What They Need To Know

Our school recently sent home an email asking parents to list the skills that were important for a child to know before graduating from high school - and not just academic things. Among other things, I listed: balancing a checkbook, changing a diaper, basic car/home maintenance, filling out a tax return. I started early teaching my boys life skills. At age three, they could make a sandwich. At five, they could use the stove - with supervision. When they were in 5th grade, they were introduced to the iron without supervision. My husband has taught our boys how to change the oil and jumpstart a car. He's helped them to replace a plug and install a smoke detector. And yesterday, I kid you not, he spent about 15 minutes talking one of our boys through how to change a lightbulb...Actually, it was a turning signal bulb that was stuck. It broke while our boy was trying to unscrew it, and then it broke.

What do you think? Beyond Algebra and the Electoral College, what life skills are you teaching your children? I'll be posting reader responses on Monday.


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Getting An ADHD Child Started

In your quest toward homework independence, your child might just need a jump start. When she begins a subject, do the first problem or two with her, or help write that first sentence, or have her read the first paragraph aloud. It's like riding a bike - sometimes you just need a push-off. Just a little hint to get you started.

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Those Stress Balls for ADHD are...Balls

Another mom wrote: "My son has inattentive ADHD. His teacher at school has had success with the ADHD kids in her room handling stress balls that they can manipulate while doing their work or thinking. Unfortunately the stress balls are just that...balls that lend themselves well to being thrown. Do you have any tips or advice on what works well or better than stress balls and where to find such items?"

My first thought was to get a stress ball attached to a keychain so you could tether it to the desk, or at least a non-rolling squishy. I then remembered a teacher telling how she attached Velcro to the underside of the desk, so the kids could feel it while trying to pay attention. I also found a couple of other products that might fit the bill, the molecule balls and the spiky gloves to the right. I'll bet there's a product idea here for some enterprising young ADHD'er: affordable stress balls or tactile stimulators that stick to the desk. If any of you have ideas and experience, please let me know so I can pass it along to other parents.


This mom's question arose from the article in the last newsletter about the ball chairs and wiggle cushions. Although readers have had success with the cushions, noone responded about the ball chairs - except one mom named Ann, who wanted one for her office!

The links to those items are here again, in case you want to give it a go for your child at school - or at home. The cushions are great for homework, but also for the dinner table. And if you're like Ann, and the ball chair appeals to you, maybe you could ask for one in your stocking!



Visit our website at www.goaskmom.com.

I Get By With a Little Help from My Mom

A reader writes, "It is so good to know I am not the only mom of an ADD child who sometimes get exasperated with their lack of following process (with predictable chaotic results)!

But there are those rewarding moments. This morning, I took time off work to go with my son to the high school counselor's office to ensure that he was signed up for the mandatory classes he needed for next trimester. He argued with me all the way to school, that I was treating him like a 5 year old, that he was completely on top of this, that he had already coordinated. I calmly replied - good, if that's true, this appoinment should only take 5 minutes. Of course, when we got there, I discovered that my son's schedule was completely messed up...The counselor worked with us for a good thirty minutes, changing around three classes to accommodate my son's late-entry into a required US History class.

As we left the counselor's office, my son grinned sheepishly at me and said, "Thanks, Mom. I guess I did need a little help from you."

Sometimes It's Not My Problem

Yesterday, one of our sons was late to work. He neglected to follow the advice - no, the law - I have given him and his brothers from the time they were in Kindergarten. "Get your stuff out the night before." My son waited until one hour before he was supposed to start waiting tables to look for his work shirt. When he found it, it was in the bottom of the laundry with ink stains, and had to be washed, dried and ironed. He was highly frustrated, but had the grace to tell me, "It's not your problem."

He's darn tootin' it wasn't my problem. I have told them until I'm blue in the face. Get out your socks, your shoes, your shin guards, your index cards, your lunch money, your underwear and for Heaven's sake your Pomodoros Italian Restaurant work shirt the night before! If you do, we'll all work together to find whatever is missing, dirty, or yet unpurchased. If you wait until the morning - well, "It's not my problem." My boys have gone to school without coats, missing projects, wearing dirty socks and/or borrowed underwear, simply because they didn't plan the night before. I'm not trying to be unmerciful.* I'm just trying to get my boys prepared for life. So that maybe, just maybe, when they grow up, they wont' be late to work because their uniform is dirty. Or, maybe not.


But at least I can say, "It's not my problem." And then wallow in mounds of guilt, while still knowing I'm teaching a life lesson by not being a helicopter parent...


*Disclaimer: Actually, being unmerciful doesn't require effort on my part, I'm sorry to say. My boys have accused me of having the gift of no mercy. So I am happy to report that I did participate in the discovery and cleaning of the errant shirt. Or my son would have been a whole lot later than he already was. I get a nice mommy award.


Visit our websites at http://www.goaskmom.com.

Paying Attention is a Balancing Act

In their quest to pay attention, ADHD kids are often fidgety. They have all those annoying habits, like tapping their pencil, chewing on their pigtails, shaking their leg, picking at scabs, or doodling. One of our boys' teachers combatted his fidgets by simply letting him stand up. Other teachers have found the benefit of letting kids sit on a cushion, or even on one of those ball chairs. I read an article this morning in the Star Tribune about a middle school classroom that is completely outfitted with these bouncy chairs. I know that they are useful for schools (and offices), but have any of you ever tried them in the home setting?



Visit our website at Who Put the Ketchup in the Medicine Cabinet?.

AD/HD Fun, Fun, Fun

Older children who have come to terms with their ADHD often wear it like a badge. Or a t-shirt. Check out the talent on this wonderful YouTube video - and notice the t-shirt! (You can buy that shirt on Amazon.com.) This ADHD kid is embracing life, including his ADHD...

And take a look at this Facebook status from our son Ron...and the ensuing comments:
"Ron wonders why God gave him add. 3:21pm - 8 Comments"

CR at 4:14pm November 18: so that you and i could be friends! thats why!

Ron at 4:17pm November 18: lol that's reasonable hahaha ;)

KL at 4:31pm November 18: because life would be boring without

Ash (the little brother) at 4:34pm November 18: so you wouldnt be better than me at everything!

Ron at 4:36pm November 18: too late for that. i already am bahaha

Ash at 4:49pm November 18: i was better than you... once

CB at 7:28pm November 18: you could just as easily been given minus, don't fret too much

SS at 8:43pm November 18: to play ping pong with me. duh.

And although I enjoyed this lively exchange, I so wish these kids would use punctuation and capital letters...What was that thing I wrote in that earlier post about going back to the basics...




Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.

Books for Adults with ADHD

Here are some great books for Adults with ADHD. Ask for them on your Christmas list!

ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life - A good response to the needs of adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It deals directly and exclusively with the greatest challenge that adults with ADHD face: the problem of disorganization.

Moms with ADD: A Self-Help Manual - Chapters on juggling, dealing with school, work, and holidays. Some really good ideas are presented, but even with all the strategies included, I found this book hard to read. It seems to try a bit to hard.

Out of the Fog: Treatment Options and Coping Strategies for Adult Attention Deficit Disorders - This is an informative first read for adults who have - or suspect they have - ADHD.

Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD: Beyond Piles, Palms, & Post-its - Just the title of this book is an enticement to read. The author touts her book by saying, "Many AD/HD adults have lived for years in shame, depressed that they can't do what for others seem to be such simple things. This book fills the void by offering concrete solutions to daily problems, submitted by AD/HD women for AD/HD women." Amen. A wonderful book with hundreds of ways to help. Like, leave the door open to your microwave when you're not using it so you'll remember to take what is in it out. (Who's been there?!) I also love all the Beatles references in the book...

Chapter samples:
Strawberry Fields: Meals and Entertaining
We Can Work it Out: Relationships and Social Skills
Come Together: Parenting and Family
Taxman: Managing Finances
I’ve Just Seen a Face (But I Can’t for the Life of Me Remember the Name): Memory Tips
Revolution: Technology

Missing the Basics

Teachers and parents often work so diligently on a skill with a child that the child appears to 'get' it. Sometimes, however, the understanding is only temporary. This could be that the material is so fresh in their minds that they are able to perform well on a test. But the knowledge hasn't 'taken root', and is soon forgotten.

Keep an eye on your child as school progresses. If she is having trouble with mental math, maybe she passed - but never fully understood her basic math facts. If he can't conjugate French verbs, check and see if he really understood the basic grammar taught in grade five. If not, go back to the basics, and review and relearn. Chances are, your child will have caught up developmentally, and this time it will stick.

One of our sons never really learned to write well. I KNOW he was taught well. I know he was able to follow the formula and satisfy the rubric all through elementary school and middle school. When he got to high school, however, the teachers upshifted to more advanced things. And he wasn't grounded enough in the basics to keep up. Add to that a bit of a processing disorder, and you've got problems.

So, we're having to go back to the basics. We're hiring a writing tutor, someone who has the knowledge and the patience to help a child who has good ideas, but can't get them out of his head and onto the paper in an organized and grammatically correct fashion. And hopefully, this time it will stick with him.

Check Your Calendar - Busy Times Ahead

With Christmas coming, it's a good idea to start eyeing your calendar now. Even without the busy-ness of the Holiday Season, there are days in the week that are more busy than others, because of sports or Scouts or church or music lessons or whatever. Wednesdays are always slam full at our house. Keep this in mind when scheduling appointments. Try to sandwich the full days in between two days that are less busy. On these days, try to work ahead a bit in homework. If you have a project coming up, and you're trying to do a little bit each day, leave that 'busy' day out of the schedule. On those frenetic days, make a conscious effort to do some studying while you drive - reviewing spelling words, history facts or multiplication tables. And finally, resist the temptation to do fast food and snacks. Throw fruit or cheese or veggies into a bag and let your kids munch on that. Make peanut butter sandwiches or do a crockpot meal when you get home.


And yes, we have weeks in our lives when every day is too busy...sometimes all we can do is hang on and try not to fall off!

Organizing Homework - For Kids Who Lack The Gift of Organization

Keeping homework organized for school is such a major challenge for kids with ADHD. They lose it, mix it up, remember things that don't exist, ruin it, and are sure they put it "right there"...We've discovered a few top ideas that help even the worst ADHD offenders.

Color Code - At the beginning of the year, each subject gets a color, and the notebook and folder for that subject stay the same throughout. Actually in our house, every year, math is green (for money), science is black (for dead things!), social studies is blue (for the world), and English is red (for frustration?). If you're behind, use your Christmas break and get ahead for 2009. Were we really organized, we would also:

• Write homework in the planner with the appropriately colored marker
  


• Cover books with the subject color
  


• After homework is finished, make a bold colored line to mark notebook paper at the top of the page. This helps with organizing all those papers shoved in the bottom of the bookbag, and might help your child find the right paper to turn in.
  

NOTE: I bought some paper on Clearance that had a colored line already printed at the top. (I can't find it anymore - online or off - it wasn't exactly best-selling.) My non-ADHD child, who has the gift of organization, loves it. He says it has trained him to label his pages uniformly. I've tried this to the other boys to no avail, but it might work with your kid!

Staple - Keep a stapler out at all times, and staple all papers together. I've even stapled papers to the planner, so my son would only have to rip them off when it was time to turn them in the next day.

Back Pack Drawer - We put a huge filing cabinet beside our back door. In it goes everything for the next day - the homework in the homework folder, but also clothes, stockings, back packs, lunch, notes, sports equipment, gym clothes, hats and jackets.

Label things. Put your child's name in BIG letters on homework. This also goes for front and back of notebooks and folders, on the side pages of textbooks (do it in pencil even if you have to pay a fine!), and everything else your child takes out of the house. A silver Sharpie is brilliant for labeling dark items like calculators, water bottles, flash drives and cell phones. Buy one of those Sharpies with a clip on it, and permanently attach it to your keychain or purse so it will always be handy. Don't let your kids out of the car without labeling!

Note that there are great Christmas stocking ideas stuffed into this post: Sharpies, staplers, flash drives go along with the old standby's toothbrushes and razors. These are all great little gifts for all those on your list. Check out more Christmas ideas at E300-Scooter.com for Christmas And don't forget to label that Scooter! : )

IEP and 504 - Up for Review?

If yours is up for review, consider asking the school to add things to the IEP or 504 that will help keep your child more organized. Some ideas:

~Keeping one copy of textbooks at home.
~Exemption from notebook checks.
~Teacher provided copies of homework and notes.
~A time/place after school to organize materials and assignments.
~An individual to assist child with organization on a daily basis.
~Taping organization cues to desk.
~An extra day to 'find' homework that has been completed by is lost. This can be without penalty or with a reduced penalty.
~Planners completed by teacher or planners signed by teachers.
~Homework papers stapled to planner or homework folder by teacher.
~Permission to use the PAC-kit instead of a school provided planner. (Sorry, couldn't resist the tout!)

ADHD Books Make Great Christmas Gifts

Don't look now, but Christmas is just around the corner! With that in mind, here are the top ten ADHD books, all perfectly sized to go into that Christmas stocking!

A Mind at a Time - Dr. Mel Levine describes how each child learns differently by defining eight mind systems. He then gives solutions for when things go awry. The book has a lot more information on inattention than most books about ADD/ADHD.

Driven To Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood. Written by two doctors with ADHD, this book is primarily about adult ADHD. Still, it provides good insight into the disorder, as well as ways for parents to help their child. And, by the same authors...

Delivered from Distraction - Maximize possibilities. Play on strengths. Surround yourself with those who will support you and recognize your unique gifts. This book is full of advise that will help you as you help your child to get "the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder"

How To Reach And Teach Children with ADD/ADHD - This book advertises that it will give practical techniques, strategies, and interventions. And it delivers. I have referred to this book many, many times in dealing with my boys, and in working with children with - or without - attention problems. This is a must for every ADHD bookshelf.

Keeping a Head in School: A Student's Book About Learning Abilities and Learning Disorders - Written for students, this easy to read book helps kids understand how to handle their learning differences. Students will come refer to this manual again and again as they get older.

Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities And ADHD Give You The Tools For Academic Success and Educational Revolution - I love this book. Full of great stories, great study strategy, and great wisdom. Go to Amazon and read the excerpts they give. (And then you can buy it used for about $4!)

Learning To Slow Down & Pay Attention: A Book for Kids About Adhd - Teaches kids ways to relax, remember things, focus, finish homework and a lot more. A very straightforward and encouraging approach to teaching kids about their ADHD.

Problem Solver Guide for Students with ADHD: Ready-to-Use Interventions for Elementary and Secondary Students - This is one of the few books with a section devoted to ADHD Inattentive. It has a lot of great information, but is a little text-booky in the delivery.

The Myth of Laziness talks about children who "somehow, somewhere lose momentum; in the pursuit of accomplishment they fail to produce; they stall out. And often they face accusations of laziness...They are not lazy; they have output failure." The book introduces seven children as Dr. Levine helps them to understand and cope with their learning differences. One of the chapters takes an in-depth look into dysgraphia. This was the first of Mel Levine's books that I read. Excellent reading.

The Survival Guide for Kids With ADD or ADHD - My favorite quote from this book is, "It's like I have ten TV channels in my head and I don't know which one to watch." Written in a style appealing to elementary kids, this is a great book. It talks about problems at home, at school, with friends, and with emotions. Activities help a child track progress.

For more great Christmas ideas, visit It's the Holiday Season.

Are You Focusing?

While your child often needs one on one monitoring to do homework, it shouldn't always be necessary. While she is working solo, it helps to frequently say something like, "Stop. Are you focusing?" Get her to notice whether she is paying attention to her work and what she is reading/doing. If she is reading, ask if she is thinking about something else. Help her to become aware of when her attention wanders, and teach her to put effort into keeping it from happening!


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A Warning and a Hope

Last Monday our fifteen year old asked me at dinner if we could go to Wal-Mart and buy him a Scooby Doo costume for him to wear to "character day" at the high school the next day. (I know. Scooby Doo? But it was homecoming week, and Scooby Doo is his favorite character because in real life, Scooby Doo has Lebanese roots in the form of Kasey Kasem.) "I asked you about it on Saturday." To be fair, he had. But it was a casual mention. I thought it was a fleeting thought.

I thought wrong.

Long time readers know that I am NOT a coddling mother. I believe in consequences, in discipline, in responsibility. And I am very frugal. So I was not running to Wal-Mart to buy this last minute child a $50 Scooby Doo costume.

But I was assailed with a feeling of guilt. I declare I wanted to cry. This child, who grew NINE inches in two years and is now much taller than I am, was really disappointed. He deserved it, but I just felt awful about it. Thankfully, a neighbor was eating dinner with us, and volunteered that she had an Austin Powers costume that he could wear. The two of them supplemented the frilly bloused suit and turned it into Blackbeard the pirate.

Fast forward to yesterday. Our oldest son, who is an Resident Advisor in college, wrote something on his Facebook status that could really, really, seriously have been misconstrued. My heart sank. I let it ride for several hours, but after reading the lively Facebook debate, I put on my mommy hat and called him, advising him to change the comment. Thankfully, he did. (And then one of his brothers begged him to change it back, but that's another story...)

And tonight, yet another son let me know that they still have the air conditioning on in his dorm, and he is freezing at night. I asked him if he needed a blanket, and he said he bought a warm sleeping bag on clearance for $8. But it makes me want to drive to where he is and feed him soup. My baby is cold.

Let's face it. I'm still their mom.

I'm warning you moms - and maybe dads, although my husband shared none of my guilt or worry in the above matters. Your kids may grow up. They may go away. You may not have missing homework or misunderstood Algebra. You may not find the mail in the laundry or the ketchup in the medicine cabinet. But I warn you. You'll spend a good portion of that extra time praying about those missing children, asking Jesus to watch them and guide since they are out of your reach.

And the hope? Read between the lines above. Scooby Doo the Pirate, who has always been a perfectionist was displaying flexibility. The second son...note that he is is in college, is an RA, and that he took my advice! And that cold boy is the cold one in his boxer shorts I was referring to in yesterday's blog post. He is now gainfully employed, is being schooled in a very difficult trade, shops frugally, pays his bills and has a ROTH! He strategically uses a debit card instead of a checkbook, and is obviously remembering to "Problem Solve". I confess, however, that he remains a bit...spacey.

So the hope is this. They will learn - from what you teach them, from their teachers, from life, and from your prayers. Yes, it is a struggle. They may never be organized, and they may always be a bit...spacey. But in the end, these wonderful gifts in your life will become what God has gifted them to be.

Here's our pirate.

Problem Solving

NOTE: The following was written November 16, 2006. Watch the blog tomorrow for a follow-up post!

I got an email today from a teacher concerning a project that one of my boys hadn't turned in. I called this child at work!, asking what was up. "I was at the orthodontist when she assigned it and I don't know how to do it." This is why I worry he'll one day lose a checkbook and therefore neglect to pay his bills.

Many times our children have a difficult time 'switching gears' into problem solving mode. One of ours used to sit around in his boxers complaining about being cold. It took a long time before I realized that he really couldn't move his brain to figure out what to do next. One of his teachers taught me to say, "Problem solve!" This little phrase was a verbal push that helps shift the brain into problem solving mode. One day he complained of the cold, I said, "Problem solve!" and he actually said, "Duh! I need to get dressed."

I knew then that I was on the right track. And now, even with today's undone project, I still know that we're on the right track. Because the good news is that this child is getting better. He's actually keeping a checkbook, is always on time to work, and for the most part is doing his schoolwork without my help. He even remembered to vote last week...

This project was just a reminder that ADHD is sometimes a lifelong struggle. The problems change, but the strategies for combating them remain the same. Our job is to transfer the task of gear shifting to the child. But as for now, I can guarantee that this voting aged boy of mine will work on - and finish - the project tonight.

Organizing an ADHD Child

I just created a Squidoo Lens with ten tips on how to keep your ADHD child organized. It could also be titled: "How I Kept My Sanity in the Chaos of Three ADHD Boys". Check it out here: http://www.squidoo.com/organizeADHD.

Make sure you take a look at three of my favorite books on Organizing an ADHD Child.

Homeschool Spanish Curriculum Review

Most of the homeschool Spanish curriculum reviews that I have found online use a very traditional, classroom approach to learning Spanish. That's the type of class I had when I was in Junior High and High School. You probably had a similar class. You start with counting in Spanish. Then you begin naming objects. Lots of rote memorization of Spanish words is involved. I passed the class, but I didn't really learn any Spanish.

The classroom approach to learning Spanish just didn't work for me. So when I found myself scheduled for my first trip to Guatemala, I needed to learn Spanish. The trouble was, I only had a month to prepare for my trip. So, I searched online found a Spanish homeschool curriculum that worked for me. It was a class that promised to teach me just 138 words, and enable me to say just about anything I wanted to say in Spanish. I was skeptical, but the advertisement was convincing, and offered a money back guarantee.

I decided to risk it. When I purchased, I was given links to over fifty .mp3's with Spanish lessons. I could listen on my computer, or burn a CD and listen in my kitchen or car. There was also a textbook guide, a flashcard program, and bonus emails with fun supplemental words and phrases. The curriculum, called Synergy Spanish, isn't included in most homeschool Spanish curriculum reviews, because it's not marketed as such. But let me tell you, it works.

At the end of the very first 'homeschool' lesson, I was surprised at how many sentences I could say. Real, useful sentences. At the end of the month, the curriculum had me speaking an amazing amount of Spanish. I was able to tell about my family (even if I did accidentally call my husband a wife for an entire week). I could order things in restaurants, ask for things in stores, compliment children, and generally get my point across. No, I wasn't fluent, but I wasn't after fluency. I was after a working knowledge of Spanish that would let me understand and be understood.

Here's the thing that will interest homeschool moms looking for Spanish curriculum - by the time I completed the course, my son had learned to speak Spanish, too. He heard the CD's when I did, and learned right along with me. And the best part was that I wasn't even trying to teach him Spanish! And when we both went to Guatemala four years later, he could communicate with his newfound friends.

If you are trying to find a Spanish homeschool curriculum, I encourage you to give Synergy Spanish a shot. You'll be amazed at how quickly your kids - and you - pick up the language. Check out Synergy Spanish here. Maybe if more homeschool moms like me promote it, Synergy Spanish will be included in more homeschool Spanish curriculum reviews!

ADHD - A Walk in the Park

ADHD has been all over the news this week. I was particularly intrigued by a study in the Journal of Attention Disorders that suggested that nature walks improved concentration just as much as - and sometimes more than - medication. It's interesting that the walks in natural settings were much more effective than walks in a city setting.

At our house, my standard remedy to everything from inattention to arguing to stomachache is 'eat some raisins and run around the house'. (It's nice for my home remedy to get validation from a journal!) While going outside to play certainly isn't the cure all our kids would like it to be, we all need to make sure that our children are taken outside to play at home and at school. The fresh air and exercise are good for the body, the mind and the soul. So...you have my permission. Take a walk with your kids today!

If you are new to ADHD, or need a broad overview of what Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Order entails, check out Coping With ADHD. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is becoming one of the most diagnosed disorders among children and even adults these days. Many years ago, the acronym ADHD was virtually unheard of. When you get the word that you or your child has ADHD, you might feel overwhelmed wondering where you can turn for information on how to deal with this new thing in your life.

There have been as many as 750,000 children in America diagnosed with ADHD. Some say the actual number is much, much higher. With an ADHD child or adult, the first thing to do is to gather as much information as you possibly can. It’s imperative that you understand what ADHD is, what the symptoms are, and how to deal with those symptoms.

Coping With ADHD will help you gather the information you need, so that you can make informed decisions for the wonderful child in your life.

Formatting Papers

If your child's teacher requires the class to format papers in a certain way, consider having your child get several ready at home and keep them in her planner. We've also had our son write his name in the proper spot, then used a highlighter to mark the places the other items needed to go, like date, subject, and class period. A teacher we know tapes a model paper to children's desks if they need help remembering what goes where.

Positive Parenting

Try to correct your child without using negatives. Instead of saying, "Don't run" say "Walk". Instead of saying, "Stop arguing", say, "A little civility, please." Another option is to not saying anything at all - just make eye contact. (I'm not talking about the look, just passive eye contact.) When your child changes behavior, you can make a positive statement. And two positives make a positive!

Read about Postive Parenting on Amazon.

Turning Negatives into Positives

Try to correct your child without using negatives. Instead of saying, "Don't run" say "Walk". Instead of saying, "Stop arguing", say, "A little civility, please." Another option is to not saying anything at all - just make eye contact. (I'm not talking about the look, just passive eye contact.) When your child changes behavior, you can make a positive statement. And two positives make a positive!

Visit our website at http://www.goaskmom.com.

Demonic Mnemonics

Sometimes the small things make all the difference. Like in memorization. My first introduction to the word Mnemonic came with the disclaimer that it was a 'demon' to pronounce. I never forgot that word. Nor will I ever forget the following devices, that I hope will help your child, too.

The place values in the metric system:
King Henry Doesn't Usually Drink Chocolate Milk or King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk
Kilo Hecto Deka Unit (or Base) Deci Centi Milli

Order of Operations:
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
Parentheses (and other symbols of inclusion); Exponents; Multiplication and Division, in order from left to right; Addition and Subtraction, in order from left to right.

The first ten elements in the periodic table:
Ha. HEalthy LIttle BEggar BOys CAtching NEwts OR FIsh
H HE LI BE BO CA NE OR FI

The Great Lakes, in order from west to east:
Sam's Horse Must Eat Oats
Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario

The colors of the rainbow, in order:
ROY G. BIV (pronounced like a person's name)
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet

The planets in order:
My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas
or My vampire eats marshmallows just sitting under new planets.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Disclaimer: Pluto has lost its planetary standing, now, so we'll have to learn a new one.

How to remember the difference between the spelling of hear and here:
You hear with your ear.

And another spelling hint is:
The Principal is your pal.

For those of you who are boaters, or for the rest of us who just read about it:
We left port and went right to starboard.

If you're looking for a mnemonic for something specific, Google it like this: "Mnemonic for _________". You'll be amazed at the memorization hints. And for even more ideas, go to Google images. If you're enjoying this way too much, browse through the books on Amazon. There are mnemonics books for everything from anatomy to Spanish to pharmacology. And nice mundane things like math and biology.

"Homework Doesn't Get Any Better..."

An ADHD mom writes..."My daughter is in 8th grade and is doing Algebra! Her homework last night was to solve quadratic equations with variables on each side. Of course, I had to refer to the textbook (which she gets to keep at home thanks to her 504 accommodation!) to help her with it. She used a large (24"x18") white wipe board and colored markers (lime green, bright pink, yellow) to work out the problems. The wipe board makes it easy for me to watch how she is working the problem out because she writes bigger than she could on her binder paper, and it makes it easy for her to erase a mistake quickly (and not get distracted) so she can get back to solving the problem. The colored markers keep it fun--and when she gets bored with one color, she moves on to the next one! Once she has solved the equation, I copy it down onto the binder paper for her (being a secretary for my children has helped them tremendously!). This method has made math homework a creative and fun "game" instead of another rigid activity. We even sit on the living room floor, reclining against the sofa, drinking chocolate milk shakes. Homework doesn't get any better than this!"

Don't miss one of the great hints imbedded in this: the large writing surface, colored markers, reteaching, the parental supervision, "being a secretary", making homework relaxing and fun...What great hints - and what a great mom! I'm afraid that Algebra was never this fun at my house. Maybe we should have tried chocolate milk shakes.

Staying on Task

Staying on task is HARD. Trying to write this, I keep getting distracted, and I don't have ADHD. To help bring attention back to the task at hand, our family LOVES a little gadget called the Triple Tell Timer. It flashes, buzzes and/or beeps at regular intervals to simply remind you - or your kids - of what you are supposed to be doing. You program it with the frequency you need, and it does the rest. Our guys used to fight over this thing. Of course, there are many variations on the theme. There are lots of cool gadgets - medication reminders, watches, alarms, you name it! Check out our new page on reminder clocks at http://www.goaskmom.com/GoAskMomProducts/reminder_clocks.html.

For more great hints on how to help your child focus, visit http://www.goaskmom.com/that_works_adhd_inattentive/focus.html.

Teaching the Test

If your child brings home a test with a lower grade than you would like, take some time to review the test. First of all, find out what sort of mistakes were made. Did your child simply not have a grasp of the material? Were the wrong things studied? Were the mistakes careless? Were there transposing errors - especially in math - where numbers were reversed? If the test was multiple choice, did your child get the right answer on the scratch sheet, but circled or bubbled the wrong answer?

Then find out which type of answers are hardest for your child. Multiple choice often require your child to choose between two or three possible answers. Short answers demand that your child have certain names or vocabulary memorized. True/False answers are always tricky. The dreaded essay questions can be horrors for our kids. And sometimes there are other little things that teachers count off for - incorrect spelling and punctuation, for example. (Or not writing a name on the paper...or messiness...not that our kids would ever have problems with that...)

Explain your findings to your child, and help her bone up on her weak areas. Ask the teacher for help as well; he may have practice tests or ideas that will be of great benefit.