The Possum Chronicles: Walk a Mile in My… Where Are My Shoes?
ADHD Moment o’ the Morn: The bus is coming down the road. Dad says, “Put your shoes on, please, we need to be outside now.” Possum starts to put the first shoe on.
* * *
We’ve learned that when we ask our 8-year-old to do something, it’s best to watch and make sure she actually starts doing it before we turn to other things. This is because there are many distractions between each step of picking up the toothbrush, picking up the toothpaste, walking to the kitchen sink… something on the counter, a bird singing outside, the noise from the icemaker that means it’s about to dump the ice into the bin, an event more heralded and entertaining than the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace.
Over the years, we’ve come up with little interventions that help to minimize — if not prevent –distractions. For example, Possum has two sets of toothbrush and toothpaste: one in the upstairs bathroom and one downstairs in the kitchen. Also, I get her clothes ready during the excruciating process of getting her out of bed and into her bathrobe, and bring the clothes downstairs with us. Why? So she doesn’t have to go upstairs and back downstairs after breakfast. Because there are many potential distractions between each step of walking out of the kitchen, walking through the living room to the steps, walking up the steps… Something like, “Run upstairs and get dressed, please, and then come right back down” is just asking for trouble; “Go get dressed” is pure fantasy.
* * *
Dad turns to get her coat and then turns back. It isn’t necessarily a surprise that she has one shoe on and is peering into the icemaker.
“Possum, put your other shoe on!”
“One minute!”
Dad leans back and exclaims unto heaven, “THERE ARE NO MORE MINUTES!”
* * *
Bonus: ADHD Redirection o’ the Morn: “OK: please lift your hands off of the dog.”
Filed under: ADHD, The Possum Chronicles | 2 Comments
Tags: The Possum Chronicles: Walk a Mile in My... Where are My Shoes?
Sub-urbane... so close to cool. 
i am so glad you are writing these regularly again. entertaining but painful at the same time. hang in there.
This one was definitely entertaining — sometimes it’s laugh or cry, and this morning was laugh, all the way. (Hope you’re well!!)