Eighteen Amazing Years as an ADHD Homeschooling Mother
Let’s be honest. My ADHD diagnosis is a gift to my homeschooled kids. As the primary educator of my children, who also have a diagnosis of ADHD, I understand this claim sounds crazy. Hear me out.
Homeschooling a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder comes with many unique and exciting challenges. A person with ADHD has difficulties in planning, maintaining focus, and executing tasks. This is due to a developmental impairment of the brain’s self-management system.
Homeschooling your child who struggles with the frustrating symptoms of ADHD provides opportunities to work with and not against the symptoms.
According to ADDitude Magzine, ADHD directly impacts 11% of children and 5% of adults in America. Attention Deficit Disorder is not a learning disability. It is not a behavior disorder. It is not a mental illness. Not all people with this disorder choose to use medication to control their symptoms. Some prefer a natural approach. I have tried both approaches to treating my own ADHD and help my children with their diagnosis.
I am a mother with ADHD. I’m convinced my children inherited my superpower. I have been home educating my ADHD children for the last 18 years.
Homeschooling a child with ADHD, while you also have ADHD, is a challenge but it is not impossible. It is an adventure! Challenges always abound in parenting- regardless of the child’s struggles.
I am a daydreamer. Females with ADD or ADHD often go undiagnosed or classified as daydreamers, creative, or spacey. I often found myself either staring out the window or making up a story in my imagination. If my mind was present in the classroom, I overcompensated for my lack of attention.
I had to pay close attention in school, a term known in the ADHD world as hyperfocus. Exhausted at the end of each school day, I then had homework to fight through. I made good grades, behaved well in class, and had friends. Yet I was struggling and tired. I became an undiagnosed, frustrated teen working too hard at tasks that were manageable to my classmates. I earned academic scholarships to the college of my choice despite my challenges.
Diagnosed in college, my prescription was a stimulant medication. I noticed a dramatic difference in my outlook on life. My grades improved, although they were already good. I did not have to work so hard to focus. I was no longer frustrated by my inability to focus. I had the energy and time to do exactly what school required and also maintain a job. After college, I chose to stop the medication for a while.
Until my firstborn was about 6 months old, I did not need the meds. Once my child was mobile, things began to fall apart mentally for me. I was unable to juggle my own needs and the needs of another human. Adderall entered my life again for 2 years. I do not like the way meds make me feel, but I know there are times that they are vital.
Stimulant medicine made me a worse insomniac than ever before. Generally speaking, people with ADHD are not wonderful sleepers. In my opinion, it is simply because our brain will not shut up. As a mother, I found myself in a place where I needed to sleep more than I did to focus. I had learned many loopholes and tricks to help me remember and keep my focus on what was most important.
When presented with a problem, ADHD children tend to either hyperfocus (I call this my superpower) or shut down. I never want a child to shut down while learning. I know the feeling of overwhelming confusion. The “where do I even start tackling this problem” feeling is unpleasant for anyone. For ADHD-ers, it is terrifying to feel that out of control. At the frustration level, we start guessing and not thinking. On the other end of the spectrum of symptoms, hyperfocus can be both a blessing and a curse.
We who rely on hyperfocus do not transition easily. I have to set many alarms to remember to stop for meals, take breaks, and even wind down my writing at the end of the day. It is absolutely necessary to give people with ADHD ample time to prepare for what is coming next.
Whether getting ready to leave, move on to another subject, or even stop learning for the day — we need reminders. More than one. Yet, hyper-focusing can lead to much productivity if channeled properly.
As a mother, homeschool teacher, and full-time writer, hyperfocus is essential to my success. Earplugs help — I can still hear the kids, but we don’t distract each other.
I never regret the extra time I spend explaining a concept to my children. I enjoy the challenge of explaining concepts in random ways! I will do almost anything to witness the lightbulb of understanding click on from my “out of the box” thinking kids. As an ADHD mama, the lightbulb moment is addictive in the best possible way.
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