ADD moms?

[MommiNEnd]

Any ADD moms out there?

 

Any advice for a mother who would like to homeschool but may have Adult ADD?

[Hen]

raising my hand for suspected ADD but not diagnosed. I am 13 years into homeschooling and I finally have faced the fact that I can't use programs with lots of books. I work best with a "spine" such as Story of the World- that I can use daily by just picking it up...after that, I can add on extra books if we have time, but I have to limit myself to one week limit for rabbit trails, or it will never end. I love lots of books, but I think they need to be the icing if we have time, I just don't get through the main material otherwise.

 

I also do better with a list of things to do that I cross off as they are done, I can't use a schedule. Also, look at your homeschool day as your "job" and don't try to mulit-task with switching out laundry or dinner prep- I would do those things and then get distracted and forget to get back to what we were doing. My kids knew this and would quietly scatter to different parts of the house when I got up to go do something...stinkers!

[cin]

For me, medication is the only thing that makes me able to HS. Also, as horrible as it sounds, I can't do a lot of things where I have to be involved, such as reading aloud. I just put it off, and put it off, and then we're at Friday and need to do a whole week of History.

[Faithr]

I think I am ADD. In fact I remember when my oldest son got diagnosed I said to the neuropsych, but I fit all these characteristics too! And then just recently with my (another) son's psychiatrist I said I think I am ADD too and he nodded his head and had this look in his eyes like 'yep!'

 

I too need an open and go curriculum. If I plan, I burn out on planning, if I have open and go I have the energy reserves to keep up with it. The terrible thing is I love to plan. Also for me, outside or external deadlines are important. So if I know my kids have to take end of the year testing, that keeps me focused on teaching them what they need to know. If we have a math tutor coming in for the older kids, that keeps me on top of them to make sure they've done their homework.

 

I focus on copy work, math and Latin. I read aloud a lot for the other subjects. We do these over meals, so if I didn't read aloud over breakfast, I can still do it over lunch or dinner. These are my pegs. I peg one activity to another so my brain won't skate off in another direction. We also need some kind of an outside activity to keep us steady. So we tend to join co-ops and get our science, art etc that way.

 

High school is different. I farm out the subjects I feel I can't really teach (like math and science) and focus on the ones I feel strong in, like literature and history.

[ChicoryChick]

raising my hand for suspected ADD but not diagnosed. I am 13 years into homeschooling and I finally have faced the fact that I can't use programs with lots of books. I work best with a "spine" such as Story of the World- that I can use daily by just picking it up...after that, I can add on extra books if we have time, but I have to limit myself to one week limit for rabbit trails, or it will never end. I love lots of books, but I think they need to be the icing if we have time, I just don't get through the main material otherwise.

 

I also do better with a list of things to do that I cross off as they are done, I can't use a schedule. Also, look at your homeschool day as your "job" and don't try to mulit-task with switching out laundry or dinner prep- I would do those things and then get distracted and forget to get back to what we were doing. My kids knew this and would quietly scatter to different parts of the house when I got up to go do something...stinkers!

 

 

This is me.

[Hen]

I think I am ADD. In fact I remember when my oldest son got diagnosed I said to the neuropsych, but I fit all these characteristics too! And then just recently with my (another) son's psychiatrist I said I think I am ADD too and he nodded his head and had this look in his eyes like 'yep!'

 

I too need an open and go curriculum. If I plan, I burn out on planning, if I have open and go I have the energy reserves to keep up with it. The terrible thing is I love to plan. Also for me, outside or external deadlines are important. So if I know my kids have to take end of the year testing, that keeps me focused on teaching them what they need to know. If we have a math tutor coming in for the older kids, that keeps me on top of them to make sure they've done their homework.

 

 

 

High school is different. I farm out the subjects I feel I can't really teach (like math and science) and focus on the ones I feel strong in, like literature and history.

 

 

nodding my head here! I love, love to plan and do research. I can spend many late nights sniffing out the very *best in history or language arts tied to latin...but I am horrible at follow-through. My dream job would be researching and planning curriculum courses. :)

 

I think the best thing I did was homeschool through a charter school. As much as I hate some of the hoops I have to jump through, having to meet with my ES every month as kept me moving forward at least in some way.

 

High School- I love aspects of it, the discussions, the books! but I also have farmed out 2 classes a year per student, usually Lit/Composition and Science. It has been a huge help and also very educational for me, seeing how the classes are run and seeing the detailed syllabus.

 

my biggest discovery has been that I need a "spine" to work off of. I kept going back to Story of the World- and I just lately discovered Oak Meadow...wish I had found that one earlier.

[Gentlemommy]

Agreeing with the others...simple, open and go curriculum, laid out plans, checklists.

If I want to use any extra books (like for SOTW) I buy them all ahead of time. I can not keep up with doing the library thing. If I buy anything on PDF, I must print it and out it in a binder all at one time. I can't just print out a lesson each day. It simply won't happen.

We joined a coop that meets weekly. Its for fun and sometimes easy, relaxed lessons. Wr have riding and gymnastics lessons that we go to, so knowing we have to get done before lessons helps keep school on track. We are planning to join Classical Conversations next year. It will help me by taking the burden off of having to teach History, Science, Latin, art, and music. All I would HAVE to do daily is memory work for cc (easy with the app, my kids can do it on their own) math, and LA. We do still plan on doing history and art , but it will be ok if we don't get to it.

 

[ksr5377]

We are only K and 1st, but I already know that the only way to do something with lots of books is to OWN those books. So that's something that gets figured in to the cost of programs. I'm also working on trying to make sure we get everything done right away, as PP said. No 20 minute chores before school starts....or it never will.

[I.Dup.]

Wow...I've suspected for awhile I have ADD although I've never gone in for a diagnosis. Reading this thread just confirms it for me because I have the same issues these women do.

[Luanne]

I had this issue when homeschooling my daughter. When she got to high school, I finally just enrolled her in an online school. I just could not get it together. My mind was all over the place and I could think of great plans in my head but couldn't seem to get them down on paper. She has ADHD too, which just added to our problems. She never would have faired well in public school though. All the distractions would have made it impossible to learn anything.

[Faithr]

We are only K and 1st, but I already know that the only way to do something with lots of books is to OWN those books. So that's something that gets figured in to the cost of programs. I'm also working on trying to make sure we get everything done right away, as PP said. No 20 minute chores before school starts....or it never will.

 

 

My dh told me way back when we first started that he thought it would be cheaper if I just bought the books rather than using the library. I always, always got them overdue and would somehow lose one. So pathetic! Plus I never would be able to juggle reserving books and then getting to the library to get them before we needed them.

 

And I too am always amazed at people who get chores done first!, I have to start school during breakfast while everyone is gathered. I don't let them go until we've gotten a substantial amount done and need a break. At that point, a real breaking point for me, literally because my brain simply can not focus any more on schooling, we stop and drift off to our own thing for a long break before mommy can regroup and finish up. We drift off again often for late afternoon activities and regroup again before or after dinner. I never, never could stick to a schedule. We just work in routine with a list of the stuff we have to do in front of us. I referr to the list over and over again throughout the day. Every day I misplace it at least a dozen times! Then I find it and start over again!

[Ruby Rose]

Honestly, it's a major struggle. In fact I'm going for testing on Friday because I haven't been tested since childhood. I'm hoping to find a medication that works for me. I know it will help me get the house, the schooling, everything together. It will be a much needed relief!

[MerryAtHope]

Another that hasn't been diagnosed, but I suspect it. My husband once told me as we left on a trip and I had yet again forgotten my purse, "I never know whether to remind you that you don't have your purse, or to not remind you, hoping it will foster a sense of personal responsibility." I laughed and replied, "Well, if you don't mind going back for it when I do remember, I don't mind the 2nd option. However, I'm 35 and if I haven't learned by now, chances are not great that I'll learn!" That was ## years ago, and I'm only slightly better! (I've learned to have a landing spot where the purse always goes in the house, and to buy colorful purses--that way people always comment on it and I don't leave it at their house, at restaurants, in shopping carts...etc...)

 

Things that help me with homeschooling:

 

Workboxes. Essential for me AND for the kids. They keep everything organized and keep me on track. There's a visual marking system (you can't walk by and NOT know where you are in your day), subjects are organized one at a time (so it's not overwhelming to do one thing), and we can't forget to do something.

 

Owning books--I totally agree here. If we go to the library, it's for a special project or for fun. If I had to depend on the library, we wouldn't get nearly as much done, plus I'd probably have fines too. Shop used & sell used if cost is an issue, but I must say I'm glad for our home library--my dd especially reads and re-reads books just like I did as a child.

 

ADDitude Magazine--helpful website with tips etc...

 

Natural things--even if you don't want to do meds, things like magnesium, zinc, iron, a good multi-vitamin, b vitamins, omega 3's etc... can be helpful.

 

Make school a priority and get it done first. Just like things in a home need a place to be, you can't schedule two things at once either. Block off a reasonable amount of time to school and devote your full attention to just school. Don't try to multi-task, everything gets left partially done!

 

Organization--figure out your method. I've been tweaking my method for over 10 years! But I've used the same type of schedule page for 3-4 now because I found one that really works well for me. I like the freedom to change plans up, but the accountability of needing to write something in for the subjects I want to accomplish each day. Here's a link to the binder and schedule I use. But again, I didn't start out this organized--it's taken a long time to develop the tools I need for me. What you need might be different, and that's ok.

 

Give yourself grace and time to figure things out. Don't give up on a year if things aren't going well or if you get off track. Figure out what it takes to get back on track now, without trying to make up for lost time. If you try to jam too many things into a day or week as "make-up," you'll overwhelm yourself and your children, and just give up again. Instead, slow and steady wins the race.

 

Find curriculum that interests you. If you are interested, you will be much more likely to be consistent with your kids. I love reading aloud to my kids, so we actually still read good lit. at night--reading Pride & Prejudice right now to my 16 & 14 yo's!

 

Don't try to be perfect. Again, you'll just end up feeling defeated and giving up. Look to do things well, and forgive yourself your imperfections. Move on and don't dwell on them.

 

Find ways to motivate yourself to do the things you don't like as much. Many years I found I did better if I did subjects I didn't like or that were hard first. Other years I've found that doing the subjects that my kids need me for works best, and then gradually they are doing more independent things throughout the day. I find I can motivate myself with time limits for things I don't like or don't tend to get started. For example, once I discovered that I could empty the dishwasher in the same amount of time that it takes to heat up water and make a cup of tea for myself, I found it much easier to keep my kitchen clean. And I got a nice cup of tea out of the deal! (Or coffee if it's morning!) If a subject is hard for you and/or your child, set a timer. Let's work on this for 15 minutes. We can do anything for 15 minutes. etc...

 

Find curriculum that's open and go, and that's organized for you, that's clearly laid out. If you have to read a huge long manual to do the topic, you probably aren't going to unless that particular topic is one of your pet interests. In that case, go for it! Otherwise, use things that are teacher-friendly for you.

 

Don't compare yourself to other moms and other homeschools.

 

Find friends (irl or online) who have similar challenges and see what they use. It might work for you.

 

Don't change curriculum just because something else sounds better. Don't fix what's not broken.

 

Most of all...enjoy your children :).

 

Merry :-)

[ksr5377]

My dh told me way back when we first started that he thought it would be cheaper if I just bought the books rather than using the library. I always, always got them overdue and would somehow lose one. So pathetic! Plus I never would be able to juggle reserving books and then getting to the library to get them before we needed them.

 

And I too am always amazed at people who get chores done first!, I have to start school during breakfast while everyone is gathered. I don't let them go until we've gotten a substantial amount done and need a break. At that point, a real breaking point for me, literally because my brain simply can not focus any more on schooling, we stop and drift off to our own thing for a long break before mommy can regroup and finish up. We drift off again often for late afternoon activities and regroup again before or after dinner. I never, never could stick to a schedule. We just work in routine with a list of the stuff we have to do in front of us. I referr to the list over and over again throughout the day. Every day I misplace it at least a dozen times! Then I find it and start over again!

 

 

 

That's why we buy the books! Also, if we don't have them on hand when I need them then it doesn't get done. Shockingly, I'm not great at planning 2 weeks ahead. :glare: We also shoot for a routine. There is no way we could stick to a strict schedule. And I love when I find my list, I always feel like "Oh, right, this is my purpose right now!"

[mommymilkies]

 

nodding my head here! I love, love to plan and do research. I can spend many late nights sniffing out the very *best in history or language arts tied to latin...but I am horrible at follow-through. My dream job would be researching and planning curriculum courses. :)

 

 

 

Me, too. I am a researcher extraordinaire. My PA agrees that I am likely ADHD, but I have not tested because I am breastfeeding so I wouldn't take the meds yet. I'll test someday but I'm spot on. Even the impulsivity. I hate sitting still, so we do most of our work on the floor with yoga blocks, foam rollers, balls, etc. I am very fidgety. Sonlight has worked ok for me. The schedule keeps me accountable. I need the new ones that have the maps, notes, etc. right with the weeks, though, because I lose stuff so much! A loop schedule works ok, too. I might do that next year. Right now we do group work in the a.m. and then individual work after quiet time.

[anabelneri]

I just got diagnosed this summer. I was on meds for three months, and then got pregnant so now I'm back to my scattered self AND I have pregnancy-brain. Woot! I breastfeed my kids for the long-haul, so it'll be a while before I get those meds again. I got so much done on the meds.

 

I do big planning sessions a couple times a year. I spend tons of time researching (when I should no doubt be doing something else) and get everything set into a chart. The best is when I get it broken down by week & figure out our system for getting it done. We've done workboxes, checklists, schedules, and they've all worked Ok until I got bored (or dd did... hmmm...). This term we're doing a set schedule in the morning, and "weekboxes" in the afternoon which I only have to set up once a week. I couldn't fill workboxes daily, so they didn't last terribly long. But the weekboxes seem to be just fine.

 

I agree about the chores. Chores in the morning are like asking to get nothing done the rest of the day. And honestly so are errands. All classes and errands are ideally in the afternoon, because nothing academic will happen that day otherwise.

 

Hen Jen -- can you make Oak Meadow work? I've looked at it and decided I couldn't make it work since it seems like there are a lot of disparate parts. (That said, we generally manage to make AO work, which I suppose also has a lot of parts to it).

 

What helps: getting things set up while I'm feeling excited about doing it, which is usually at night every couple months. When I'm setting up, making sure all subjects are fixed so that we can do them "like falling off a log". If it's going to take extra work, it will stop happening on the 2nd or 3rd week of the term. Tea or coffee in the morning helps. Or hot chocolate -- even that little bit of caffeine in the morning can help. Supposedly exercise helps, but I stopped getting that done when I got off the meds.

 

We actually don't buy all our school books, but we go to the library every week and check their computer system before we go to see what is due. It's a habit. And we do it with dh, who doesn't have ADD.

 

:)

[Hen]

anabelneri,

 

I think I have ADD and I am chronically anemic, it is much like pregnancy brain :o

 

I've just started with Oak Meadow, so we will have to see how long it "sticks" but it doesn't really seem like a lot of "parts" to me. I am doing 5th grade -which is History and English in one book -with a tiny bit of Science thrown in and then Science in a separate text book...I'm supposed to be on our first week with OM and so far...I opened to lesson 5 which was about where we left off in MFW -it is on Jamestown and I wanted to make sure we hit on that...and then I saw the text really only talked about indentured servants and slaves in Jamestown and I wanted to go deeper so I got out my History of US by Hakim vol 2 (after looking through my abandoned MFW stuff and looking through the student worksheets for something on Jamestown) I decided to spend the rest of this week reading about Jamestown from Story of US and having my kids do this neat animated thing on Jamestown I found on National Geographic for kids...and then get back to OM next week.

 

I've already failed, haven't I??? :banghead:

 

gosh, I sound so ADD, maybe I will go see my Dr. for a diagnosis.... I did swear to myself I'd only rabbit-trail this week and then I'd get back to OM.

 

Anyways...OM is a textbook, really. They suggest just a couple of novels to read during the year, I think 4? It is really manageable.

 

I will also be doing OM High school history with my 10th grader. Again, it is just the textbook with the syllabus and a few books to read, I will probably assign more books, but I really think with the textbook as a spine, I will have better luck.

 

if I can just stick to the program and not keep going off into rabbit trails...

[anabelneri]

Thanks! I'm only looked at the Kindergarten and 1st grade levels, and they had several books and things we were supposed to do.

 

I'll look at it again; I have an older child now, it might be doable.

 

:)

[Alte Veste Academy]

The three things that have helped me most...

 

1. Organizing my life and forcing myself to form new habits. See this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/442845-so-from-discouraged-now-organizing-to-have-time-for-the-components-of-your-life/.

 

2. Accountability. I make sure someone who will hold me accountable knows about the plans I make (about essential matters).

 

3. Reframing ADD. I love The Myth of ADD and Superparenting for ADD.

 

[Pod's mum]

Wow...I've suspected for awhile I have ADD although I've never gone in for a diagnosis. Reading this thread just confirms it for me because I have the same issues these women do.

 

 

There have been a few references on here lately, that made me actually MAKE an appointment rather than procrastinate.

I showed my mum a list years ago and she read through and comment "ALL of you, I thought the youngest was OK?".

No mum, there was just so much chaos, she held back and watched, as the middle did too, me. (There are a stack of us.)

 

I've not got paperwork yet but he confirmed ADD and dysgraphia. The second diagnosis will help with my Uni exams. If I continue. Even occasional medication for the first could help me continue. If not them I'm done. Tooooo hard.

I now need to get an appointment with Psychiatrist for medication.

I'm holding back. First diagnosis really hurt fianancially and I didn't realise I'd need a second.

 

Both of my kids and most of their cousins show strong traits too.

I'm hoping my diagnosis will aid me with tools for dd.

Psychologist was positive about drugs for adults but very concerned about drugging children while their brains are still developing.

Luckily my dd's got a very understanding school with a great teacher to student ratio. ;)

 

How do I cope?

Well I often don't.

But we have a heck of a lot of fun on the way. And learn a lot of unexpected amazing stuff with field trips, excusions, travel and a massive home-library.

 

Thankfully I have a bright, interested child, who has usually snuck off with a book and likes to tell me all about what she's learned.

So when not force-feeding writing skills, my job is mostly to feed her habit. :)

[Pod's mum]

Any ADD moms out there?

 

Any advice for a mother who would like to homeschool but may have Adult ADD?

 

 

Do you think your kid/s may be too?

 

Do you think they would cope better with you or at school?

 

Do you really want to?

If you really want to home educate them then you can work to make it successful, if not, then when it gets hard, and sometimes it just is, then it would be very hard to continue through those tough times.

 

By the way, it doesn't have to be forever, some kids return to/start school, some go for a while and return to home education.

[lillybell]

I love to plan out curriculum and put it together with different resources but I found, it was overkill and the kids were exhausted from too much school work. Now I have learned to lessen the work load and not try to overdo it on the books. I am a book addict and can't go a week without buying a few new books. Hubby is always on me about this but can't help myself. Unfortunately, not everyone loves books like I do. I have adhd and am diagnosed. I was on meds for a while and I am supermom when I am on them but I also experienced some pretty bad side effects so had to leave the meds. Being unmedicated is hard but as long as I have a planned list out, I am good. I have a schedule for the kids lessons that I access daily on my tablet and I am able to mark each lesson complete which is great because gives me a sense of accomplishment. The rewards are fast so keeps me going. I also keep a list on my tablet of things that I need to do and appointments as well as bills to pay. Without this, I am a mess,the bills go unpaid, appointments get missed. Medicines don't get picked up at the pharmacy. Pretty much nothing gets done and I become consumed on researching something online or working on one thing all day. So list and schedules are the only thing that works for me. I have also learned that I need to look at books and curriculum thoroughly before making a decision to implement them. Sometimes, I take a look at the schedules for a certain curriculum or just the set up and know that it won't work for us. So looking a samples is essential before buying even when they are highly recommended. I am getting much better at keeping motivated. I do take care of laundry and other household stuff between homeschooling and it is true that the kids used to scatter thinking mom is going to forget, but now what I do is I tell the kids to come help me. This way we finish much faster and get right back to what we were doing. I used to take care of all household responsibilities myself because I was afraid nobody would do them right but after years of stress and being overwhelmed with not enough time to finish everything, I finally learned my lesson that things don't have to be perfect, they just need to get done.

[Faithr]

Okay here's the thing about forcing yourself to be more organized, etc if you are ADD. It doesn't work. To me, that is like saying to a blind person, if you really try, you can see! It just ain't there. I can't do what I don't have! It is not just a matter of will power. I can do things that actually don't take a lot of organizational skills, just like a blind person can still get up and brush their teeth and make coffee for breakfast. There's a lot of stuff you can do anyway that doesn't take all that much focus. And then for the stuff you can't do, like drive or paint (if you are blind) or do some major project and manage to stay on top of it (if you are ADD) you rely on others to help you. And you have to accommodate.

 

 

But I always tell people that if I can homeschool, anybody can homeschool. The key is to simplify. The other key is to know what will work for me and what won't. A lot of this is trial and error and the knowledge comes over the course of a lifetime! So it is slow and can be frustrating.

 

For me, I just have to let certain things slide. It isn't a choice really, but necessity. I can only get a certain amount done each day and I feel like I am constantly making triage decisions. There's too much to do each day and I simply can not deal all. day. long. I need a big break from it or I get completely overwhelmed and shut down. Some stuff I have found that helps:

 

1) Every summer I try to hire someone to organize my house. I haven't had this the last couple of summers and so we have really suffered. But I used to hire my oldest dd and a friend and they would work for me. One year I just hired another girl I knew. Another time I hired a mother's helper for a while. Both these girls were great! This summer my oldest dd will be back and says she'll do it for me. Hurray! I've tried to hire professional organizers twice but both times it was too much money and they wanted too much time from me. I just can't attend to all that detail. I really can't! If you hire high school or college girls (especially homeschooling ones that come from big families) they've got a knack for just doing it and they charge way, way less!

 

2) My quiet time in the afternoon is written in stone! Well, a couple days a week I won't be able to do it anymore, but when the kids were little, I wouldn't do anything that involved giving up that quiet time. I really need it not to burn out with dealing with these demanding, immature beings called my children all day long.

 

3) I am always trying to better myself. I may only make a fraction of an inch forward progress but at least it is something. I am a multiple time Flylady dropout. But I did glean a couple of things from her that worked for me. So I do look for all kinds of hints and methods. Most of the time they won't help but sometimes they hit the mark and I rise, just slightly, out of the bedlam. I realize I'll never be one of those people who says, oh this system changed my life! Nope. Ain't gonna happen! But some things can help a little here and there.

 

4) Timers are your friends. I think using timers helps both with housework and with school work. My sister told me about this many, many years ago. She read it in the La Leche book. When you have babies and are trying to houseclean, grab little increments of 5, 10, 20 minutes and just blitz through it doing whatever it is that needs to be done right then and there. This little bit of advice is one of the best things anybody ever told me!

 

5) Some external things don't really help for me. For instance I tried to enroll in Kolbe a long time ago thinking that would help me keep on track but the only thing it did was put pressure on me and make me feel like a failure when we never even ever submitted anything! On line classes don't seem to work. But focusing on just the basics and having set situations for read alouds worked. Actually going to outside co-ops or homeschool classes work. That's why I love Aquinas Learning right now. I know I have to have some kind of external force built in (one that works) so that it is hovering over me and keeping me focused.

 

6) Embracing our naturally unschooly learning style. For things other than the basics and those subjects that happen to be in a co-op or class, we unschool to a large extent (until high school). I and my kids are constantly learning. Our attention is constantly being attracted to all kinds of things. We have great conversations and discussion and follow rabbit trails, etc, etc. The plus side of being ADD is a vibrancy and fascination with all kinds of various things. We learn a lot informally. An awful lot. Realizing that and embracing it as a fact means not feeling nearly so insecure about this homeschooling business.

 

7) Schedules don't work, but having pegs (tying one activity to another), rhythms and routines do work. Not perfectly, but much more effectively than having to try and follow a schedule.

 

8) I rely on my dh a lot. For instance if I had to be in charge of finances as well as schooling the kids, I'd never be able to swing it. They'd have to go to school! But fortunately my dh handles that and I can trust him and be at peace with this division of labor.

 

9) I have always seen myself as a reader. When I was a very shy little girl I hid in books and it was a wonderful place to hide! But as I got busy having babies I found less and less time to read. I got into the habit of not finishing most books. This upset me so much. Then lovely Robin of this board started the Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks. Now I have this external fun element that helps me focus on reading. That has served me so well! God bless Robin is all I can say!

 

As I get older, I feel like I am getting worse. I thought after my babies were grown and I'd gotten through that awful per-menopausal time, I'd be much better, but I'm not! Sob! I didn't realize how much being younger with lots of energy helped me cope. Now I'm older and I don't have that youthful energy anymore. I do think maybe it might be time to get officially diagnosed and maybe try meds. I just don't want to be this scatterbrained old lady!

[WishboneDawn]

For those breastfeeding, ask your doctors and do a bit of reading on the web. Depending on the med and dosage you can go back on it while breast feeding. I take a low dose of a generic form of Ritalin and went back on it once Lauchie stopped breastfeeding exclusively.

 

I find getting right into work as soon as I get up (this morning I had to start the fire in the woodstove, open the chicken coop and give them fresh water and make breakfast) helps start the day well even if I forget my meds.

[AngelBee]

We are only K and 1st, but I already know that the only way to do something with lots of books is to OWN those books. So that's something that gets figured in to the cost of programs. I'm also working on trying to make sure we get everything done right away, as PP said. No 20 minute chores before school starts....or it never will.

 

 

This is soooo true! I can not use the library....I forget to return them. :(

[Mommyfaithe]

I use lists....lists....list and my secret weapons...

#1 a good sense of humor....we are all screwy somewhere....I just happen to be more screwy.

#2. My alarm on my phone...I use it for reminders...start school, lunch, chores, move up laundry....end school, recess, dr. Appointments...whatever I need to get done goes onto an alarm

#3. Post it notes...on everything....reminders everywhere

#4. Routine....routine....routine works for me and my kids. The days we go off routine, nothing gets done. Once in a while, that is ok....but when chaos becomes routine, Not so good for anyone.

#5. Coffee....in the morning only.

# 6 use materials that are very planned, but being flexible to do those rabbit trails....as long as they are the kids trails, and not me going haywire to a bunch of deer in the headlights kids....

 

[QuirkyKapers]

I have ADHD. Here is what works for me:

 

1) I have gotten rid of stuff and have limiited games, science experiments and crafts with too many small pieces. If the kids have something specific, like an art or science project, I will get the items needed as they express interest. I also enroll my kids in art classes and science related classes. I can pick the main part of our house up and have everything cleaned and put away in 35 minutes. I stopped buying so many books. Contrary to my vision, my kids don't just go pick a book off the bookshelf to read. :) They love going to the library. So, I limit what I get so I can keep track of everything.

 

2) I use Teaching Textbooks, Prima Latina etc. I have found things that my kids like, but I am not the instructor teaching every.single.subject. This means I am on for only a couple things. This helps me keep the kids on track better. It also gives me moments to quickly throw in laundry, clean dishes etc.

 

3) I make sure I shower and go out for coffee in the morning, by myself, before dh leaves for work. This helps me gather myself. The kids know that when I get home, it is time to start.

 

4) My structure is that we start with the same subject and than get all other subjects done. After doing the starting subject, the kids can do their work in whatever order they want. When they are both done with their checklists, I work on the subjects we need to do together, like grammar and writing. I write what needs to be done on a dry erase board that is on the refrigerator. The kids wipe it off when they are done. This is great because if I forgot something, I can add it easily or take something off easily. Once the kids are done with their list, and what they need to work on with me, they can choose what they want to do. There is no T.V, computer, Kindle, DS Wii until school is done. It isn't that I am against them starting that way, I tried it. It just makes less of a battle about starting. The kids will start sooner so they can get to those things :D

 

5) While my kids are doing their own projects and have what they need, I go to my room. I relax and read. This helps me focus and recharge for the evening obligations.

 

6) I have a start time for when I need to begin preparing the evening meal.

 

7) Although, I love reading and love the idea of read alouds, I had to reconcile that liking the idea of read alouds and actually having the read aloud times happen in reality, just hasn't jelled for us during the day. It happens in the evening and generally, I am not the one reading aloud, it is my dh. Audio books are what my kids true loves are. I still have them read a book as part of their personal reading time.

 

8) I have had to come to terms with the fact that what schooling looks like in my home, time spent, what I use for materials, etc. doesn't look like most people I know. However, I have worked hard to find what works for our family and for each individual child. It is important to me that what they are doing, they understand and they like. My kids are happy, I am happy (most days :tongue_smilie:), so I just have to stop comparing what our day looks like with other people. I know what works for me, for my kids, so just because someone else is critical and wants to put pressure on or poke holes, well...I have had to develop a thicker skin. I know I have researched and tried many different methods and materials. For myself, the joy of having the children home is to create a learning environment that affirms who they are as a person and support their learning style. This of course looks different for every child and is different for every family.

[journey00]

I have to say that I really love this thread. I feel scattered & unfocused a lot and very very disorganized. No matter how hard I try, it works temporarily. I blame it on working full-time from home and every time I feel like such a failure. I have wondered how Moms diagnosed with ADD can cope with homeschooling. I have even googled it but found nothing but I found millions of articles on ADD children & homeschooling. I want to follow a classical education only but I just can't get there...I have to rely on computers to homeschool the kids. I console myself with "They're better off at home & they're definitely much happier than at brick and mortar school."

 

Thanks for starting this thread, it is extremely helpful. I'm going to try to incorporate some of the coping mechanisms. Thanks again.

[journey00]

Hi ADD Moms.  What is everyone using for curriculum?

[Carrie12345]

Hi ADD Moms.  What is everyone using for curriculum?

My list isn't exactly ADD-friendly. I just spent the entire summer organizing it (while unmedicated!) and will surely have to make adjustments as I go along.

 

1st grade

Saxon math (okay, that's kind of ADD-friendly)

Building THinking Skills

BFSU

SOTW

HWOT

AAS

some WWE

 

5th/6th grades

Saxon math

IEW and WWS

SOTW with lots of extra reading

Memoria Press Lit

Sciene in a Nutshell with CPO as a backup

IEW

Language Mechanic

Inference Jones

AAS

Ferret It Out (problem based learning)

 

I also keep a lot of easily implemented (mostly worksheets or easy to follow books) supplements that I can just hand over if I'm having a really bad focus (or bad pain) day without feeling guilty. Or, on a nice day, I can throw them outside and tell them to find something interesting in the woods. ;-)

[Forgiven]

Maybe I'm confused on what exactly ADD is because everything you all describe is me, yet I don't have ADD. I've never even suspected that I do. I have to own the book if it's to be used, otherwise, it will never get from the library to my house because I will forget about it--even if I reserve it. I can't use PDFs unless I print the entire thing right when I get it, and then bind the darn thing. I tried the printing-off-as-we-go thing last year, and it was a disaster. If I don't start school during breakfast, that's it--school doesn't happen. I need open-and-go curricula, or it doesn't get done. If I get up to do something, I forget about what I was/need to be doing. 

 

Again, I don't have ADD. It has never been a worry of mine that I do. I'm just not great at multi-tasking.

 

I think I need to go read up on ADD. I know I don't need medication to function. I did well in school as a kid and I have a job that requires my utmost attention, and I do well at it too.

 

The above problems don't seem like an ADD issue to me.  Guess I have some reading to do.

 

 

Edited to add: I'm at a total loss. According to the things I'm reading about adult ADD, I have all the symptoms. But what does this mean? I mean, I function fairly normal. So I'm always late everywhere I go, and I forget about projects with work, or think I can finish them in a certain amount of time, but can't. I forget to go grocery shopping a lot. Seriously. I plan to go all the time, and then the end of the day arrives and I decide to "do it tomorrow", which never happens.

 

I guess I now need to figure out what this means for me and how I can use knowing this to make my life better.

 

Ugh. I'm not a label person. I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it without going around and announcing it to everyone in my life.

[bobbeym]

Hi ADD Moms.  What is everyone using for curriculum?

 

I don't know that most people would call our curricula ADD friendly, but since I order them geared towards my ADD kid, I suppose they are for us.

 

10th grade

Notgrass Exploring America - We like the easy to read style and daily lessons. Daily review questions, quizzes, and tests are out of the box. All we have to do is pick a writing assignment most weeks.

 

Power Basics Geometry - High school level, but scaled down to essentials-only geometry. Out of the box with daily lessons, activity worksheets, and practical application problems.  I added extra practical application assignments for the week following each unit.  What I like about it is that it doesn't teach proofs. You wouldn't believe how aghast DS was when I explained to him what a proof was.  He just can't fathom the thought of why you'd ever have to prove this angle matches that angle in general life.  Yeah, that's a battle I don't feel like having this year.

 

Informal Logic - We're using Fallacy Detective and Thinking Toolbox 2-3x/week.  They have end-of-book exams available if you email them. Each week the kids will have to write 1-2 paragraphs on a current event that reflects the fallacies learned that week. I expanded their current events to include tv shows and movies as long as they can argue their points and cite their source.  I might add Think Again: How to Reason and Argue from Coursera if it comes back out in the spring.

 

English Lit - We're using a combination of sources for "unit studies". TLP workbooks to cover short stories and poetry, fast-tracked to 3 weeks each instead of the 9-12 weeks listed in their schedules.  (Can you imagine 3 entire months doing nothing but short story analysis?  :ack2: )  Ten additional novels, 5 of which have study guides and 5 that will have writing assignments. A 5-min grammar review every day, and vocab taken from the books they're reading.  Not completely out of the box, but everything is short enough to not get boring. Unless it's just boring in general but I think it'll be okay.

 

DIVE ICP - Out of the box video lessons and labs.  Read online, watch the lectures, take notes, do the worksheet, check your answers, watch the lab, write your report.  We're already looking forward to the week 2 lab: percentage of mixtures. Sounds so boring, but they use plain M&Ms for the mixture.  We're expanding the lab to various kinds of M&Ms to see if they all have the same distribution % as the plain ones. My hypothesis is that mini M&Ms will be different simply b/c of their size.

 

ASL 1 - Outsourced to private lessons each week plus a free website that offers activity lessons, quizzes, and exams.  I just need to find someone to give him a final exam, but I'll speak with his instructor about that sometime during the year.

 

Bible - Outsourced now that our church youth group (small groups split by age/gender) will meet weekly to cover the same bible studies as the adult small groups. DH will supplement with whatever videos of the week he finds interesting to discuss.  First up is What On Earth Am I Here For by Rick Warren.

 

ETA that we also bought a plastic crate to keep all of this years supplies, binders, and books in.  I also color-coordinated binders.  Both kids have green for science, orange for history, etc. to make it easier for all of us.

[anabelneri]

I'm so glad we're chatting again like this.  Has anyone thought (like me) that having a social group would be nice so we could chat with each other more often and post new questions for each other without being dependent of ancient threads or other ADD moms finding it while it's still at the top of the pile?

 

Kinder

OPGTR

Smithhand Manuscript (maybe not so ADD-friendly, but it looks like it will suit my kids)

RightStart B (Ok except that I seem to have taken on the project of turning every lesson into worksheets  :biggrinjester: )

Calendar notebooking

A friend is teaching BFSU1

 

5th

AO (tweaked, but at least AOesqe)

SOTW (though I ignore the workbook thing; we're doing it WTM 5th grade style)

MEP

A friend is teaching BFSU2

Smithhand Cursive (see caveat above)

MCT

Calendar notebooking

 

 

[mommymilkies]

Forgiven- you could just have working memory issues. I think a lot of people just stereotype ADHD as the bouncing off the walls child who can't sit still. Or sit down. Lol Really, it's not as stereotypical for most people. For adults, we've also spent a lifetime working on these issues or we've had them lessen in severity. You don't have to have medication to thrive with ADHD, but it does help some people. ADHD people also can be good at hyper focusing or their issues may be more specifically in the hyperactivity area. I have a great ability to hyper focus when needed-especially if I am interested in the subject. I was a great andrologist, but it also was a passion and kept my eyes and hands busy. Reading keeps my mind busy, and possibly annoys my dh as I'm prone to hula hooping or cooking while I do so. :p but on the other hand, I'm amazingly forgetful and fidget a lot.

[anabelneri]

 

Edited to add: I'm at a total loss. According to the things I'm reading about adult ADD, I have all the symptoms. But what does this mean? I mean, I function fairly normal. So I'm always late everywhere I go, and I forget about projects with work, or think I can finish them in a certain amount of time, but can't. I forget to go grocery shopping a lot. Seriously. I plan to go all the time, and then the end of the day arrives and I decide to "do it tomorrow", which never happens.

 

I guess I now need to figure out what this means for me and how I can use knowing this to make my life better.

 

Ugh. I'm not a label person. I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it without going around and announcing it to everyone in my life.

 

:grouphug:

I was there just over a year ago.  I clearly don't need medication to function -- I have a graduate degree and run whole programs at work, and did those things before realizing that I had ADD.  I'm exactly the kind of person who wouldn't be noticed as having ADD -- smart enough to compensate, I had a supportive family, and I'm not the hyperactive type.  Oh, and I'm female.  But there have been times in my life when my usual coping strategies don't work, and my inability to follow a regular schedule for more than a week at a time can really haunt me.  I hit one of those times last spring, and finally started trying to get help.  Low and behold, I have ADD.  And can I say, those meds were amazing!  I got so much done!  

 

I don't mind labels much, as evidenced by the fact that I told all kinds of people.  At my church program, it has been really helpful to be able to label when I'm likely to struggle with something, and it's not because I'm a bad person.  I've been told by people that I'm lazy and childish because I don't send out Christmas cards.  I find it ridiculously challenging to send out Christmas cards on time!  It takes a huge amount of effort!  But it's because of the ADD, not because I'm lazy.  My brain just doesn't function that way, and I'm perfectly happy to own that.  I'm good at other things.  

 

My favorite book so far about ADD is "Delivered from Distraction".  It's written by two doctors who have ADD themselves, and they see it as a gift.  It's even written in small chunks, so it's easy to pick up and put down.  

 

:)

[anabelneri]

Ok, just made the social group.  I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.  http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/groups/205-add-moms/

 

:)

('cause you know I need the distraction!)

[sagira]

Ah, I think I found people like me. And here I thought I was alone. Yes, we can homeschool! Yes, the enthusiasm! I am a die-hard researcher as well.. Terrible at housekeeping. Making progress.

[bobbeym]

I'm so glad we're chatting again like this.  Has anyone thought (like me) that having a social group would be nice so we could chat with each other more often and post new questions for each other without being dependent of ancient threads or other ADD moms finding it while it's still at the top of the pile?

 

Thanks for setting up the social group!

 

 

Forgiven- you could just have working memory issues. I think a lot of people just stereotype ADHD as the bouncing off the walls child who can't sit still. Or sit down. Lol Really, it's not as stereotypical for most people. For adults, we've also spent a lifetime working on these issues or we've had them lessen in severity. You don't have to have medication to thrive with ADHD, but it does help some people. ADHD people also can be good at hyper focusing or their issues may be more specifically in the hyperactivity area. I have a great ability to hyper focus when needed-especially if I am interested in the subject. I was a great andrologist, but it also was a passion and kept my eyes and hands busy. Reading keeps my mind busy, and possibly annoys my dh as I'm prone to hula hooping or cooking while I do so. :p but on the other hand, I'm amazingly forgetful and fidget a lot.

 

I think part of the social stigma with ADD is that people focus on the Hyperactivity component b/c those types are much more obvious. Most people don't realize that there's an Inattentive type as well b/c those are the kids/adults that are "just lazy" or "always have their head in the clouds."

 

How do you hula hoop while reading?  I would love to get into hula hooping. I've heard it's great exercise.

 

I don't mind labels much, as evidenced by the fact that I told all kinds of people.  At my church program, it has been really helpful to be able to label when I'm likely to struggle with something, and it's not because I'm a bad person.  I've been told by people that I'm lazy and childish because I don't send out Christmas cards.  I find it ridiculously challenging to send out Christmas cards on time!  It takes a huge amount of effort!  But it's because of the ADD, not because I'm lazy.  My brain just doesn't function that way, and I'm perfectly happy to own that.  I'm good at other things.  

 

My favorite book so far about ADD is "Delivered from Distraction".  It's written by two doctors who have ADD themselves, and they see it as a gift.  It's even written in small chunks, so it's easy to pick up and put down.  

 

DH's concerns over labeling and medication is why DS has never been formally tested, not that he needs to.  You want to talk about checking off boxes on the list...  :blink:    We probably wouldn't medicate anyway but we do try to take a more holistic/food based approach to it.  DS does much better when he stays away from food dyes and processed sugars.  We live for caffeine. It's a staple in the house and even DH has noticed that DS is a tad bit better when he's drinking coffee all day long. 

 

I second "Delivered from Distraction".  It really helped me see that ADD isn't "bad" or "abnormal", but rather just a different way of how our brains are wired.  I've learned lots of coping techniques over the years but now I'm trying to teach DS how to work with his brain rather than fight against it all the time. 

 

Oh - I have to share this funny.  When DS was in jr high he was having lots of problems in school, both academic and behavioral. I prayed and prayed for DH and I to get on the same wavelength about ADD. Not long after, DH made a foolish decision without thinking (one with legal consequences) that resulted in our decision to homeschool him.  It only took a month of homeschooling for DH to decide I just.might.be.right about the ADD thing.

[Mom22ns]

Another undiagnosed ADD adult here. I agree with most of what I have seen. Schedules, lists, check boxes planning... If It isn't planned and scheduled, odds are it will fall to the wayside.

 

The one thing I am different on is printing pdfs. I never print anything. We are nearly paperless. It keeps me from losing things!! If I were dealing with a workbook that kids had to write in, I'd buy it printed because it couldn't get separated and lost then :).

 

I don't find any particular curriculum to be a problem or not. If it comes with a detailed schedule like SL - terrific for me. DIVE science mentioned by someone above is also great for that. However, I can create schedules, checklists, etc for any program. I just have to do it well in advance and in big chunks so that it gets done! 

[mommymilkies]

I have a special made hoop (~$12), and I just hold the book up high while I hoop. It takes a little practice to get it right.

[bobbeym]

I have what is probably ADHD-I, never diagnosed (gifted + youngest in class + stressful home life = "underachiever" label). I have to tell you, two things that make life work around here are

1. Color-code everything, and
2. Write every appointment or time-sensitive task on a big whompin' wall calendar.

FlyLady works for some people... not especially for me, but I've adopted some of the tools (and this year my calendar is hers).

 

My library emails me when books are due in three days, so that helps, too.

 

I can't print/prepare materials the night before... I do a lot at one time (at least a month).

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that color-codes. DH thinks I'm crazy, but it totally works for me. He's hanging up the 10-pocket wall file thingy he wanted today, but hasn't realized that the folders I bought for it match the binders we're using.

 

I have a large white board on the dining room wall that is divided into 5 columns. All weekly events, notes, activities go there.  That sits next to a calendar where anything of monthly importance is noted.  And of course *everything* DS and I have have scheduled go into 2 shared (and color coded) google calendars.

 

I could never get FlyLady to work but I think that's b/c I couldn't get family buy-in for it.  It'd probably work great if I was the one home all day.

[mommymilkies]

I have what is probably ADHD-I, never diagnosed (gifted + youngest in class + stressful home life = "underachiever" label). I have to tell you, two things that make life work around here are

1. Color-code everything, and
2. Write every appointment or time-sensitive task on a big whompin' wall calendar.

/snip

 

I can't print/prepare materials the night before... I do a lot at one time (at least a month).

Color coding is marvelous.  Also, we have a huge whiteboard from Lowe's (just the board material) and we write everything on it.  It's about 5'x10', so we can't miss it.  I also put everything I need to do-even kid baths-on my iCal that syncs to my iPhone, iPad, and iMac.  So no matter where I am, I have that thing beeping off the hook at me to make me do what needs done.

[anabelneri]

I love color-coding too!  We even have color-coded towels so I can keep track of whose is whose. :)

[MistyMountain]

I never been diagnosed but I highly suspect I have it. Reading here is like reading about myself. I am very forgetful. I can't do libraries I need to own the book. If I get library books I lose track of the book or forget to return them or don't finish in time. I stink at organization and can't do a strict schedule but I do good with routine and linking things together. When I was homeschooling or working with my kids I need open and go or else it won't happen. I need something laid out and organized for me or else I will start and not follow through long term. I totally stink at thank you notes. It is way too many steps to be forgotten. I forget to go grocery shopping and when I finally make it I forget some things I was supposed to pick up. I have a hard time making it somewhere on time especially if it isn't part of my usual routine and then I forget something I was suppose to bring. I lose things all the time. I start things but then don't finish or take longer than anticipated because I do other things.

 

Things that help me is writing appointments down on the calendar and using open and go stuff.

[journey00]

I never been diagnosed but I highly suspect I have it. Reading here is like reading about myself. I am very forgetful. I can't do libraries I need to own the book. If I get library books I lose track of the book or forget to return them or don't finish in time. I stink at organization and can't do a strict schedule but I do good with routine and linking things together. When I was homeschooling or working with my kids I need open and go or else it won't happen. I need something laid out and organized for me or else I will start and not follow through long term. I totally stink at thank you notes. It is way too many steps to be forgotten. I forget to go grocery shopping and when I finally make it I forget some things I was supposed to pick up. I have a hard time making it somewhere on time especially if it isn't part of my usual routine and then I forget something I was suppose to bring. I lose things all the time. I start things but then don't finish or take longer than anticipated because I do other things.

 

Things that help me is writing appointments down on the calendar and using open and go stuff.

 

I think we were separated at birth.   ;)

[I.Dup.]

I'm glad this thread is still going. I was going to respond earlier but I got distracted by no less than 50 other things. lol I'm sure a camera in any of our homes would be very humorous indeed. I'm constantly flitting from one thing to the next. It sounds funny, but in reality it has been very hard on our marriage as my dh is the total opposite of ADD. He does not understand my brain at ALL, even after all these years. I don't know why he gets so frustrated with me since I handle everything around the house and manage to do a pretty darn good job of it, but he really gets frustrated by how distract-able I am. :(

 

Anyway, my big wall calendar is my saving grace. I absolutely cannot use a whiteboard because if something accidentally gets erased, it will never be recovered. A calendar is wonderful because I can look back and see the last time things were done (dentist appointments, haircuts, etc) and since it's stuck on the wall, I can't lose it. :lol: If something is REALLY important (a bill that is due within days or something that needs to be dropped off somewhere right away) I will tape a note right at eye level on the front door so we see it anytime we leave the house. Those 2 things are really the only way I can get anything done that isn't *in our home.* I've tried to keep planners and organizers and small calendars that fit in my purse, but those never work for me.

 

Something(s) I am curious about, that I'm wondering if any of you can help me figure out, is:

 

1. I'm actually pretty good with cleaning around the house. When I go to clean, I can get a LOT of cleaning done in a short period of time. The problem is that it would look completely chaotic to anyone watching (like my dh) but there is somewhat of a method to my madness. I am hardly ever behind on laundry because every, single time I see dirty laundry laying around, it gets my attention and I will drop whatever else I am doing (lol) to put a load in if I know we need to. When I use the bathroom, if I notice it needs to be cleaned, I will drop whatever else I am doing to clean it really quickly. This is what most frustrates my dh, he will be in the middle of explaining something to me, or we'll both be working on something, and I will look over and notice the counters are messy so I'll immediately go over and start cleaning the counters. Then I'll notice dirty laundry on the floor so I'll go around and pick that up and put a load in. And on and on. By 30-45 minutes I will have gotten several chores done really quickly, because I'm constantly flitting back and forth to several tasks and completing one thing after another. So I cannot relate that my ADD tendencies hinder my cleaning ability, I think they actually help me in that way. Is anyone else like this? (I am not, FWIW, saying I always have a spotless house, but keeping things clean and laundry done isn't a huge struggle for me)

 

2. I have also found the internet is like a rest for my brain. While watching a long movie is just about torture. Does anyone else experience this? I think with the internet, I find it helpful because I can flit back and forth from subject to subject as fast as I want, I have no less than 3 tabs open at any given time, often many more than that. I love to watch Vine clips for entertainment because they are only 6 seconds long. lol. But yet I can't figure out if the internet is bad for my brain since it goes with it so perfectly, lol, or if I should be trying to stretch myself and focus on things for longer periods of time and forgo the ease of the internet? But like a PP said, a blind person can't be forced to see, so I'm not sure. Either way, the internet "feels" really good to my brain. Often once I am done being on the internet for a good hour or so, I will get up and get a lot of cleaning done. So it's almost like it recharges my brain. The biggest thing that depletes my brain power is handling all of the kids, or going from one task to another during school time, that is much harder than cleaning because I cannot just do it in bits and pieces. So I need to follow a very strict schedule during school time.

 

Also, a PP mentioned getting worse as she aged. I have noticed this in my mother. Her ADD has rendered her almost disabled as she has gotten older. She loses things CONSTANTLY, within seconds of putting them down, she has to have lists everywhere and then loses the lists, it's kindof disconcerting for me to see. :(

[I.Dup.]

Oh! And I meant to post this link that I thought you might enjoy. I have found that losing sleep, esp. waking up several times throughout the night, is VERY hard on me after awhile. I'm so thankful my dh lets me nap and sleep in on the weekends.

 

http://mobile.news.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/duke-university-scientists-find-women-need-more-sleep-than-men/story-fneuz9ev-1226596253113

[mommymilkies]

The Internet is relaxing to me, too. Seriously what a relief to eat, bounce on a ball, listen to a youtube how to video, take a test, and read about Malta, a new grammar program, and a cool band in Iceland at the same time. Im not kidding. That's how I made it through Finite Math. It's perfect for us ADD types. It drives dh nuts that I can't do one thing at a time on the computer.

[bobbeym]

That article is good.  I love having a valid excuse to continue sleeping late on Saturday, not that I needed one.   I tend to suffer from weird bouts of insomnia but I've never been able to find a common cause for them.  This makes me wonder if the ADD contributes to it when my normal sleep schedule gets out of whack.

 

I love the internet. It's my friend.  At the moment I have 9 tabs open and 3 more that always stay pinned.  I have found though that spending more than a couple hours online at a time wears me out more quickly.  Now, I can sit and read online for hours, but that's different b/c I get hyperfocused into the stories.

[beaners]

I have a special made hoop (~$12), and I just hold the book up high while I hoop. It takes a little practice to get it right.

 

What is special about it? Is it the size or is it weighted or some other magic I know nothing about? This idea is fascinating, although I'm not sure we have a place where I could use one inside without hitting the furniture.