What's Up Team!?!
There are a lot of different ideas in my head. Lots of topics to address. My skill set, professional experience, and educational background make me uniquely qualified to handle some of the problems we’re facing right now in the shadow of COVID-19. Obviously, I’m not a doctor, but the challenges around maintaining our mental health, homeschooling, working from home and parenting during this time? Those I can handle.
I think the most important place to start, though, is to remind all of us (me included) that self-care matters. Take the time to care for yourself and your family. That matters more than school, or work, or cleaning out your closets.
Also, set healthy boundaries around your social media and news consumption. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the information available to us. Especially because we’re at home, with easy access to it, and little pressure to avoid the rabbit holes.
And speaking of boundaries, set some for you expectations of yourself and your kids, too. Your kids are just as anxious as you are, if not more so. That means they’re going to make mistakes, and get frustrated and sad, and angry. Don’t take it personally, but help them bounce back. And frame social distancing so they know it’s not a time to be scared. Social distancing right now is like looking both ways before you cross the street. We don’t do it because we’re scared, we do it because it’s a strategy to keep us safe.
As for yourself, set reasonable expectations. You’re not going to do all the things you think you’re going to do.
You don’t need to be all things to all people. You don’t have to be a great spouse, and a great friend, and a great parent, and a great homeschool teacher, and a great housekeeper. Allow yourself to be thoroughly ok at some of them, the important ones, and crappy at the rest. Support those who need it if you can, but pace yourself to keep some gas in your tank.
If I’m honest, this is a lesson I’ve had to learn over the last few days. Because I know ways to navigate this situation, I feel very much like I should be helping everyone else. And because it feels urgent, I want to help everyone RIGHT NOW! I want to post a podcast episode every day, and start a YouTube channel to share tips and strategies that I know will help. But to do that, I would have to ignore my own family. I just can’t drop the ball on my kids to help everyone else with theirs, and then claim I know how to be a good parent. I have to prioritize the important over the urgent.
So, here’s how I’m going to do that. I’m wrapping this episode here. But I will post at least twice next week – somewhere in the middle of the week, I will post a COVID-19 tip show for those who want the help. And on Friday, I will post an interview episode like usual for those that want a break from all this.
If you’re anything like many of the folks I’ve been in contact with, you probably fall into both of those groups. If there’s anything specific about maintaining our mental health, homeschooling, working from home, or parenting during this time you want me to address, send an email to Brendan@ADHDessentials.com, and I’ll address your concern on the mid-week show.
That said, this is going to pass. Things will be okay. Take care of yourselves, and each other. And give yourselves and each other the grace to make mistakes, feel uncertain, and be not-quite-good enough. That’s where ADHD lives, after all. Our comfort in that space might just help us navigate this uncertain time more effectively than others.
Again, email me at Brendan@ADHDessentials.com if you have any questions you want me to address in the mid-week show. I’m here to help. I love you all, I believe in you. We can handle this. Together.
Accounting for Our Shared Humanity Through Authenticity, Boldness, and Curiosity, with Juma Inniss, Youth Culture and Media Literacy Expert, Founder and Director of The Message
An Overview of School Testing with Leanne Kaplan, School Psychologist
Knowing the Score, Impending Fatherhood, and Hauling Watermelons, with Evan Kirstein ADHD Coach and Soon-To-Be Dad
10 Ways to Get Your Kid to Read More, with Brendan Mahan, Your Enlightened Former English Teacher
Not a Troublemaker, Just Having Trouble. with Gerry Goyette, Middle School Principal
Helping Our Kids (and Ourselves) to Protect Personal (and Financial) Information While Online, with Tim M., Financial Expert & ADHD Parent
Guarding Our Time While Meeting the Demands of Our Kids, Our Parents, and Our Careers, with David Greenwood
Teaching the Kid vs. Teaching the Subject with Ms. Sally, a High School Special Education Teacher
Emotional Intelligence with Dawn Marie DesRoche
Thoughts on Clear Expectations with Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., M.S.
Finding Success in the Face of ADHD, OCD, and Tourette's with Isaac, high school senior
Parental Self-Care with Louise Clarke
Getting Help for a Child in Crisis, and Being UnNormal with Kimberly Berry
Planning for College with Linda Katz
8 Ways to Help Your Kids Manage Stress & Anxiety
A Good Relationship Pushes Us to Be a Better Person with Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA
ADHD, Small Not-For-Profit Private Schools, and the Muslim American Experience with Dr. Noor Ali, Principal of Al Hamra Academy
55: Stress Management with Jason Dulac, M.Ed., M.S.
54: Being Outrageous to Keep Their Attention, with Lauren Mahan, teacher. (Special Guest Appearances by Nathan and Gavin Mahan)
53: Three Tiered Goal Setting & 2019 Intentions
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