31 positive things about my ADHD child
Updated: Oct 31, 2021
October is ADHD Awareness Month. With all of the misinformation and myths about ADHD, I thought I'd write about 31 awesome things (one for each day) that perfectly describe my ADHD child. Consequently, these are among the many reasons I love her so much. So, here goes:
Kind: To say this girl is kind simply doesn't do her justice. She is the girl who cries when someone kills a bug and goes out of her way to make sure everyone is included in a game or conversation.
Creative: I cannot get over how creative my child is! This girl can do it all—drawing, painting, creating and editing videos, sewing costumes, pottery, origami, and more. She is also a great writer and can make up funny poems and songs off the cuff.
Imaginative: My daughter has a very vivid imagination! She once wrote a play for school called "Catico". “Catico,” told the story of a world where cats rule and all dogs are sent to a shelter in “Catico” (as opposed to Mexico), are turned into toilets, and cats then “drink their souls”. She might just be the next Shakespeare.
Resilient: She never gives up and when she faces an obstacle, she changes course and keeps on moving.
Intelligent: Not only did this girl skip a grade (mom bragging alert), she was reading at a 9th grade level in second grade! One of her teachers once told us there wasn't a concept or project she put in front of her that she didn't understand. So proud of this girl!
Talented: Not only is she a gifted playwright, but she is also a phenomenal actress. Last year during the COVID outbreak, my husband participated in an amateur sci-fi film competition starring our daughter. They took first place!
Tolerant: My daughter loves everyone for who they are—she doesn't care about a person’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender preference, etc.—she accepts everyone just as they are! I think we need more people like her in the world.
Energetic: She has energy of 20 kids and is in constant motion. She keeps me and my husband young and on our toes!
Humorous: Sometimes she doesn't even mean to be funny, like the time she told me in a crowded restaurant, "Mommy, I think you just need to lower your expectations." She couldn't have been more than five at the time. I was telling her how her father and I expected her to listen at the zoo that afternoon. I thought the lady behind us was going to die laughing.
Confident: She knows who she is and doesn't care what anyone thinks of her.
Forgiving: She has the amazing ability to forgive those who have wronged her. She inspires me to do the same.
Patient: She’s a great teacher and doesn’t get easily frustrated having to explain things multiple times, like when she taught her grandpa how to use the iPad at just three years old or when I ask her over and over again the meaning of slang words or how to create images in PhotoShop.
Curious: She loves experimenting, especially in the kitchen. She’s always mixing up concoctions and carrying out experiments she finds on YouTube. The clean-up process is not always fun but I enjoy seeing the delight in her eyes as she’s working.
Persistent: My daughter likes being challenged! If she's learning a new animation program or video game, she is on a relentless pursuit to figure things out. And she doesn’t stop until she’s mastered the task at hand.
Nature-loving: She has a huge appreciation for animals and nature—and loves all creatures large and small. When she’s not exploring her Minecraft world, you can find her hunting for bugs and lizards in our backyard or playing with our dog.
Hyper-focused: If this girl is busy doing something she loves, she has the uncanny ability to shut the world out. I envy this trait in her since I am someone who needs complete silence to read or write.
Spontaneous: One of the great things about ADHDers is they tend to be spontaneous and my daughter is no different. She flies by the seat of her pants most days! She can move from activity to activity with no qualms which makes her an amazing playmate.
Fearless: When she's faced with an uncomfortable situation, she goes all in, like her first day of preschool. She was only three years old and wasn't used to being away from me for very long. She'd been crying that morning, but the moment we got into the classroom, she let go of my hand and said, "Bye, mommy, you can go now."
Friendly: Everywhere we go, she smiles at people, and has been doing so since she was tiny.
Talkative: She’s never at a loss for words. As an introvert, I find myself relying on her to strike up conversations in situations where I’d feel uncomfortable otherwise.
Ambitious: My daughter has high aspirations for the future! At the moment she says when she grows up, she wants to build robots, own a pizzeria, animate for Pixar, and be a famous YouTuber—whatever she chooses, I know she’ll excel at it. And knowing her, she’ll do it all!
Flexible: Flexibility can be hard for kids, especially those with ADHD, but my daughter rolls with the punches. When something doesn’t go as planned, she comes up with a creative alternative, like the time we told her she’d have to wait for her birthday to get an expensive mask she wanted. She scoured our garage and found some cardboard and paint and made her own—and it was amazingly realistic!
Positive: She can get discouraged at times, like all of us, but she's one of the most positive people I've ever met. She sees the good in everyone and doesn't get easily discouraged when she's trying to master a new skill or video game.
Supportive: I have listened to her counsel her friends on various topics and is always her friends’ biggest cheerleader. Anytime something good happens to one of her friends, she is genuinely happy for them. She’s the kind of friend we all need.
Silly: She loves to laugh every day—and keeps us in stitches with her jokes and funny (long) stories.
Outgoing: My child has never met a stranger and can talk to anyone. When we walk our dog around the block, we usually meet someone new. As an introvert, this can be uncomfortable for me but she pushes me out of my comfort zone and for that, I am grateful.
Quick-witted: Even from a very young age she’s had us in stitches. On one particular occasion, we were saying goodnight to my cousin’s daughter who was wearing pajamas with a fox on them. I looked at her PJs and said, “And what does the fox say” and without missing a beat, my daughter, three years old at the time, finished the punchline with “ding, ding, ding”. I had no idea where she even heard that obnoxious song! Everyone got a huge kick out of it.
Problem solver: As I mentioned before, she loves a challenge and works tirelessly to figure out a solution to whatever obstacle she encounters.
Eco-conscious: She is a fierce advocate for protecting our environment. This past year, she did a school project outlining her agenda if she were President. It included creating more animal sanctuaries, protecting the coral reefs and the ocean, making it illegal for companies to dump their waste into waterways, and solving world hunger.
Inquisitive: She loves school and is eager to go every day. My hope for her is that she’ll always have a love of learning.
Unique: Please refer to Days 1-30.