When too much...is too much!

Kids need structure. How many times have I heard that? A billion...at least. Well, this is especially true for kids with ADD. They need clear choices and clear rules and boundaries, so I am learning. Big Sis is no exception to this rule. When school started I bought her a pack of mechanical pencils and made the mistake of not explaining that once they were gone, that was it. This conversation never occurred to me until I realized within two weeks there were no more pencils! Where they went, I have no idea. (And neither did she!)

I have found that our clan functions more efficiently, in fact, flourishes when we have tighter more structured boundaries. It all boils down to minimizing choices or options. We're not robots and we don't expect our kids to be either. But too many choices can be overwhelming. For us, it's best to give the kids what I call the 'this or that' option. 'Do you want pink or purple?' Not 'Here's the box of 150 crayons you choose.' That's kind of a silly example, but you get the idea.