ADD and mornings

Checklists. We have checklists in the bathroom and by the exit door. DD has a checklist posted in her bedroom.

 

Prepare most of what he needs the day before when the meds are still in effect - lay out clothes (including opening zippers, unbuttoned buttons, and untied shoes) - decide what is for lunch (pack it, if possible) - and even agree on what is for breakfast.

 

We set a timer (my iphone) that goes off periodically during the morning. By 5am, X needs to be done. By 5:15am, Y needs to be done. By 5:20am, we really need to stop Y or we'll be late. The whole house operate on that darn alarm system. I'll even turn off one alarm unconsciously then the next alarm comes on and I'll be all upset, "How did it get to be that time!?!?! What happened to the alarm before it." Hubby or DD will reply, "I heard it." Okay, good because obviously some mornings I'm still asleep.

My DD has ADD and we had a horrible time with her in the morning. I didn't really blame it on the ADD though, but more just the fact she's not a morning person personality. She's always hard to wake up and get up in the morning. I know other people with ADD kids who wake up perky and cheery in the morning. So it could be the ADD, or it could just be her personality. I have no advice. My DD just graduated college and is STILL a pill to get up.

The dr. told us that it is very common for children with ADD to have a hard time getting going in the mornings, so you aren't alone.  The "magic trick" for us was when I moved his shower time to the mornings.  I get him up ten minutes earlier now than he was before, and BEFORE I go get him, I turn the shower on.  Every single morning (for over a year now!), I go in and tell him good morning, the shower is running, and if he doesn't want the hot to run out, he better get moving.  Now there is no way the hot will run out...but he gets right up and right in.  And once he gets out...he is a new child!!!  It has been WONDERFUL.  When I realized my dh was letting him skip church on Sunday mornings because of not getting up, I told HIM what I do at home....and it worked there, too.  It is AWESOME to be able to ENJOY my child before school and not feel like I just went to war with him every morning.

Our biggest problem in the morning is making sure ds keeps his hands to himself and is not bothering the other two. I have found just being pretty rigid with the schedule does help. I make sure as soon as he is up i'm getting him breakfast so he can eat then take his pill. once thats in his system for about 15 min we don't have many issues. If he is really out  of control I will tell him you either keep to yourself or you get your pill before you eat and he does not like to take it on an empty stomach so it's usually not an issue.

I had a kid that we would wake up thirty minutes early just to give him his medication. Did wonders.