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Re: somatic/neurologic/emotional » Dinah

Posted by leeran on May 7, 2003, at 18:07:11

In reply to Re: somatic/neurologic/emotional » leeran, posted by Dinah on May 7, 2003, at 17:11:09

Dinah:

Re: the dog's eyes . . . (although it sounds like you have it completely under control!).

If you use Outlook as your mail program you can use reminders that pop-up everyday. The only problem is, in my case, I've conditioned myself to ignore them (just yesterday I deleted a task that was never accomplished, no longer pertinent and eleven months old).

My latest "aid" in keeping myself on task is a 5 x 8 notecard that I update (i.e. rewrite) every few days. Rewriting all the tasks I haven't yet accomplished makes me feel guilty enough (sort of) to try to actually get some things done. I even include mundane things like "take ____ out to do her business," "make bed," "floss teeth," etc. Then, when I cross them off with my yellow highlighter I feel a small sense of accomplishment. The dark side of that coin is that if I misspell a word or number something incorrectly I have to fight the urge to start the card all over again (it's easy to match the acronym with that behavior).

I have this fantasy . . .

It's that everything will one day be perfectly organized and in its place. Every drawer, closet, the garage, etc.

The fantasy continues with me ridding myself of every extraneous item that I don't use on a regular basis. Here's where the fantasy turns in to a nightmare. My mother used to say something similar when she was about my age. It's not really a nightmare (that was dramatizing), but I'm so keen on being different than she is that I wince at anything that smacks of one of her philosophies.

On a somewhat different note -

Does anyone else ever feel totally stressed out by routines/regimens for a child/family member that you're responsible for overseeing?

I'm sure it has everything to do with A.D.D., or being a spoiled only child, but somedays keeping myself on track is such an overwhelming ordeal that anything else leaves me rather bewildered.

I mean, I do it and no one knows the difference (until now, since this is yet another board confession). For example, my morning ritual (before I even fully wake up) is taking my son's Adderall in to him to take before his alarm clock goes off. What will he/I do when he's in college (crossing my fingers he will have the desire to go)? Pad down the dorm hallway to his room carrying a pill tray? The orthodontist told me to remind him constantly about his rubber bands but I admit - I forget to nag. Even at fifteen, I'm listening to the faucet in the bathroom to make sure he's washed his hands after years of reminders - so adding rubber bands to the equation, along with homework, taking the trash out, flossing/brushing etc. can make my head spin (he's a lot better than he was when he was younger and I have all the old "standards" memorized into habit - it's the new stuff that's in danger of ending up in the black hole).

I have nothing but total admiration for people who can keep it all together with more than one child.

I would love to know just one tip, from anyone who is willing to share, that helps you K.I.T. "keep it together" (I loved that line in Bowfinger and I use it fairly often as one of my repeat phrases when I'm freaking out about something).

My tip is the 5 X 8 card and a highlighter - plus, sub-lists on 3 X 5 cards (and meds).

Lee


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