...sitting with ADHD boy's daughter on my lap yesterday, I felt the value of my diagnosis.
She sat on my lap, facing me, popping her cherry lollypop into her mouth, sucking on it, eyes scanning the room, popping it out of her mouth, sticking it on the end of my nose, then back into her mouth...over and over and over and says: "Daddy and Mumma told me I have something with my brain. I guess it makes it so your brain works differently and you have a harder time focusing on things and concentrating and uh, stuff like that...". Pause.
"Oh?" I say.
"Yep."
Lollypop goes back in mouth. Pops the lollypop back out of her mouth, sticks it on my nose again:
"I guess Daddy has it too."
"Yeah, he does," I reply. "Do you know who else does?".
Lollypop audibly re-appears. "Who!?".
"Me! I do."
"REALLY!?"
"Yep. Really."
She inspects me sternly and carefully, lollipop twirling behind her lips...then smiles...and sticks the lollypop back on the end of my nose. Then attempts to jettison herself backward off of my lap with the lollipop back in her mouth. I grab her hands and remind her that gymnastics and lollipops just don't mix.
Even an ADHDer should only attempt doing just so many things at one time...
She removes the lollipop and resumes her contemplation, upside down.
She sat on my lap, facing me, popping her cherry lollypop into her mouth, sucking on it, eyes scanning the room, popping it out of her mouth, sticking it on the end of my nose, then back into her mouth...over and over and over and says: "Daddy and Mumma told me I have something with my brain. I guess it makes it so your brain works differently and you have a harder time focusing on things and concentrating and uh, stuff like that...". Pause.
"Oh?" I say.
"Yep."
Lollypop goes back in mouth. Pops the lollypop back out of her mouth, sticks it on my nose again:
"I guess Daddy has it too."
"Yeah, he does," I reply. "Do you know who else does?".
Lollypop audibly re-appears. "Who!?".
"Me! I do."
"REALLY!?"
"Yep. Really."
She inspects me sternly and carefully, lollipop twirling behind her lips...then smiles...and sticks the lollypop back on the end of my nose. Then attempts to jettison herself backward off of my lap with the lollipop back in her mouth. I grab her hands and remind her that gymnastics and lollipops just don't mix.
Even an ADHDer should only attempt doing just so many things at one time...
She removes the lollipop and resumes her contemplation, upside down.
I don't know which is harder. Having grown up with ADD myself, or watching my son grow up with it. At least he did not have to wait until age 36 to get the medicine he needed. He is 7 and got diagnosed last year. So did I, but I had to wait 30 years.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? I think about that a lot. Neither myself nor the unfortunately nicknamed ADHD boy were diagnosed as children. But here's his daughter getting a diagnosis so young. I don't really know which is "better". I just have a feeling it will be beneficial to her to know that there are grownups that are "like her" that are smart, interesting people, people that she can share her ADHD experiences with who will be able to relate. Definitely a time where coming out of the ADHD closet was, I think, totally worthwhile.
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