In this blog post, I hope to help you shift your perspective and begin to see ADHD as a gift. The very label Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has such negative connotations doesn’t it? When you think about it, it’s terrible… imagine having this label slapped onto you and feeling good about it! It’s neither wonder that many kids labeled as ADHD have a fragile self-esteem. Author Lara Honos-Webb Ph.D. immediately draws the reader’s attention to this in her wonderful book, The Gift Of ADHD. When there is an associated notion that there is a disorder or deficit, that something is lacking, it can seriously undermine a child’s self-esteem. In all reality, I do not see ADHD as a deficit of attention but more of a challenge with the ability to prioritize attention. In fact, the kids I have met with ADHD often have a form of hyper-focus, albeit, usually when inspired and motivated by something they love doing!   The prime focus of this book is to help you parent in such a way as to help your child and prevent any associated negativity from undermining their sense of self and self-esteem. This is a critical part of parenting kids …Read more →

Parenting is hard enough at the best of times. But, with the additional challenges that come with diagnoses such as ADHD, anxiety and learning challenges, it can be overwhelming. In this blog post, I share with you 7 steps you can take to support yourself on your journey. When you support yourself and meet your needs, you are better able to meet your child’s needs. As a result, despite the very best of intentions, you can very quickly and easily run yourself into the ground. It is all too easy to lose sight of yourself in it all and forget about what you might need. Take it from Helen, whose story I share here. When was the last time you thought about what you need and given it to yourself? The truth is this: as much as you think it might be selfish to take care of yourself and support yourself, you need to recognize it for what it is: it is selfish not to take care of yourself. It will help you so much to start viewing it through this lens. It is selfish for children to have a mom who doesn’t honour her needs and do what she …Read more →

The Vital Piece Over-Looked By Parents When Parenting A Child With ADHD Do you have a child with ADHD? In this rich, brave and courageous story, Helen shares with us the things she experienced, the lessons she learned and the vital piece she had over-looked when parenting her son with ADHD. This is key in knowing how to parent a child with ADHD. From Helen: Our ADHD Roller Coaster Ride Looking back, it was when our son moved into Grade 6 that we started seeing a change in him. I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly but over the course of the year, it became clear to us that he was struggling. His marks started dropping but it was his changing attitude that bothered us more. Granted there were now tweeny / teenage hormones rearing their ugly heads but it was more than this. We saw a bit of anxiety but he was very dismissive of it and any help or conversations around it. His attitude was just so out of character. He was certainly not the same boy that we had raised in the earlier years. At times my husband and I would just look at each other …Read more →