Need your help TODAY!!!

NEED YOUR HELP ASAP!! I'm so sorry...I feel like such an a**!! I had both my girls fundraisers to do....well Kieras (to pay for her field trip) is due today, if you or anyone family, at work etc....would like to order ASAP today....I dunno if it has to be like before 2-3pm but just go to:

yankeecandlefundraising.com

On the left of the screen it will say "start shopping" there you enter

Group #: 990059887

Seller ID: Kiera16

If any in orders please let me know so I can make sure she got/gets the sale credits. (She needs to sell 3 large jar candles to pay for her field trip) Thanks you for your help!! 

October is ADHD Awareness Month!!

Hey there readers!! Did you know that October is the official ADHD Awareness month? So, I am going to tell you a few facts about ADHD to spread the awareness....

Fact#1~ The ADHD Awareness ribbon is purple (see right) although there are some that are orange.

Fact#2~ ADHD was first recognized as a disorder in 1902 by a Dr. Still from Britain and was given it's first name by him which was "Defect of Moral Control". (Find more on the history of ADHD by clicking here)

Fact#3~ In 1997 the American Medical Association stated that ADHD was one of the most researched disorders.

Fact#4~ ADHD Affects more than 15 million people just in America alone!!

If you would like to get a ribbon to support ADHD Awareness, or anything pictured in this post, you can look through the products at the Child ADHD Store through Amazon here. The items are all hand picked by me and the awareness products range from mouse pads, coffee mugs, socks, rings bracelets and more!! 

Let's Support and spread the Awareness of this disorder!! ADHD IS real and millions of children and adults suffer with it every day!! If we can raise the awareness maybe we can find out more and help those who struggle every day with it. :)

Thanks for reading!
~SOverly

What is Melatonin & Does it Really Work?

If you have a child with ADHD or have it as an adult, I'm sure one time or another you have heard someone mention using melatonin to help with problems sleeping. But, some questions probably go through your mind like: What is melatonin? How does it work? Is it safe to use? Etc. Well, here are answers to some/most of the questions you may have, as I did too.

What is Melatonin??

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland, which is a small gland in the brain. Our melatonin levels are what controls or sleep and wake cycles. It has also been known as the "hormone of darkness" because it's levels are highest at night, when it's dark. When our bodies produces more we get tired and sleep and when there are lower levels we wake up.

Dillon's Medication Vacation

Dillon taking his medicine

My last post was about medication "vacations", what they are and how/why parents do and like them. So, after doing my research on these, I talked to my husband about what his thoughts were on doing something like this for my son Dillon....

Before I get ahead of myself here, I want to give you a little background on Dillon, his ADHD and his medicine. Dillon has been on this medication for his ADHD since 2nd grade (now going into 8th). His medication dosages have pretty much stayed the same until last year. Since he has been having such growth spurts, puberty and being on the same medication/dosage for such a long time, we had to up his dosage twice last year.

ADHD Medication Holiday-What are they?

I had asked a question on our Facebook Page the other day, it asked parents their opinions and personal experience regarding having what is called "medication holidays". I received a lot of great opinions, stories, and more from the wonderful members to our page. I will share more on that, but let me first explain what I have learned about these medication holidays....


What are Medication Holidays?

  A medication holiday, also called drug holiday, drug vacation, medication vacation, structured treatment interruption, or strategic treatment interruption, is when a patient stops taking their medication(s) for a period of time. The period of time could be a couple days, weeks, months or years depending on the patient.


When do patients/kids have Medication Holidays?

Usually when a parent chooses to give their child a break in medication is it on the weekends (one or both days), during holiday vacations from school and during the summer months.

Hotel and Beach Supplies for Summer

If you have a hotel, restaurant, resort or just want to get some cute furniture for your small business, you should check out this neat place called PeachSuite Hotel Supply. It's an online store that has al different types of products for any type of business such as dining, concession, bar, banquet, catering and more hotel supplies online. For summer they have patio furniture, poolside tables, chairs, umbrellas etc.

The PeachSuite Hotel Supply is also a hotel amenities supplier. Here they have things like tissues, mini deodorants/shampoos, coffee packets, pens, toilet paper and much more!!

Like I said, I know it says it's a hotel supplier but, you can use some of these items for any business!! I mean, even a doctors office needs tissues, toilet paper and pens!! So, check it out and see if there is anything that fits your business needs!

*This has been a paid post.

An Amazing Brave Woman!

Though this is not what my blog is about, I wanted to share this amazing and brave woman's story, which also somewhat explains my absence to the blog lately. I think this is a very important subject today and that her story should be shared....

My husbands grandmother, Peggy Bell, has been fighting multiple types of cancers for more than 20 years. She has so very bravely fought and beat leukaemia, breast cancer and lung cancer twice!! At the beginning of 2012 she was told she had spinal cancer which they found because she kept fracturing her spine.



Henrietta "Peggy" Bell (Bubba) and Kaylee..Aug. 2012

After she so bravely went through yet another round of chemotherapy, she was getting dizzy and was seeing doubles, she had mentioned this to me at my sister-in-laws baby shower (picture on right). The doctor had told her it was probably from the cancer treatments and medications she was taking. It began to get worse and so she went to her doctor again, and they found that she had brain cancer.

Like the amazingly strong woman she is, she kept fighting this terrible illness and went through more radiation and chemo until her body just couldn't take anymore. Her blood cell count was too low and so they had her take a break in treatment to see if it was working as well as let her body recoup.

We were waiting for the test results and Gram ended up in the hospital with constipation which we thought was just from her medicines. Yet, we come to find out she now had colon cancer too!

She asked to be sent home. Gram told us all that she was waiting for her newest great grand baby to be born. My husbands sister, Julie, delivered her baby Audrey on November 29, 2012. Gram Skyped and saw the baby the following night and the next morning passed away taking her last breathes with her wonderful husband Kenny by her side along with her daughters Sandy (my husbands mother) and Lynette.

Henrietta "Peggy" Bell was a wonderful wife, mother to two, grandmother to two including my husband and a great grandmother to 4, which includes my 3 who knew her as "Bubba", who lived a pretty amazing life. She also had a life long friend that she would want me to mention, Carol, whom she worked with at the hospital. They stayed best friends until the very end.

She was a nurse, in fact one of three nurses that ran what is now Excela Health Latrobe Hospital. Peggy did her job well, so well that she is still remembered there by the current workers.

When Gram wanted something done, she went and did it 100%. Like when she wanted to marry her husband of 52 years, he was in the military and was notified that he was going on leave to get married and was sent home. Peggy arranged the whole thing!!

She told you how she felt no matter how it made her sound. She was true and straight forward, never giving you anything but herself.

Peggy wasn't selfish. She had a huge heart and would do anything for not only the people she loved, but would help anyone she could. Gram volunteered at the Leukaemia Foundation, not just as a donation either, she gave her time and energy to help those going through such a terrifying struggle. She did this before she was ever diagnosed with any type of cancer.  Among this, she always volunteered at her church and other organizations too.

My husband Nathan and his sister Julie were very close to their grandparents. Our daughter Kaylee was especially close to her Bubba. Kay was with her a lot when she was a baby all the way up until September last year she would go over and spend the day with them.

Last, I would like say that Peggy Bell is the strongest, bravest, motivated and kind hearted person I have ever had the pleasure to meet let alone be a part of her family. She went through so much and yet no matter what she kept fighting, no matter the toll it took on her.  I am proud to be able to say that I knew her and we will al miss her so very much.

I am glad that Peggy's fight is over and that she is finally able to rest. But, I am also mad that after all the battles she had won, cancer is what took her in the end. Rest in Peace Gram.

Thanks for reading!!!
~S.Overly

Child ADHD won the Liebster Award!!

I don't know if I mentioned, but back in June I received a post from one of my followers, Dr. Momsie. She had given Child ADHD Info her Liebster Blog Award and it was a great honor! She also included a link to the page where she wrote a little about the 5 blogs she gave the award to. She had actually looked into me pretty well and here is what she had to say about me and Child ADHD Info:

"Next awesome blog, Child ADHD Info- Raising a Child with ADHD. As a psychologist, I can't resist sharing this blog. The author, Stacy, is a mother of a child with ADHD and has worked in psychology, and she has definitely done her research. If you have a child with ADHD or are concerned your child might have ADHD, you've got to check out this blog!"

This review was a very proud moment for Child ADHD and myself, especially coming from a psychologist!! So, I wanted to take this time to again thank Dr. Momsie for this wonderful review and award! Feel free to check out her wonderful blog here.

Child ADHD Info's Newsletter 9/4//12

Child ADHD Info's Newsletter is out!! With a heart warming and inspiring ADHD success story you CAN'T miss! Read it now by clicking here or by going directly to http://eepurl.com/o4AGf

Oh, and don't forget to subscribe to get all the Child ADHD Info news first! Just enter your email at the right of the page under "Signup for Child ADHD Info's Newsletter" and click subscribe :)

Social Security Benefits For ADHD Children

Many disabled Americans receive Social Security benefits or SSI. All types of different disabilities both mental and physical can qualify for these benefits, as long as the meet the Social Security Administrations (SSA) guidelines for receiving them. These benefits include income of up to $500/monthly as well as possible medicaid. Someone told me that you can receive these benefits for a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). So, I started to wonder if this was true, looked into it and found some interesting information...

After looking into different articles as well as SSA policies and guidelines, I found that it is indeed possible to be eligible for and receive Social Security benefits for your ADHD child. Is it easy to get these benefits? No not really though its used to be much easier.

Back to School with ADHD

Well, we have officially started a new school year and is it me, or did the summer months just fly by? It feels to me like the summer vacation just started last month! Before we know it Christmas will be here.

The beginning of a new school year is hard for any parent with school let alone parents of children with ADHD. In the first month of school parents have pictures, new schedules, fundraisers start and that's just some of the things we have going on. Having an ADHD child includes meeting new teachers, going to IEP/Support meetings, organizing your child with the new schedule, and  the fights over homework. This can be a very frustrating time for the parents as well as the child. Most of the time, the same things that are stressful for us are also for your child. 

In my experience, this is one of the most stressful and frustrating times during the school year for your ADHD child. And though I know it can be very hard at times, we have to remember this. He/she is trying to get back into a bedtime and morning routine, sitting for longer periods, organizing, remembering/completing/turning in homework/assignments, and controlling his/her behaviors more. They are doing all this after a long vacation and more relaxed three months away from all these demands.

Intuniv For ADHD Children ~ What is Intuniv?

I have had a few parents asking about Intuniv. Either those who already have their child on Intuniv as well as those thinking about starting their child on it for their ADHD. So, I decided to look into and get all the facts as well as the opinions and experiences of parents with children on Intuniv to see how it works, how it affects ADHD, the different side effects etc. to help my readers better understand the medication, it's uses and any possible issues.This latest research I thought would take a day when it actually has taken me a few days to research it all!

What is Intuniv?

There are many children out there that take stimulant medications like Concerta or Adderall for their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, Intuniv is a long active non stimulant prescription medication for children with ADHD like Strattera. For those of you that don't know, a non stimulant is not a controlled substance which means it doesn't  pose the same concerns of dependency or addiction as stimulants can.

Welcoming My Little Niece~Aliyah!

So after taking the kids to school this morning my mom called to let me know my brother was having his baby and I was going to be a niece again! I was so excited..I haven't held a baby in soo long and miss it!! 

Anyways, I wrote about my experience this morning with my brother having his baby along with some adorable first pics of my little niece Aliyah who was born around 11:30 this morning weighing 7lb 1oz and being 19" long!! 

All this labor had me remembering mine and wondering if I should be making an addition to our family sometime soon. But...we'll see about that....

If you want to check out and/read about Aliyah's birth and first pictures you can see it on my Mother and Child blog or by just clicking here.

 My Mother and Child blog is about just being a mother to my three children and it's every day life, which kinda goes along with Child ADHD Info. So, please feel free to subscribe to both blogs if you'd like :)

As always, thanks for reading!!

Wonderful Parents/Families of ADHD Children

So, I was thinking this morning about how wonderful all of Child ADHD Info's followers and supporters are. These ADHD kids are so lucky to have such great parents, families and friends to support and care about them! To take the action and time to read and research their disorder shows how much you all care and how determined you are for your ADHD child to succeed. I hope they all how lucky and loved they truly are.

I was also thinking about how lucky I am to have you all! My readers, followers, fellow ADHD parents and friends on here as well as my Facebook page. It's funny because I started all of this to help, educate and support other parents and families raising ADHD children along with their other life issues, and the truth is I feel like you all support me just as much if not more!! I am so lucky to have such wonderful people to work with :)

Anytime I have had an issue and haven't updated in a few days I always get messages asking how I am or if everything is ok and if I post on here or the Facebook page I always get such thoughtful supportive comments. So, I just wanted to take a minute and thank you all!! 

Please continue to comment, share your stories or concerns and spread the word about Child ADHD Info. Don't forget to follow Child ADHD Info on Facebook and Twitter too!!

~ Stacy Overly

Talents of ADHD Children

ADHD children are talented just like any other child. In fact, there are actually several talents/strengths that have been noted in many ADHD individuals that I have read about in Raising Boys with ADHD and then looked up the statistics. I looked through these statistics and noticed that Dillon has a few of those talents or strengths. Some of the most common talents are:

Creativity

Many ADHD children are very creative or creative thinkers. Kids with ADHD are often said to "think outside the box". My son Dillon has this quality and he will surprise us so much with the way he thinks. If we are watching a mystery movie he will come up with an amazing theory or will think of a neat and creative way to answer a problem, it truly amazes me sometimes! This strength
can be very valuable to your ADHD child and can benefit him/her throughout their life and even career. Being creative/creative thinker can develop into artistry, writing books, an inventor, architecture and so much more!


 Perceptive/Intuitive

ADHD children are usually more perceptive and/or intuitive. They will often pick up things that others don't. ADHD kids observe everything! My personal opinion is that sometimes this is because they have a shorter attention span and so kids with ADHD will look around more. Anyway, this talent could lead to police/detective work, paleontologist, private investigator,etc.

What Is Up with Kids These Days?

Dill, Dad (Nate) and Kiera building a fort

Ok, so, summer is more than half way over now and wow how quickly the times goes sometimes! But, I found myself thinking...what is it with kids these days? They never want to go outside!! Now, I love technology, it let's me work at home and more but, my kids seem to just want to hang out inside playing with their PS3, PSP, DSi or just watching TV. 

When I was young we never wanted to be inside or near our parents! We wanted to play kick ball, climb trees, ride bikes, catch fireflies, build a clubhouse and explore the woods out back. I couldn't imagine just sitting inside all summer! It would've been like a punishment to me and my brothers and sister. WE woke up, got dressed and went outside to plan our fun adventure for the day!

Dill playing PS3

Now, my kids just want to sit inside and play video games,

Still Here!! Family Issues

I want to let my readers know that I am still here and Child ADHD Info will be continuing to update regularly again starting today!! I had a few family issues to attend to and apologize for my absence, but the weekly newsletters will start going out on time again and the blog will be updated as well. I thank all of my readers for staying with me and continuing to support Child ADHD Info!! I am so lucky to have such great readers and supporters! <3

It has been tough here to say the least and I am sure a lot of you know what I mean by that. Some of you already know that our family has dealt with many tragic deaths this past year and a half, and by many I mean the most recent making it 6 close people that have passed away. 


Anyways, I took some time off to gather myself and my family and I realize that I should have been updating and letting you all know what was going on. To tell the truth though, I really wasn't thinking about what I should be doing and more so of just going day by day. 


On a happier note, I have gotten a lot together and am back. I have also learned that my Facebook page and blogs aren't just a place for the information and support for others, but that you are all wonderful support to me!! I am so glad to have such wonderful followers/readers and hope that Child ADHD will continue to grow!


Thank you all so much!

Jungian Psychotherapy

So, I have been told about a type of psychotherapy called Jungian Analysis and so I found it interesting to write about. I would personally say that I feel this form of psychotherapy would be more beneficial for adults, so this post is more for the parents or adults with ADHD readers.

This type of therapy is interesting to me because it is based more on the unconscious state such as through your dreams. From what I've read, even those who don't remember their dreams will often start to remember them when they start these therapy sessions. This is a therapy for all kinds of issues such as relationship, stress and other personal and professional problems and is based on a more spiritual level. 

ADHD and Siblings

Kiera and Dillon

Like any family, my kids will fight like crazy sometimes. My oldest two, Dillon and Kiera, are the worst fighters though, which I think is because they are closest in age (2 yrs apart). But, as they got older, I started to notice some jealousy developing in Kiera towards Dillon. This was because Dill got more "attention" due to his ADHD. Does this ring a bell to any of you?

You see, Kiera is the complete opposite of Dillon. She is an honor role student, very motivated and strives to do everything perfect whereas Dillon struggles more in these areas. Now don't get me wrong, Kiera gets a lot of attention and praise for all of her hard work and achievements, but, she also doesn't need much help with homework or have doctors and counseling appointments, school meetings and behavioral issues. It's hard to impossible to give all of your children the exact same attention, especially when you have a child with special needs. Every child is different, while some require more help and assistance, others are more independent. 

Kiera and Dillon

I found that one of the best things you can do is to talk to all your children and teach them about ADHD and to understand your ADHD child's needs and struggles as much as possible. There are actually even children's books about ADHD that you can read with your children to better understand ADHD that I found to be wonderful for all the kids to learn about and understand ADHD, even Dillon. You can find some great ones at my Child ADHD Store. I feel the more all the kids are aware of and understand ADHD and it's challenges the more supportive they will be of their ADHD sibling.
 

Dillon, me and Kiera

 It is so hard to split your time up evenly among all your kids all the time, especially when one is independent with homework while you're fighting half the night with your ADHD child. Even though we may be arguing or struggling with our ADHD child and it may be considered a more "negative" attention, it still can make others jealous of the attention.

The most important thing you can do though is to make sure all your kids know how much you love them and that they are all important and special to you! I have been looking into more ways to help with siblings of ADHD kids and will be posting a list shortly.

Do You Want to Share Your Story?

We would like anyone who would like to share their story of their child with ADHD to submit their story. It can be about how you became concerned about your child having ADHD, how your child was diagnosed and the process you went through or are going through, the struggles you go through, school, what works for you, success, concerns etc. 

Child ADHD Info my feature it either here on the site or in our weekly newsletter. It is nice to share your story and to hear others and just to know "Hey I;m not the only one"! 

If you are interested in sharing your experience/story you can email it directly to childadhdinfo@gmail.com. You can send your story along with where you would like it to be featured (here or in the newsletter) and you can a picture of your child or family too if you want. Please do not leave your story in a comment post.

I was so excited to be expanding our reach to help as many parents with ADHD children with our newsletter and thought of this and just loved the idea so I hope you all do too and we get some good submissions and results!! 

I look forward to hearing from you!!

~Stacy~