Up and Down the Stairs: Bedtime and Hyperactivity
I was lamenting to a friend online about my daughter’s nighttime escapades and how nothing seems to work to get her calmed down enough to drop into bed, even with the medications she takes to slow her down.
Peggy and I have been friends for years, ever since we met at an ADDA conference. Every year, we and a mutual friend would meet up in various cities throughout the country to learn about ADD and enjoy each other’s company.
When she heard about my nightly fiasco with my daughter, she described how she, too has a difficult time settling down at night. She sent me this poem today, which I'd like to share with you.
Up and down the Stairs
By Peggy Clover
(Inspired by Mackenzie and me)
Up and down the stairs I run
In and out the doors
Looking for the things I lost
Trying to do my chores.
Not all is lost
Just out of place
But no matter
I am still a disgrace.
If only I could remember
To put things where they belong
That should be easy
Am I so wrong?
But first I have to find stuff
To give it its proper position
But as I wander thru the rooms
I forget I had a mission.
Sometimes I plop down
And just sit and play
Or doodle or make a mess
And have a happy day.
Then up I jump again
Jack in the Box that’s me
On a mission once again
To see what I might see.
I have no one to prod me on
Or say how things should be
Or tell me that I should grow up
Because now I am 63.
Up and down the stairs I run
In and out the doors
Looking for the things I lost
Trying to do my chores.
Comment
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Comment by Susan Morse on October 29, 2009 at 4:34pm -
Recently, I heard Russell Barkley talking about executive function and he used a great metaphor. He said that non-AD/HD people have a "chalk board" inside their head that they constantly record everything onto. AD/HDers don't have this internal chalk board so we need to externalize everything. This helped me to understand why it is so helpful for me to write down my thoughts, to literally dump them out onto paper, at bedtime. Then I can fall asleep much faster.
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Comment by Jennifer Cox on October 28, 2009 at 1:32pm -
I am right there too, I am occasionally exhausted enough to get to bed first, but usually just zoning in and out doing one more thing!
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Comment by Lovemypirates1121 on October 24, 2009 at 9:25am -
I tend to be a bit of a night owl because I don't like going to bed unless I'm tired enough to go right to sleep. My husband will usually go to bed before me so the light's out and I can't read, and even the book lights bother him.
And I don't like laying there, trying to get to sleep as the thoughts are whizzing through my head. Drives me batty then I have an even harder time falling asleep.
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Comment by Terry Matlen on October 21, 2009 at 8:29am -
My daughter just gave me a great description of how HARD it is to STOP and settle down for bed. Very interesting.
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Comment by Lovemypirates1121 on October 20, 2009 at 12:42pm
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Very good poem there. I'm sure we could all relate. I know I can, at least.
© 2012 Created by Terry Matlen.
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