Adjusting to Routine

Posted by Elizabeth Richards Oct 5, 2009

We've been back to school for almost two months, which is incredibly hard to believe. Time seems to evaporate once the school year starts. The first few weeks are always the hardest, trying to adapt to the earlier bedtimes, making sure we have enough healthy food and good choices on hand for packing lunches and after-school snacks, and running from here to there with activities. We try to keep balance in our house, not getting involved in more than we can handle. It's a tricky balance to find sometimes.

And now that we've gotten settled in, our school has a 5 day weekend scheduled this week, which is nice, but also disruptive. With this week cut short and next week too, we will be bearing the brunt of extra work and trying to maintain good bedtime routines. All this is do-able as long as we have some plans in place and are prepared to allow for some leeway. With ADHD, we must always expect the unexpected. I do try to keep my sense of humor (which is not always easy) and keep things in perspective, those two tools are a big help for anyone dealing with attention disorders.

Next week when we return to school, we have a flurry of performances and plays, the end of soccer season, and Halloween Parties just around the corner. Then we head right into Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays and there will be plenty of things to keep us busy. Staying focused can be a challenge but again, the distractions can be managed with some planning. It gets easier each year, experience truly is the best teacher.