The Amazing ADHD Child — Allowing Them to Be Themselves
By Peggy Gomula, PCI Certified Parent Coach®
“Kids with ADHD deserve time to just be themselves.
They’ll amaze you.”
- adderworldcom
For a child who has ADHD, life is pretty tough. It seems as though everyone is always asking them to change (for example, their teacher always wants them to sit quietly in their seat without moving).
According to Michael S. Jellinek (Clinical Psychiatry News), “In school alone, a child could receive 20,000 corrections or negative comments by the time he or she is 10.” That number does not include parents who are always telling them to slow down, stop fidgeting, or get their homework finished. Add in coaches, tutors, and even strangers, and that number is even higher. All day they hear people asking them to change.
When do they get to be themselves? When can they act the way their brain is telling them to act?
Having raised three daughters with ADHD, I know this is not easy. I know how hard it is to live with all of the continuous talking, impulsivity, noise, and constant movement going on around you. I get it, I really do. But I also get that children with ADHD are not like other children, and they never will be. They are not the docile, obedient child that you sometimes see and/or possibly wish you had. They are not the child that sits quietly and waits patiently.
They are THE MOST amazing, creative, fun, lively, energetic, eager, sensitive, and curious children that you are privileged to nurture and raise. Children who have ADHD are truly amazing. They will keep you on your toes and help you to grow in ways you never thought possible, and raising them will be immensely rewarding.
So... it may not be an easy road, but it is never dull and often really fun. I am forever grateful that I was able to travel this road. I wish you all “Happy Travels” with your child!
Have some fun today!
Peggy
Peggy provides parent coaching services both in-person and online. She specializes in helping families navigate the challenges of ADHD.