No amount of medicine can help with the anxiousness I feel every day.
When you start seeing signs of ADHD and the restlessness of pre-teen hormones, my first instinct as a mom is to do everything. I’ve found myself enrolling her in everything I can—violin, taekwondo, singing, and art lessons. My heart tells me that if I keep her hands and mind busy, maybe the noise in her head will quiet down. I want her to have every tool possible to navigate the world.
But here is the part I don't always share: I am not a perfect mother. Even with the best intentions and all the lessons in the world, there are days when the pre-teen attitude hits a wall, and that wall is my own patience. Because I’m tired & worried I easily get irritated. I snap & lose my cool.
Then comes the "Mom Guilt." I look at her and realize she’s just trying to figure out her changing body and brain, and I’m just trying to figure out how to lead her.
Lately, I’ve been seeing signs that point toward ADHD—the struggle to stay focused.
ASD + ADHD? It's a lot to carry. How do I protect her confidence when she’s frustrated with herself?
One thing I’ve learned in our journey together is that we are both learning. When Milly’s mind is noisy and my patience is thin, we turn back to the basics. We keep quiet, stop talking & just allow ourselves to be where there’s no pressure to be perfect. I am learning to be the calm in her storm, even when I’m still learning how to calm my own.
So here’s my message
To the moms who are enrolling their kids in everything to help them cope, and to the moms who still lose their temper at the end of a long day... I see you.