Touch The Tree

I really like talking one on one with other moms of children with ADHD, especially mom's who have children who are older then Sadie. I like to get an idea of what is in store for me in the coming years. Yes, all children are different and I can't use others to predict my child's future. I realize this. However I do believe that our ADHD children have a lot in common.

Thanksgiving weekend I spent some time speaking with a mom of a 12 year old that has a lot of similarities with Sadie. Very casually she mentioned that her daughter still messes with the ornaments on the tree. I looked at her surprised and asked for clarification. She let me know that at 12 years of age she still touches, rearranges and break ornaments. The thought of Sadie still breaking ornaments at 12 left me feeling a bit hopeless. Every year I think that this is the year we can decorate the tree and leave it alone. I knew that at 7 this was the year! And then I hear this mom tell me differently of her 12 year old...uhhhgggg!

I week later I started to drag the Christmas decorations out of the basement. I was dreading the task now that the reality of more broken ornaments had set in to my thoughts. Slowly I started taking out the various items and tryed to figure out where I would put them. The thought of having to constantly supervise the decorations was overwhelming me. I know that sounds dramatic, but truthfully I am handling as much as I can without intentionally adding more stress to my life.

I want to enjoy Christmas with my family. I want to build great memories with my children. I want to decrees stress for all of us.

So here was my spur of the moment solution:

1. I left a lot of decorations in the storage box

2. I decided what would be okay for the girls to play with

(There are jingle bells hiding in those boxes)

3. I put them out in appealing ways at their level

(A plastic magnetic box that the girls have filled and re-filled with "presents" also know as jingle bells)

4. I let tree decorating be spontaneous and re-doable (is that a word?)

(The snowman box was filled with the only ornaments that are currently on the tree)

5. No lights on the tree this year (maybe that will happen Christmas eve when they are asleep)

6. I put special decorations up high where they are safe from little hands

When we set up the environment for our children to be successful, they are, AND we are less stressed. Yes I could "teach" her not to touch, and I promise you I will at your house. At my house I will spend this holiday relaxing and listening to my children giggle as they give each other "presents" of jingle bells.

What are your secrets for making the Holiday's enjoyable for all? I would love to gleam from your ideas.