't-find-my-shoes" child needs
to lay out clothes the night before.
- Maybe it would help to have healthy grab-and-go breakfasts
available for mornings when someone is running late.
Evening Routine
A successful morning routine depends upon a good evening routine.
When you make preparations in the evening and get to sleep
on time, your morning routine will go more smoothly. An evening
routine should specify such things as:
- "Homework time" for each child.
- "Bath time" for each child.
- Preparations to be made for the next day - preparing lunches,
setting clothes out, collecting items needed for school.
- "Get in bed time" for each child.
- "Lights out time" for each child.
- Just as important, "go to sleep" time for Mom.
Many women with ADD sabotage their own morning routines
by staying up too late reading or watching TV, then not getting
up in time to supervise an organized morning routine for the
children.
 Moms,
for further guidelines and tips to deal with your ADD and
create a more ADD-Friendly Family - order the new expended
version of WHEN MOMS AND KIDS HAVE ADD. Click
here to order.
 Free
Mother's Day gift!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you order a copy
of the new WHEN MOMS AND KIDS HAVE ADHD -
Receive a free copy of Mama's Morning, by
Kate Sternberg (a $9.95 value).
Moms need all the help and support they can get. For more
help see:
Tip#1:
from ADDventures in Babysitting by Ellen Kingsley,
page 13.
Tip: Children with ADHD can get unruly.
TRICK - If "hyper" behavior starts
to get out of hand, redirect the child to a more appropriate
activity. For example, if Johnny is jumping wildly
on the bed, redirect: "Let's put on some cool rap music
and dance here on the carpet!"
 ADDventures
in Babysitting provides time tested tips and tricks
for teens, grandparents, nannies, and anyone providing childcare
for your child. Order
one (or more) today!
Tip #2:
"Families on Vacation" has lots of tips
to make these the most enjoyable times. Click inset on left
for more information on this edition of the Focus Series.
Tool: A place to keep those treasured Mother's
Day Cards you have received over the years!
Hallmark Card Keeper
This product is available exclusively at your Hallmark Gold
Crown© Store...
|
Hallmark
Card Keeper
$7.95 with purchase of 3 Hallmark
cards*
(Regularly $14.95)
A place for all the cards that
make your days brighter.
A functional and elegant alternative to a showbox or
drawer, our Card keeper helps precerve the sweet words
that make the memories of a lifetime. |
| *Offer valid 3/28/05-5/08/05,
while supplies last at participating retailers. Excludes
gift enclosures and packaged and boxed cards. Not valid
with any other offer or on past purchases. |
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