Those cards? Those amusing ADHD jokes? Using this forum to let the world know I’ve had enough.This card here? NOT FUNNY. I keep seeing it and similar cards on my facebook and it’s not amusing, very insulting and frustrating to those of us with ADHD children. It’s victim-blaming (because we’re irresponsible parents) and invalidates our daily struggles with our children.
My child doesn’t “get up” for school. I have to coax him, give him his breakfast and get meds down his throat. Do you know what happens when he doesn’t get his meds? His teachers call and if I’m LUCKY, he goes into the special ed program. Otherwise, I have to pick him up from school and pay a babysitter to go back to work. He runs around, hits, kicks, he once pulled a chair out from under a child because he thought it was “funny”. Trust me, this isn’t something we teach him, or take lightly. When he gets home if he’s being disciplined, he’ll yell and strike out. I’ve had to unplug television, computers, and put him in his room, holding the door because he’ll run right out again. Time outs don’t work because he literally WON’T stay put. What is your answer now? What should I do? When he’s climbing the fridge to get the cookies I told him he couldn’t have? When he’s dragging the cat across the house by the tail? And spank him? Really?? What do you do when he hits you back, hmmm? Anything further than that is abuse. And yes, trust me, we’ve had CPS called on us before, that child will also run outside and down the street, has been doing that since he was three. And how am I to keep my eye on him 24/7? Because I’ll eventually need to go to the bathroom, wash dishes, cook meals, take the dog out, what should I do then?
And this one?? SERIOUSLY?? Again, my child runs UP THE STREET. We’ve had the police called on us two or three times, because he’s got himself round the corner and while searching for him, my finger on ‘911’, here come the police just as my child rounds the corner, finally responding to his name. Oh he’s outside all the time, thank you. And television? He watches 20 minutes at a time. Then goes off to do something else, like shaving the cat or building the entire New York skyline in legos. There’s no in-between with him. The stereotype that we don’t do anything with our children is really getting fucking old. So stop it, or you’ll get the chance to prove your ‘discipline theories’ up close and personal when I drop off my child to your house for the weekend.
unmedicated.
So knock it off. I get that ADHD can be over-diagnosed but dear lord, not in this case, ok? And I’m tired of feeling guilty and I’m tired of being nice about it. Don’t assume shit about someone. Don’t be a dick.
Mimis Venom and Honey ® 