The ADDEdge Family Focus Issue 4

Good Day! Hope all is going well and you've been able to implement the tips from the last three newsletters to make a difference in your life. This week's newsletter will have a slightly different format, designed to share more information in an easier way for you to take advantage of it. Please let me know what you think of the new design.

TheADDEdge.com Tip #4
People, children or adults, with ADHD are perfectionists. Now, this fact came as a HUGE surprise to me, one that I argued with and refused to believe for quite a while, until I talked with my daughters. You see, I watch this beautiful, strong, intelligent child scraping by in school and life and figure she simply doesn't care. It never occurred to me that she did care, and it was simply easier to swallow that she didn't do well because she didn't try, rather than she wasn't able.

Oh man! Now that made sense. How many of us, when we think back, remember trying to act cool when we goofed? Well, it's kind of the same response, just more intense (not surprising when dealing with ADHD).

So, this tip actually relates back to tip #2 to some extent. If you remember that was to give yourself a break. So this week, give your kids a break. Now this DOESN'T mean to let them off the hook and have no rules. In fact, as we'll discuss in a later issue, rules are important. What it does mean is to remember they want to do well. But more than that, they don't want to fail!

I'll tell you what. This piece of information has made an enormous difference for me. It has helped me to be less frustrated and more sympathetic to my kids. It has helped make sense of their behaviors that before this made me scratch my head in confusion. And, most importantly, it has made the number of arguments in this household far less frequent.

So, that is this week's tip, Give Your Kids A Break. Just try to remember where they are coming from, don't lower your expectations, just lower your frustration level when the expectations aren't met. Your kids are already feeling bad enough about letting you down, another topic we'll tackle later on.

Until next week, take care and stay calm!

Recommendation of the week
For a ton of great product ideas, visit http://www.theadhdmall.com/. There you will find products to help you with anything ADHD related, from organizational tools for you to toys for the kids to help entertain, educate and occupy them. Visit them today for additional ideas and helps around the house!

Organizing Tip Of The Week
Today, take 5 minutes and get rid of all shower items you haven't used in more than a month. We all tend to get stuff, open it once and forget about it or decide we don't like it. Somehow though we forget to discard it. Now is the time. Simply complete the task of getting rid of any shower items you don't use. You can move them into the guest bath (you never know what your surprise guest will have forgotten to bring) or transfer partially used bottles into travel containers. Barring that you can donate unused items and throw away already opened containers. However you decide to clear the shower clutter, just don't stop until you've completed this one task, then enjoy a calm and clutter free shower!

e-Class Beginning Soon
There is a new, FREE eClass currently being offered ($47 value). Simply visit the site, http://www.theaddedge.com/free_eclass.htm and sign up! You will get fantastic information, learn a lot, and gain a greater understanding for ADHD. Don't miss this opportunity!

Parenting Tip of the Week
Ask kids to clip and organize coupons for grocery shopping. This will allow them an outlet for organizing, one that doesn't have a lot of consequences like school, and help them understand the cost of living. This is a great activity that works for any age group and will allow you something to teach your kids but give them some control too. You may be surprised at the coupons they cut out!

Tracy Hoobyar is a personal trainer for academic, personal and professional excellence for people with ADHD, and those who love them. After graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in Psychology and working with children as a substitute teacher and volunteer, she learned what an incredibly widespread problem ADHD can be. Through her training in NLP, Psychology, and her experiences working with all these children, she has finally developed a unique yet effective program to help those living with ADHD. She blogs about various parenting issues affecting all those concerned and she is a frequent guest blogger on Sew Cute’s blog. Learn more by visiting www.ADDvantageForLife.com