Monday begins another school year at my school, as well as another school year for my sons.
At my school, the preliminary class lists went out on Monday. My student list looks pretty good, but it has been edited at least twice this week, and I anticipate it will be changed yet again before the week is out. That's fine with me, I expected this. I am looking forward to the change-it was time for last years class to move up. They were getting tired of being in our room. You know that old saying: Familiarity breeds contempment. It's time for a change for all of us.
I am looking forward to seeing how my own children do this year. My youngest son starts kindergarten. He's been wanting to go to kindergarten since he turned 5 in April. Now, after all his patience, he finally gets to start. As I know for a fact that when he climbs onto that bus on Monday, I will have to do EVERYTHING to hold back my tears.
I am very interested in how Donovan will do this year. He starts third grade this year, which my assumption is the year that school work really starts to count. Over the summer, I have seem some improvement with his behavior-except with his brother. Seems now that Ethan feels confident enough to defend himself, the sibling rivalry is worse. Hopefully, the remedy for that is school-being away from each other for 6 hours. Donovan has school and football this year. The football coached are very strict-meaning if you don't do your homework before practice, you get punished at practice. The more I think about it, maybe this strictness is something Donovan needs, to shape him a bit more. We shall see-I am willing to try it out.
Have a great (school) year.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Are Your Children Spoiled?
I decided this was a good one to share from WebMD. The class I currently have with me has quite a few "spolied" children. Most of these children haven't reared their spoiledness to my partner and I since they started. I do, however, have a family who expects me to indulge their child at school like they do at home. (Excuse me while I choke on my laughter). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this read..
Are Your Children Spoiled?
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Are Your Children Spoiled?
Shared via AddThis
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Hoarding
Something has come to my attention...
I have been watching a show on A&E called "Obsessed". This show follows adults who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and their attempts to rid themselves of OCD with therapist trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. This therapy includes exposing OCD people to the things that trigger their anxiety (dirt, germs, the dark, etc), allowing them to feel the anxiety and talking them through with strategies to manage there anxiety so it does not manifest into obsessive thoughts or compulsions.
The most recent episode involved a man with an OCD known as 'Hoarding". Basically, this man had an unnatural connection to objects and his OCD presented itself in wanting to hold onto things. His one-bedroom apartment was just lined with high piles of things, things he never was able to get rid of.
This got me thinking to Donovan. I cannot tell you the amount of times I've had to tell Donovan to clean his room. It almost seems that it starts getting messy as soon as the cleaning is done. What I've noticed recently, and certainly since last week is that there are things that Donovan will not allow me to throw away. I was wondering if I am starting to see hoarding in response to anxiety.
I researched this concept and found some articles (http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/related-conditions-196320-5.html, http://www.squidoo.com/ADHDanxiety) that show a connection to ADHD and anxiety. Considering the family history of anxiety and my own struggle with it, it make me wonder if now Donovan is now having issues with it. I am meeting with Donovan's counselor this week to go over his new behavior treatment plan and I want to ask her if she thinks he has issues with anxiety. I would like to help him try to manage the anxiety, without medication.
In addition to the above articles, WebMD has great articles about anxiety and treatment options. I would like to help Donovan deal with his emotions and feelings now, so he has the tools to cope with them later in his life.
As for the messy room, for now, I will supervise and direct him, praise his success and try to get him to let things go. Let him know that it's okay to let go of things.
I have been watching a show on A&E called "Obsessed". This show follows adults who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and their attempts to rid themselves of OCD with therapist trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. This therapy includes exposing OCD people to the things that trigger their anxiety (dirt, germs, the dark, etc), allowing them to feel the anxiety and talking them through with strategies to manage there anxiety so it does not manifest into obsessive thoughts or compulsions.
The most recent episode involved a man with an OCD known as 'Hoarding". Basically, this man had an unnatural connection to objects and his OCD presented itself in wanting to hold onto things. His one-bedroom apartment was just lined with high piles of things, things he never was able to get rid of.
This got me thinking to Donovan. I cannot tell you the amount of times I've had to tell Donovan to clean his room. It almost seems that it starts getting messy as soon as the cleaning is done. What I've noticed recently, and certainly since last week is that there are things that Donovan will not allow me to throw away. I was wondering if I am starting to see hoarding in response to anxiety.
I researched this concept and found some articles (http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/related-conditions-196320-5.html, http://www.squidoo.com/ADHDanxiety) that show a connection to ADHD and anxiety. Considering the family history of anxiety and my own struggle with it, it make me wonder if now Donovan is now having issues with it. I am meeting with Donovan's counselor this week to go over his new behavior treatment plan and I want to ask her if she thinks he has issues with anxiety. I would like to help him try to manage the anxiety, without medication.
In addition to the above articles, WebMD has great articles about anxiety and treatment options. I would like to help Donovan deal with his emotions and feelings now, so he has the tools to cope with them later in his life.
As for the messy room, for now, I will supervise and direct him, praise his success and try to get him to let things go. Let him know that it's okay to let go of things.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Dealing with Death
It has been several weeks since my last entry, and it's all because of death..
About 5 weeks ago, the kids and I came home to a strange feeling and an odd odor. I checked around, only to realize that Nuzzles, my kids well-loved pet hamster, had died. The kids saw him and immediately recognized what had happened. Needless to say, they were quite upset, although Donovan was trying very hard to be brave and not cry. We buried him, outside in our flower garden, and marigolds are growing on top of his grave.
Then, about 10 days later, their great-grandfather got very sick with pneumonia. He was suffering from advanced stage Alzheimer's Disease, so the illness hit him hard. He ended up in hospice care, to make him comfortable, for the doctors had done all they could. The kids saw him about a week before he died on May 30. Both were sad to witness his condition. Ethan, the wise-beyond-his-years son, said to me "I feel sorry for Great Papa, Mommy. I think he needs to go home to Jesus." Well, he did.
These experiences had me thinking about children dealing with death for the first time. Usually, it is the result of losing a beloved pet-like my kids lost Nuzzles. A lot of times, kids think that they will see the pet the next day, as if nothing happen. When the cage or dog bed stays empty, then reality sets in. Fido (Nuzzles) is not coming back. When children loose family members to death, typically they may be older, but may experience the same feeling-that they will see them next time.
When your child experiences the death of someone(thing) they love, honesty is always best. I do not agree with saying that the deceased person is "sleeping". Rather, I share with my children the belief that they are no-longer on the earth with us, living, but that their spirit is still here. They watch over us and marvel at the things we do. They are with God and are free from sickness, disease and getting old. They will see us again one day. It is better than saying they are sleeping, because then your child will expect them to wake up, which could be a problem later when they don't wake up. In all cases, whether you share my belief of an afterlife or not, honesty with children about death is always the best route. Allowing them to share their feelings about it in a caring, supportive environment will help to ease the feelings of loss and help children move on when the grieving is done.
God Bless you until next time.
About 5 weeks ago, the kids and I came home to a strange feeling and an odd odor. I checked around, only to realize that Nuzzles, my kids well-loved pet hamster, had died. The kids saw him and immediately recognized what had happened. Needless to say, they were quite upset, although Donovan was trying very hard to be brave and not cry. We buried him, outside in our flower garden, and marigolds are growing on top of his grave.
Then, about 10 days later, their great-grandfather got very sick with pneumonia. He was suffering from advanced stage Alzheimer's Disease, so the illness hit him hard. He ended up in hospice care, to make him comfortable, for the doctors had done all they could. The kids saw him about a week before he died on May 30. Both were sad to witness his condition. Ethan, the wise-beyond-his-years son, said to me "I feel sorry for Great Papa, Mommy. I think he needs to go home to Jesus." Well, he did.
These experiences had me thinking about children dealing with death for the first time. Usually, it is the result of losing a beloved pet-like my kids lost Nuzzles. A lot of times, kids think that they will see the pet the next day, as if nothing happen. When the cage or dog bed stays empty, then reality sets in. Fido (Nuzzles) is not coming back. When children loose family members to death, typically they may be older, but may experience the same feeling-that they will see them next time.
When your child experiences the death of someone(thing) they love, honesty is always best. I do not agree with saying that the deceased person is "sleeping". Rather, I share with my children the belief that they are no-longer on the earth with us, living, but that their spirit is still here. They watch over us and marvel at the things we do. They are with God and are free from sickness, disease and getting old. They will see us again one day. It is better than saying they are sleeping, because then your child will expect them to wake up, which could be a problem later when they don't wake up. In all cases, whether you share my belief of an afterlife or not, honesty with children about death is always the best route. Allowing them to share their feelings about it in a caring, supportive environment will help to ease the feelings of loss and help children move on when the grieving is done.
God Bless you until next time.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Results of Non-Medication: Part 1
As you all know, from the subjectline of this blog page, one of my goals is document our life as a family that has a child with ADHD.
Before I continue, I would like to stress that this is a "real"diagnosis for my oldest son-not my husband and I just passing off poor parenting. If you know me, you know how tough of a cookie I can be when it comes to my sons and their discipline. Donovan's ADHD came as a result of three of his elementary school teachers saying the samething at conference time. "Very bright..unique thinker..difficulty focusing..staying on task..getting started on an independent assignment...impulsive..difficulty with keeping organized..easily misplaces things..etc. It also came as a result with things I saw outside of school. Again..lack of focus..disorganized..easily distracted..impulsive..hyperactive...hands-on, especially with siblings...blames others for mistakes..you get the idea. So, this has been a well thought out decision to accept this diagnosis for Donovan and, as a family, try to help him cope with his "uniqueness".
We try very hard to be certain Donovan does not see his ADHD as a "disability". Rather, we emphasize that his brain "thinks differently" or "works differently" than other peoples brains. Some of the greatest minds of our history were people with ADHD. You can Gooogle famous people with ADHD and you get people like Thomas Edison, Beethoven, Albert Einstein, William Shakespear. It is important for children who are diagnosed with ADHD to have extra-help with their self-esteem. ADHD children can often be the subject of peer bullying, which do great damage to their already fragile self-esteem. So my husband and I try our best, as often as possible, to make sure Donovan doesn't feel "labeled".
Most children recieve medication to help subdue the symptoms of their ADHD. Ron and I have chosen a non-medicated natural route. We chose this way because, first of all, his grades are not being affected yet. We can chalk that up to helping Donovan have the tools and learn the techniques to try and stay on task and finish what he starts. The non-medicated route involved cutting back greatly on processed foods, eating organic when our budget permits us, staying away from additives, preservatives and food dye. One of the things we use instead of medication is a chocolate coffee protein shake that Donovan drinks in the morning. The protein helps feed the brain and the caffeine in it keeps him focused. It performs better than a low dose of Ridalin. (If you google natural remedies for ADHD, you can go to the website where I found the shake reciepe.) In addition, we also include plenty of exercise for him (recreational play and baseball) and he sees a couselor to help him with his self-esteem and emotional control.
Well, we have our good periods and our bad periods. Right now, we are in a good period-grades are good, things are getting done, agruing about what resposibilities we have are at a minimum and we have lots of outside time-thanks to longer days. My biggest question now is whether to suspend the protein shake for the summer, kind of like giving him a "medication holiday". Sonmething to think about, since I have about four weeks left of school.
If there is a topic relating to ADHD you want me to discuss, feel free to leave me an email.
Remember, your kids are only young one time-so try and enjoy it as much as possible while being the parent.
Before I continue, I would like to stress that this is a "real"diagnosis for my oldest son-not my husband and I just passing off poor parenting. If you know me, you know how tough of a cookie I can be when it comes to my sons and their discipline. Donovan's ADHD came as a result of three of his elementary school teachers saying the samething at conference time. "Very bright..unique thinker..difficulty focusing..staying on task..getting started on an independent assignment...impulsive..difficulty with keeping organized..easily misplaces things..etc. It also came as a result with things I saw outside of school. Again..lack of focus..disorganized..easily distracted..impulsive..hyperactive...hands-on, especially with siblings...blames others for mistakes..you get the idea. So, this has been a well thought out decision to accept this diagnosis for Donovan and, as a family, try to help him cope with his "uniqueness".
We try very hard to be certain Donovan does not see his ADHD as a "disability". Rather, we emphasize that his brain "thinks differently" or "works differently" than other peoples brains. Some of the greatest minds of our history were people with ADHD. You can Gooogle famous people with ADHD and you get people like Thomas Edison, Beethoven, Albert Einstein, William Shakespear. It is important for children who are diagnosed with ADHD to have extra-help with their self-esteem. ADHD children can often be the subject of peer bullying, which do great damage to their already fragile self-esteem. So my husband and I try our best, as often as possible, to make sure Donovan doesn't feel "labeled".
Most children recieve medication to help subdue the symptoms of their ADHD. Ron and I have chosen a non-medicated natural route. We chose this way because, first of all, his grades are not being affected yet. We can chalk that up to helping Donovan have the tools and learn the techniques to try and stay on task and finish what he starts. The non-medicated route involved cutting back greatly on processed foods, eating organic when our budget permits us, staying away from additives, preservatives and food dye. One of the things we use instead of medication is a chocolate coffee protein shake that Donovan drinks in the morning. The protein helps feed the brain and the caffeine in it keeps him focused. It performs better than a low dose of Ridalin. (If you google natural remedies for ADHD, you can go to the website where I found the shake reciepe.) In addition, we also include plenty of exercise for him (recreational play and baseball) and he sees a couselor to help him with his self-esteem and emotional control.
Well, we have our good periods and our bad periods. Right now, we are in a good period-grades are good, things are getting done, agruing about what resposibilities we have are at a minimum and we have lots of outside time-thanks to longer days. My biggest question now is whether to suspend the protein shake for the summer, kind of like giving him a "medication holiday". Sonmething to think about, since I have about four weeks left of school.
If there is a topic relating to ADHD you want me to discuss, feel free to leave me an email.
Remember, your kids are only young one time-so try and enjoy it as much as possible while being the parent.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Handling Rainy Days
I was not overjoyed to see the weather forecast for the week...
RAIN, RAIN, CHANCE OF RAIN, RAIN, POSSIBLE CLEARING.
Now being the person that usually can find a lot of things to do to keep busy on rainy days, it can be particularly more difficult to find things to do for children, especially if they are boys and more so if they are ADHD.
As a preschool teacher, I have spent countless times advising parents that, in the world of young learning, quality time with your child is the best teaching tool in the entire world. No matter how "busy" you can claim to be, spending just 15 minutes with your child/children can make such a difference with learning and relationship building. But after days and days of rain, even I can have my limits with restless children.
So, I've come up with a list of suggestions of cool things to do with your children on rainy days-whether they have special needs are not. Some take more time than others, but most are just 15 minutes of yor time-enough time to answer your email, make a few phone calls, or have a light snack. I hope this can be helpful to anyone who has to answer to the whiny chortling of "We're bored...!"
Ms. Holly's Rainy Day (or any day) Suggestions:
1. READ a book together
2. Build a fort with blankets, pillows, couch cushions, etc.
3. Watch rain through the window and see if you can see patterns in the drops, like cloud watching.
4. Go outside in rainboots and play puddle jumping.
5. Finger/toe painting
6. Bake and decorate cookies
7. Have a tea party.
8. Dress up and perform a story
9. Write a book and illustrate it.
10. Create a boardgame and play it.
11. Play with clay or playdough. Add things like to enhance creativity like toothpicks or cotton swabs.
12. Save empty food containers (cereal boxes, water bottles, oatmeal or powder drink tins, etc.) and use them as large blocks to build with.
13. Make sock puppets.
14. Go on a scavenger hunt in the house for typical items and make it fun.
If you have any other rainy-day suggestions, please respond in the comments area.
Happy playtime!
RAIN, RAIN, CHANCE OF RAIN, RAIN, POSSIBLE CLEARING.
Now being the person that usually can find a lot of things to do to keep busy on rainy days, it can be particularly more difficult to find things to do for children, especially if they are boys and more so if they are ADHD.
As a preschool teacher, I have spent countless times advising parents that, in the world of young learning, quality time with your child is the best teaching tool in the entire world. No matter how "busy" you can claim to be, spending just 15 minutes with your child/children can make such a difference with learning and relationship building. But after days and days of rain, even I can have my limits with restless children.
So, I've come up with a list of suggestions of cool things to do with your children on rainy days-whether they have special needs are not. Some take more time than others, but most are just 15 minutes of yor time-enough time to answer your email, make a few phone calls, or have a light snack. I hope this can be helpful to anyone who has to answer to the whiny chortling of "We're bored...!"
Ms. Holly's Rainy Day (or any day) Suggestions:
1. READ a book together
2. Build a fort with blankets, pillows, couch cushions, etc.
3. Watch rain through the window and see if you can see patterns in the drops, like cloud watching.
4. Go outside in rainboots and play puddle jumping.
5. Finger/toe painting
6. Bake and decorate cookies
7. Have a tea party.
8. Dress up and perform a story
9. Write a book and illustrate it.
10. Create a boardgame and play it.
11. Play with clay or playdough. Add things like to enhance creativity like toothpicks or cotton swabs.
12. Save empty food containers (cereal boxes, water bottles, oatmeal or powder drink tins, etc.) and use them as large blocks to build with.
13. Make sock puppets.
14. Go on a scavenger hunt in the house for typical items and make it fun.
If you have any other rainy-day suggestions, please respond in the comments area.
Happy playtime!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
A New Beginning
Okay, seems a strange thing to do this time of the year.
With all the emphasis of the "end of the school year" approaching, seems odd to some to change my blog format to something slightly different..but I thought now was a good time to do so.
So..new leaf..
I've decided to document my times and experiences as a working mom, a mother of boys and a mother of a child with ADHD.
Mind you, this is not a "convenient label" given to explain a hyperactive boy-it is real. Believe me, I know what to look for, based on my experience in education and working with the special needs population. It is quite a bit to process, being I've got my own issues I struggle with. But, God is with me and knows my struggle, so I lean on Him for strength.
With the blog, I hope others will feel the need to read my experiences as well. I also hope others will find some valuable, helpful information with the things I write. I will try to keep it current as much as possible.
Thanks for reading.
With all the emphasis of the "end of the school year" approaching, seems odd to some to change my blog format to something slightly different..but I thought now was a good time to do so.
So..new leaf..
I've decided to document my times and experiences as a working mom, a mother of boys and a mother of a child with ADHD.
Mind you, this is not a "convenient label" given to explain a hyperactive boy-it is real. Believe me, I know what to look for, based on my experience in education and working with the special needs population. It is quite a bit to process, being I've got my own issues I struggle with. But, God is with me and knows my struggle, so I lean on Him for strength.
With the blog, I hope others will feel the need to read my experiences as well. I also hope others will find some valuable, helpful information with the things I write. I will try to keep it current as much as possible.
Thanks for reading.
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