Things I Know

Lessons in Life from an ADD Child

Lynn Harris sent this to me. I LOVE it... and I hope you do too. Thanks Lynn.

Boy, there are thousands of books out there on parenting, all the experts have great ideas and wonderful helpful hints. I know because I have read hundreds of them. I have learned valuable lessons from them, lessons that have really helped mebut then I have also learned things from my sons that none of these books ever told me and it is a few of these things I would like to share with you because I feel they are important things to know..Things I learned from my ADHD Child that no expert ever told me.I know that

There is no such thing as child-proofing your house.
If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades they can ignite.
A 4 year old's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Pound Puppy underwear and a Superman cape,
-- it is strong enough however, to spread paint patterns on all four walls of a 20 by 20 foot room.
Baseballs make marks on ceilings.
You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on.
When using a ceiling fan as a bat you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit.
A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
The glass in windows doesn’t stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
When you hear the toilet flush and the words uh-oh it is already too late.
Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke and lots of it.
A six year old can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36 year old man says they can only do it in movies.
A magnifying glass can also light a fire on an overcast day.
If you use a waterbed as home plate while wearing baseball shoes it does not leak-- it explodes.
A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 4,000 square foot house 2 inches deep.
If you jump off a three foot railing even in a pail you can still get hurt.
Legos will pass through the digestive track of a four year old.
Duplos will not.
Play Dough and microwave should never be said in the same sentence.
Super Glue is forever.
Super Glue remover... does not.
McGyver can teach us things we don’t want to know.
Ditto Tarzan.
No matter how much Jell-O you put in a pool you still cannot walk on top of the water.
Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
VCR’s do not eject PB & J sandwiches.
Garbage bags do not make good parachutes from roofs or trees.
Marbles in the gas tank make lots of noise when driving.
Things can live and thrive in backpacks.
You do not want to know what that odor is.
There is no such thing as socks with no bumps.
Always look in the oven before you turn it on.
The fire department in our town has a three and a half minute response time.
You should never do a Science Fair project without telling your parents.
Some science projects can be dangerous.
Some science projects you do not want to know about.
The spin cycle in the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
If you laugh while you are yelling no one is scared.
Quiet does not necessarily mean don’t worry.
I also have learned that paint can fix lots of things,
understanding repair men give frequent flyer miles,
and a sense of humor will get you through a lot of things nothing else can.

Some of the harder lessons are also there, some people don't understand, some classrooms will never work, no matter how much we want to protect them there are some painful lessons they have to learn on their own. And I know one of my most important jobs as a parent is to see them reach their adulthood with their spirit intact. Who knows maybe that thing growing in the bucket in the bathtub IS a cure for cancer or that drawing on the wall is great art, but whether it is or isn't doesn't matter because I am certainly richer for it.

I know the world will be a better place because my wonderful sons are in it.