The Value of Pets

My daughter’s cat passed away early this morning in his sleep. He hadn’t been sick, so although it was a shock, it was a good way to go.

Even though she is almost 21, my daughter was understandably upset. After all, Leonard had been with her since she was 5 years old.

I think pets can be a valuable part of childhood, and I think that’s especially true for kids with Attention Deficit Disorder.

For my daughter, Leonard was a loving companion who never judged her. He loved her unconditionally. He never cared if her room was a mess, if she got poor grades, or forgot to turn in her homework. He loved her for who she is, and he was never disappointed in her.

As much as we love our children, we still have to administer discipline and punishment at times. Even if you don’t intend it, your kids are going to feel some times as though they have let you down. And chances are, they’ll be right. We’re all human and we all make mistakes.

Pets can fill that need for uncondtional love that we may not completely meet. Sure, we love our kids unconditionally and would do anything for them, but I’m not sure they always know (or feel) that.

Kids with ADD have egos that get beat up a little bit more than most. They’re a little more fragile, though they don’t want anyone to know. Pets can dote on them, and love them, and expect little in return.

To be honest, I was never much of a cat person. Leonard was a good cat, but I can’t say that his passing has affected me in the way that it has my daughter. Still, I will forever be grateful for his existence and the way he loved my almost grown up little girl.

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Homework Review

Do you do a homework review with your ADD child each day? I bet you think you do.

Your idea of a homework review is one question: “Do you have any homework?”

Sorry, but you get about a C- for that answer.

A homework review is valuable for any child, but especially those with Attention Deficit Disorder. A real homework review (that will get you an A and maybe your kid, too) consists of the following:

The question - “Do you have homework?” followed by (regardless of the answer)
An unpacking of the backpack to see what came home and what didn’t
A search for the paper with the assignment on it, whether it’s a paper from the teacher or a note in your child’s notebook or planner
A search for corresponding supplemental items, like textbooks

Ideally, a homework review is done as soon as the child gets home, or if they’re in after school care, as soon as they arrive there. This gives you a better opportunity to get back to school and get whatever your child forgot.

Once you’ve determined that everything is there, you can decide about how much time will be needed and when the homework needs to be started.

A homework review also gives you the chance to straighten up the papers in the backpack, possibly see papers with grades or others that need your attention, and get a general sense of whether your child might be “forgetting” homework at school or failing to hand completed work in.

A daily homework review emphasizes the importance of school work and organization to your child, and teaches them a good habit as well.

Start making a homework review part of your routine. You’ll be glad you did.

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Managing Your Life with ADHD

Lately I’ve been in a creative fever, turning out one thing after another.

Tonight, it’s a new E-book called Managing Your Life with ADHD - Ten Strategies for Organizing Your Time, Your Stuff and Your Life.

This is a completely new book with new material that I wrote today. It has all my best ideas and things that I do to keep my life running smoothly most of the time. It’s written for adults, but could be easily adapted for kids.

In addition to my ideas, I’ve included resources like websites when appropriate. It’s only $5.00 and you can get it here.

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