remember that you cannot care

OK, you've worked all day, you're tired, have to fix dinner, and your ADHD child is off the hook for the 47th time in the last two minutes. At this point you want to scream and beat some pandora uk sale sense into them, right? Admit it, we ALL feel that way sometimes. However, these are NOT effective tools for coping as an adult. Coping with ADHD from both the child's and parent's perspectives can often be challenging, frustrating, aggravating, or just downright awful. As a parent, remember that you cannot care for your child if you do not take care of yourself, first. Some suggestions for doing this are setting aside "me" time, taking hot baths, going for a walk, reading a good book, getting enough sleep, and a parent time-out. Parents often feel guilty when they set aside time for themselves, because everyone knows that the so-called "good" parent focuses all of their attention on their children ALL of the time, right? WRONG! In order to get some "me" time, be firm with your family and tell them a specific day and/or time that you are NOT to be disturbed unless someone is bleeding, broken or dying. Don't let the guilt cheap pandora charms take over when your family whines and cries because you aren't doing their bidding 24/7, and do what makes YOU happy for a few minutes every day, or a big block of time at least once a week. Being consistent in taking this time will help you cope with all of your stressors, including those work deadlines and the demands of maintaining a household. Getting enough sleep also plays a large role in good coping. Lack of sleep has been linked with a host of health issues. Again let me say that you MUST take care of yourself before you try to take care of others. Try using Melatonin, a chemical that your body produces naturally, to help catch some Z's. Use the lowest dose possible and take it approximately one hour before bedtime; you'll be amazed at how rested you can feel after a few nights of this! Women, in particular, enjoy taking a relaxing bath now and again. A hot bath is soothing, helps reduce tension in the total body, and is like a mini-vacation from stress. Optimize your bath by including essential oils or bath salts in your favorite fragrances (lavender, vanilla, sandlewood and chamomile are good stress reducing scents!), burning votive candles in these same scents, and just lay back with a good book for a nice long soak. The hope is that you'll come out feeling revitalized and ready to deal with the havoc your children, ADHD or not, have wreaked upon your house while you were in the tub. Don't be afraid to tell your partner or your older children that you need some alone time and that you are not to be disturbed. Walking is an cheap pandora bracelets effective stress reliever for parents. If you can walk alone, this gives you some good time for some self-reflection and a means to let go of some of your stress. If walk with your partner, this can give you some excellent quality time alone to re-build and reconnect with your mate. Finally, taking a walk with your ADHD child will allow the both of you to get some good exercise and interact in a positive way with each other. Finally, when enough becomes enough, take a parent time-out.