Christmas

As 2015 drew to a close and we were fast approaching the school holidays, we started drafting a blog post to wish all our ADHD parents a merry and hopefully stressfree Christmas.

That time of year can be eventful, in all the wrong ways, for children with ADHD. The change in routine, the school parties and pantomime trips, mixed with the general excitement about Father Christmas, can sometimes be a little bit too much for them and as parents we generally get the receiving end of all that.

Christmas plays are a time for fellow parents to give you “that look” if your child fidgets through the carol service. The thing to remember is that they don’t know how hard it is for your child to sit still and if they knew, what we know, they wouldn’t be so judgemental.

The start of the new year and new school term can be a double edged sword. For some families the return to school is a great thing because it means that the usual routine is back,  you no longer have to provide full time referee services for your children and at the very least, our energetic bundles are out of the house.

For other families returning to school means restarting all the playground drama. It can mean that our children are now spending five days a week with the children who bully them (whilst mysteriously, rarely getting into any trouble for it.) It can mean that our children are spending their days with adults who don’t understand them and refuse to make allowances for their active minds and bodies. For some families, having our children at home means that we can control their environment and be in a position to spot the signs early and head off outbursts before they happen. For those families, the last day of the school holidays is almost a sad time because in 24 hours it all changes.

The S.P.A.C.E. group focuses on children in education because regardless of how things are at home, school is a totally different place and as parents we are always affected by what happens there, including the things we have no control over.

So here’s to all the parents whose children go to a school of over a thousand pupils and yet somehow every single member of staff seems to know yours by name. Here’s to all the parents that blushed their way through Christmas plays and carol services. Here’s to all the parents who battled their way through festive family visits and here’s to all the parents who are now back in the swing of a new term and are already looking forward to, or absolutely dreading half-term.

The S.P.A.C.E. meeting dates for 2016 are already on our website and we look forward to seeing some of you at Funky Monkey Coffee Company. Our next meeting is on Wednesday 10th February 2016 at 7.00 pm.