As hard as it is to be a mom with ADHD, there are things we can do to make life easier for ourselves. As much as it may feel like it, it doesn’t have to be or seem like an impossible job.
So here are some suggestions of strategies and things we can do to help us and hopefully make our lives a little easier and more manageable.
Be Realistic
Okay I know this can be a hard one. Especially when we want to do it all and in some cases want it to be perfect. We want to do it like all the other moms.
The thing is each one of us is different. We can only be ourselves. No one is perfect. We are only human.
We have to be realistic with ourselves. Set our own standards for who we are, what we are able to, or not do, and such. Set standards that make sense for you and that will be beneficial for you and your family.
Focus on doing the best that you can.
Make Time for Yourself and Self-Care
I feel that this is an important one for all moms. It is so easy for us to focus on our family’s needs, but we also need to focus on our own needs. After all, we can’t fill their cups, if ours is empty. It’s hard to take care of our kids, if we don’t take care and make time for ourselves.
Find time to do something you enjoy. Whether it’s five minutes each day, or an hour. No matter the amount, just do your best to take the time every day.
Do something you enjoy. Take a bath, go for a walk, read a book, paint, exercise, listen to a podcast, do a puzzle, do some journaling. There are so many things that you could do. The important thing is that it’s something you enjoy and you’re doing it for yourself.
Taking care of yourself and making self care a priority is not selfish. Not even close. So don’t feel guilty about it.
Ask for Help
This doesn’t always come easily for us. A lot of us are afraid or are ashamed to ask for help. We can be worried about what others may think or say.
At the end of the day, if we feel like we could really use the help and support, then we need to put our feelings aside and ask for it. We don’t have to do it all by ourselves. We tell our kids that they can ask us for help. So why can’t we?
Take time to consider what you need help with. Then go from there.
Here are some suggestions: hiring a cleaning lady (if possible); hiring a babysitter so you can fully focus on some tasks at home; talk to someone about how you’re feeling; put a calendar somewhere visible and put all appointments, activities and such on it; delegate some chores, give your kids chores. These are just some suggestions of things to do.
Educate Yourself about ADHD
This doesn’t always come easily for us. A lot of us are afraid or are ashamed to ask for help. We can be worried about what others may think or say.
At the end of the day, if we feel like we could really use the help and support, then we need to put our feelings aside and ask for it. We don’t have to do it all by ourselves. We tell our kids that they can ask us for help. So why can’t we?
Take time to consider what you need help with. Then go from there.
Here are some suggestions: hiring a cleaning lady (if possible); hiring a babysitter so you can fully focus on some tasks at home; talk to someone about how you’re feeling; put a calendar somewhere visible and put all appointments, activities and such on it; delegate some chores, give your kids chores. These are just some suggestions of things to do.
Final Thoughts
Being a mom is hard work. Having ADHD certainly doesn’t make it any easier. It adds some different types of challenges. However there are things that we can to help us get through it. We just need to find strategies to make it more manageable. More possible to get through the day.
