It’s here!

My new eBook 7 Crucial Tips for Parents and Teachers of Children with ADHD is now available for download. The new eBook is a complete book and although it is written for parents and teachers, I believe it will also be a beneficial read for adults with ADHD as well.

Please download it, read it and share it. Remember, this eBook is complete, and free, I only ask that in return for downloading it that you please share it with others. The eBook is slightly under 5mb and it was not possible to make it any smaller, but is still small enough to be emailed, posted or linked to on your blog, your website or on facebook or twitter, or all of the above. I’d really appreciate it. I would also like your feedback, so after reading this eBook please take a moment to come back here and let me know your thoughts. You can also email me, if you prefer.

Should I have a child or should I not have a child, that is the question.

And I have an answer:

Thanks, but no thanks. Or, to be clearer: No, I do not want to have a cute, little adorable one of my own; I do not want to nurture or raise a baby of my own.

This question has come up more times than I can remember and my answer has always been the same. Don’t get me wrong, there have been times when I have felt a little sentimental and thought, oh what would it have been like to raise a small child into an adult, but then as soon as someone says ‘Hey, you’re not too old’ well, that just ruins the whole thing for me and I remember, quite quickly in fact, that I do not want to have a baby. Nope. Yes, accidents happen, but ADHD or not, I am clever enough to not let such an accident happen. There are some things I can focus on quite well.

There’s a certain question or group of questions which are basically the same that I get asked time and time again. The questions are: “What would you tell your younger self if you could go back in time?” – “What message do you have for the youth today suffering from ADHD?” – “What’s the one thing you would tell a student that would help them achieve academic success…?” And many more, but in the end the answers I give relate to all young people with ADHD, regardless of how the question is phrased:

1) Do not rely on trial and error alone.

I am standing at the edge of a cliff; my toes are curling the edge, as I prepare to jump.  Before me is an open sky, beautiful and clear and, as I look down, I cannot see the bottom, just more glorious sky – this place seems it could be the edge of the world, maybe it is. I am calm, open, even smiling quite delightfully. I feel liberated. I should be terrified, I should be trembling and yet, I am not fearful, not at all.

I step off, with my arms open wide as if I can fly and in an instant I can feel the air rushing against me, pressing against me, yet gently, almost hugging me, like a lover’s sweet embrace. I am flying.

Understanding My Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

By Kara T. Tamanini

As most of my readers already know, I don’t believe in keeping ADHD a secret from children that have it. I think it’s actually quite important for their growth and mental health to understand what makes them different and why they behave the way they do. It was frustrating for me as a child to feel and act different and yet, think I should be the same as everyone else.