Holiday Hype(r) | ADHD Information

Hi Randy. Great to see you posting :) You are giving very good advice to parents. Many parents indulge their chidlren in acitivity after adtivity hoping to burn off the energy but actually, too much acitivity can cause overstimulation and irritability, especially during the holdiay season. It's all about balance and knowing your own child. Thanks for sharing your wisdom Randy and its great to hear that Jon is doing well :) Luvmykids0239801.4141087963Warm baths are always a good idea to calm hyper kids. Bring on the rubber duckies and wind up boats

Good planning on your part.

Another thing--the expectations such as everyone opens a gift and waits for someone else and all those other mindless rituals are bound to wind up with an ADHD kid in hyperspasms and tantrums. Let the ripping begin! Then let them get distracted by whatever.

I've also found that some kids like to be the "offical paper collector" which gives them a job and importance and some praise to keep them occupied.

Wait until the mess is over and either get them to give a thank you card on boxing day or run around after dinner [when they're turkey mellow] thanking everyone instead of trying to make them pay attention when all those big bright boxes are singing like sirens of the deep...

Open gifts before meals so they can wind down on the protein overdose. Otherwise they will drive you batty all day.

Some family expectations aren't worth the fuss!

When the house is full of soda and wine coolers for the holidays- LOCK THEM UP!!! Three or four colas can put an adhd'r over the edge and they will find them...

I like the idea of Mom 2ADHDboy to only open one or two gifts a day. I think we will try it for Christmas.

We celebrate Chanukah, where it's traditional (in the US, anyway) to open gifts after lighting the menorah.  The menorah isn't supposed to be lit until sundown, but we alter things to meet our family's needs.  We open gifts earlier in the day so ds' stimulant still is in his system.  Otherwise, it's too much for him to handle the excitement of receiving something new.  I also strictly limit how much can be opened in one sitting.  For all kids, but especially ADHD kids, getting too many presents at once can be overwhelming and diminishes their appreciation for each of the gifts individually.  If either child receives a big gift, that's all they open that day.  A few little things is OK. 

That's what we do to help prevent meltdowns and help the holidays go smoother.  To help winter break go smoother, I make sure that I have something planned every day.  Spending too much time in the house is disaster for my children, so we make sure we go to a museum, bowling, inoor pool, or something else to get out of the house for a few hours each day.  Leaving by 9:30 and coming back after dinner is ideal for these kids!  The busier I keep them, the smoother things go.

Good thread, randyjim -- and I'm glad to hear things are going so well for Jon.

Mom2ADHDboy39800.4562268518How about bringing some frisbees, balls, and other outdoor activities?

Since Chanukah is 8 days, it lends itself more to spreading out the gifts over time.  However, since several relatives insist on giving each chid a gift for each of the 8 days, sometimes it takes a few weeks to open all the gifts!

Another good thing about spreading out the gift opening is that it gives the kids plenty of new things to enjoy over Winter Break!  Each day, they can focus their attention on a couple of new things.

[QUOTE=Luvmykids02]Many parents indulge their chidlren in acitivity after adtivity hoping to burn off the energy but actually, too much acitivity can cause overstimulation and irritability, especially during the holdiay season. It's all about balance and knowing your own child. [/QUOTE]

I guess it depends on the kids.  Open-ended play in the house that continues for a long time makes my kids overstimulated and wild.  This is true for my 9 year old ADHD boy and my 5 year old non-ADHD boy.  We play a lot of board games, do art projects, and other calm and structured stuff, but there's only so long they can do that each day. 

My kids find going to museums, going bowling, swimming, and other stuff calming for them.  There's a specific activity on which they focus, and they have a sense of purpose to what they're doing.  This keeps them calm and well behaved.  Our best family vacations are when we're gone from breakfast until bedtime.  The kids behave like saints all day.  If I give them more than an hour in the hotel room -- even with a suitcase full of toys -- it's a disaster if they aren't watching TV.

Like you said, luvmykids, all children are different and you have to know your own kids' needs.  Just mentioning my experience and what works for my children.

Mom2ADHDboy39801.7769444444As many have read, we are trapped at my thoughtless, clueless inlaws for a few days. We have an invite to ride horses for one afternoon at a friend's house, and another to come over and watch movies (friend's kid is just slightly younger than DS; they get along well). The rest of the time, I'm just going to sit on DS as much as I can to keep him from saying or doing anything that would cause a fight with the inlaws. I'm taking movies and games to play. Their home is wayyyy out in the country, 20 miles from a movie theater, 70 miles from any museums, etc. We're just going to do the best we can and pray for it to be over asap.

dee
[QUOTE=graiae66] Their home is wayyyy out in the country, 20 miles from a movie theater, 70 miles from any museums, etc. We're just going to do the best we can and pray for it to be over asap.

dee
[/QUOTE]

If you're out in the country what about skating, tobagganning/tubing/body skiing? Get's him out of the house and wears him down.
LOL, snow? What is that?

We have only gotten snow that actually stayed on the ground twice in the 20 years I've lived in GA. Christmas Day forecast is sunny and 65 degrees.

We'll probably take a walk or two, at least.

dee
[QUOTE=Mom2ADHDboy]

  Otherwise, it's too much for him to handle the excitement of receiving something new.  I also strictly limit how much can be opened in one sitting.  For all kids, but especially ADHD kids, getting too many presents at once can be overwhelming and diminishes their appreciation for each of the gifts individually.

Smart idea!

If either child receives a big gift, that's all they open that day.  A few little things is OK. 

  Spending too much time in the house is disaster for my children, so we make sure we go to a museum, bowling, inoor pool, or something else to get out of the house for a few hours each day.  Leaving by 9:30 and coming back after dinner is ideal for these kids!

I used to skate all day [quick home for lunch and dinner, out until dark] until exhausted. My mom let me because it was easier than dealing with a wild child all day and I loved it

The busier I keep them, the smoother things go.

Good thread, randyjim -- and I'm glad to hear things are going so well for Jon.

[/QUOTE]Snow is white stuff. Looks like vanilla cake frosting. Right now we have 3 feet of it and my 45 lb dog is disappearing in the snow banks trying to find a spot to pee while motorists are acting like they're driving through a Las Vegas freeway....

That.Is.Snow.

Hi Y'all. I have not posted for some time about Jon. He is doing fairly well in homeschool and his meds are still fairly minimal (15mg FocalinXR in the morning, 5mg in the afternoon and .50mg Risperadol in the evening).

Holiday time is always difficult for our ADHD children. With the excitement of the Christmas school break, all the parties, getting/anticipating gifts, school holiday performances and special activities etc this is enough to drive all of us into hypermode- but for our children it can make them fall apart and show behaviors that they usually don't show.

I try to keep the holidays low key: I don't go to most parties nor do I let my children go. They are in a play with multiple performances but I do not go to the excessive practices. I do not drag them around shopping!!! Also- even something as simple as NO SCHOOL and more play time with friends can drive a child over the edge. I have a holiday schedule with cleanup time, quiet time (playing gameboys), reading with mom time, and two hours of play time with friends. If my child starts exhibiting unacceptable behavior then play time is cut down or eliminated for a day.

I realize that a lot of parents work and the children may go to sitters or all day care. It is important for them to know that our children need more quiet/down time.

Even with this your child could have a melt down. Decide in advance how you will handle it. Jon did so for the first time today in a very long time. He went beserk at the supermarket and was running and screaming and crying (he is 9 years old). I got him home and put him in a warm bubble bath and got protein in him. He settled down and fell asleep fairly quickly (at 8pm on the floor watching Bonanza with me).

Perhaps other parents could suggest how they calm their child down from a meltdown.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannuka!!