So, there is something that I have noticed about being the mother of a child with severe ADHD: Once they get off schedule, and it's been several days that they've been off that schedule, it is harder than HECK to get them back into the groove of things. The Monk has been off of a regular schedule for about 3 weeks now (we had to help my family move and things have just been plain hectic), so I tried to get him back into some sort of semblance of routine today and he is fighting me tooth and nail. I figured that I would practice having a routine now, during the summer, when I can make any adjustments that might be necessary. Of course, this is not going like I had planned or hoped. He is resisting any sort of routine or structure, which is odd because he does better with a schedule. Which is why I really had a hard time getting him off of his routine.
I've researched this before and I know that kids with ADHD need structure, and having that messed with can lead to changes in behavior and attitude. The Monk has been really snarky and difficult because of our lack of routine, often throwing tantrums and giving attitude. This really stresses me out. So, in order to get us back into a schedule, I thought that we could start our day with breakfast and then move right into doing some practice schoolwork. That so didn't happen. Since his medication takes about an hour to kick in, moving him right into the classroom isn't going to work (which is making me rethink how I have our homeschooling day structured). He needs some time to burn on his early morning energy. So, after having a battle royale of being in the classroom, we moved into chores (which caused me some anxiety, because once I have the idea of how something should go, then that is how I expect it EXACTLY to go - a little OCD, I know). This seemed to help actually. He was able to get some of his energy released and it allowed time for his medication to set in so that he could better concentrate.
Now we are finally in the classroom, getting just a few worksheets done (not nearly as much as I had hoped, but then, I'm probably setting my expectations too high for both him and myself), and although there is still some whining and reluctance, we are getting back into the swing of things (albeit, slowly, very, very slowly).
I've researched this before and I know that kids with ADHD need structure, and having that messed with can lead to changes in behavior and attitude. The Monk has been really snarky and difficult because of our lack of routine, often throwing tantrums and giving attitude. This really stresses me out. So, in order to get us back into a schedule, I thought that we could start our day with breakfast and then move right into doing some practice schoolwork. That so didn't happen. Since his medication takes about an hour to kick in, moving him right into the classroom isn't going to work (which is making me rethink how I have our homeschooling day structured). He needs some time to burn on his early morning energy. So, after having a battle royale of being in the classroom, we moved into chores (which caused me some anxiety, because once I have the idea of how something should go, then that is how I expect it EXACTLY to go - a little OCD, I know). This seemed to help actually. He was able to get some of his energy released and it allowed time for his medication to set in so that he could better concentrate.
Now we are finally in the classroom, getting just a few worksheets done (not nearly as much as I had hoped, but then, I'm probably setting my expectations too high for both him and myself), and although there is still some whining and reluctance, we are getting back into the swing of things (albeit, slowly, very, very slowly).
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