If you’re a teacher, or a parent, or work with kids in any capacity, you may recognize this child: The one who stares out the window during whole-group instruction. The one who answers the question, “What does that word say?” with “Ms. Divya, why does your hair look different today?”  

Their hallmark symptoms of inattention and impulsivity can be frustrating. Their behaviors take time away from instruction and disrupt the entire class. And, what is most frustrating about it all is that you know they have the brainpower, but they are unable to focus for long enough to retain the information.

Learning can be challenging for children with ADHD. Here's how we can support. Share on X

However, with patience and appropriate strategies, these kids ARE able to thrive in the classroom. Here are some suggestions.

1) Repeat yourself. 

Do you, as an adult, ask someone to repeat themselves if they are talking too quietly? Or if you happened to be lost in thought? This. Is. Normal. Children need to be taught that it’s OK to ask people to repeat themselves. They don’t need to be reprimanded because they didn’t hear it the first time. They are not robots.

Sure, it can be frustrating. So use some visual cues (a hand gesture, a bright-colored paper, etc.) before you present important information. Make sure you’ve captured their attention before you speak. And, yes, if necessary, repeat yourself.

You are not giving in to poor learning behaviors. You are being helpful to students who need some extra reminders.

2) Be engaging.

Nobody is asking you to tap dance on top of your desk. But, speaking AT children for an excessive amount of time is going to be challenging for any student. Not just the students with ADHD.

Allow students to productively struggle. This will increase investment & curiosity. Share on X

Worksheets don’t teach kids how to critically think. Allowing them to explore and productively struggle? That is how you build investment and curiosity. Hook them in. With emotional content or a costume. With a short movie clip or a story. Be engaging. Your students need to enjoy learning if you want them to be successful.

3) Occupy the right side of the brain. This will allow the left brain to concentrate on work.

Let your students fidget. Or play with cubes and stress balls while they listen to you lecture. Let them sit on yoga balls or spinning chairs. Or stand up and pace while instruction is happening.

       

 

Sidetracking a person’s subconscious mind allows their conscious mind to focus. Share on X

Distract them. When an ADHD student’s creative brain, or body, is occupied, their logical brain can concentrate.

4) Shift your mindset and thinking. 

Your goal is not to change the way the child’s brain operates. In fact, a brain with ADHD will never change the way it operates. Students should learn strategies to help them work around their disability. And who better to model this than their teachers and/or parents? Accept that their disorder is a huge part of what makes them unique. 

Instead of viewing them as a distraction in the classroom, focus on the advantages. They are teaching other students about the variety of learning styles. They are teaching the other kids about what it means to be tolerant, loving, and supportive.

More than anything, be patient. They are just as frustrated that they can’t pay attention. They want to learn and play and be like everyone else.

Love them.

Respect them.

Appreciate them.

Whether you know it or not, they’re teaching you lessons, too.

Questions of the Day:

• Do you know a child who struggles with inattention or impulsivity?
  
• How do you support the students or kids you work with? 

The weekend is over but, to be honest, it doesn’t really feel like my vacation is over because Sister is still in town. She leaves tomorrow and then the harsh reality will sink in. But, for now, I’m just going to soak in the last two days we have together!

The past few days have been so much fun and I’m happy Sister got to experience Harrogate in all it’s glory. Let’s do a picture recap of the past few days! (Although, if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, these pictures will look familiar!)

Thanksgiving Day:

We started Thanksgiving morning with a hike at the Fitness Trail. We figured it was necessary to start the day off with a little sweat before cooking our Thanksgiving feast!

Our Thanksgiving dinner was small but satisfying. We had stuffing with ground turkey, pumpkin pasta, sweet potatoes, and squash and quinoa. Dessert was Sister’s warm brownies topped with ice cream! Not your typical Thanksgiving meal, but we were feeling rebellious.

We also wanted Thanksgiving to be a little on the lighter side since we knew that Friendsgiving on Friday would consist of a lot of food and drinks!

 

Friday:

We were, again, determined to work up a sweat before diving head-first into the Friendsgiving feast. Ankur and I had heard of the Sand Caves in Ewing, Virginia but had never been. Since we had all day, we figured a 10-mile hike was in the cards for us. (I started complaining after Mile 7. Partially because I had rolled my ankle. And partially because I was hangry).

I don’t think we expected the hike to be very difficult, so we packed very little water and no snacks whatsoever. Luckily, we ran into an older man on his way down who gave us his extra waterbottles. He said he always carries a few extra because he runs into ill-prepared hikers that have no idea what they’re getting themselves into. (AKA us).

The difficulty of the hike wasn’t so much in the length or the incline. It was because the path was covered in SO many rocks that were hidden by leaves so, at any given point, you could just slip and fall.  (Which happened to me at least 5 times).

But, eventually, we reached the Sand Cave and all was worth it. It wasn’t an actual cave like I was expecting, but an enormous rock-shelter carved by the erosional forces of wind, water and ice. Pretty unbelievable.

By the end of the hike, we were all exhausted and ready to dig into some food, so we went and got sandwiches from Dutch Treat – even though we had our Friendsgiving feast a few hours after that. I think a 10-mile hike means I could eat all the things. Sandwiches. Turkey. Stuffing. The works. Right?

Friendsgiving:

Katy and Gentry hosted Friendsgiving at their place and we all brought a couple things to contribute to the dinner.

There were food and drinks and games (and shots of vodka).

But my favorite thing of all was the company.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The people I have met here have become somewhat of a family for me and I wouldn’t have been able to successfully survive this transition without them. I’m so grateful for their friendship.

Saturday:

Despite the fact that my legs were sore and I was sportin’ a slight headache from Friendsgiving the night before, Sister and I went to Step Aerobics at 9AM. There was no way I was going to let Sister leave Harrogate without experiencing Brenda.

After class, we quickly showered and ran out the door to meet Julie in Maryville for a hometown date! Sister met Julie in DC at their book club. They bonded over Eleanor Roosevelt and became fast friends. Julie grew up just outside of Knoxville, so when Sister made her plans to come here for Thanksgiving, she also made plans to visit Julie, her family, and, of course, Subs and Such.

Sister and I had never experienced “steam” before. But, apparently, Maryville is big into steaming their sandwiches. And Subs & Such does it best. The thing about “steam” is that you gotta eat your sandwich right then and there. Because, if you wait too long, it’ll get a bit soggy. So, Julie, her parents, and Sister and I ordered our steamed sammies and started our tour off with the best tasting sandwich north of the Mississippi.

Julie then took us to see all the things. Her elementary school-turned-Boys-and-Girls-Club, her middle school, high school, funeral homes, nursing homes, the whole shebang.

Then, we went back to her childhood home and got to see where she grew up. And hang out with her family. It was the only – but best – hometown date I had ever been on. And Sissy and I walked away firm believers in the power of steam.

Sunday:

Sissy and I parked it on the couch for most of the day to watch the Gilmore Girls reunion. We were unimpressed. But, like most Gilmore Girls fans, we had to watch it. To witness the back-and-forth banter and the terrible acting. Still, it was fun to see where people ended up and how some people aged far more than others.

We also cooked a bit for the week and Sister gave Peggy a slight makeover. Instead of rope, she’s got garland and, suddenly, she’s become a lot prettier. We’re on the hunt for a tree topper that lights up without looking too over-the-top. Walmart’s got nothing. And, unfortunately, that’s my only option out here. So if there’s something online that you know of, send the recommendations my way!

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Questions of the Day:

• What did you do for Thanksgiving?

• Have you ever experienced a steamed sandwich?
  
• What’s on the top of your Christmas tree? 

Typically, when November/December hits, I worry that I will come down with a fever. Or, at the very least, I fear that I’ll develop a sore throat or cough that I can’t get rid of. (This is partially due to the weather. But, also because I work at an elementary school. Where kids just LOVE to hug you – no matter how sick they are).

However, since I started using a combination of these blends, I’ve been feeling better than ever. On Guard (Protective Blend) and Breathe (Respiratory Blend) are getting me through this flu season and I am so grateful. I’ve been using them in my diffuser, putting a drop of On Guard on my toothpaste, and keeping my rollers on hand whenever I may need it!

Primary Benefits of On Guard

• Supports healthy immune and respiratory function
• Protects against environmental threats
• Supports the body’s natural antioxidant defenses
• Promotes healthy circulation
• Energizing and uplifting aroma

Uses of On Guard

• Add two to three drops in a veggie capsule for an immune boost.
• Add to water for an effective all-purpose surface cleaner.
• Soak sliced apples in water and a few drops for a healthy, immune-boosting snack.
• Combine a few drops of doTERRA On Guard with Fractionated Coconut Oil for a natural hand cleanser.

Directions for Use of On Guard:

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Internal use: Dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid.
Topical use: Apply one to two drops to desired area. Dilute with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to minimize any skin sensitivity.

Primary Benefits of Breathe

• Apply topically to the chest and breathe deeply to enjoy a cooling, invigorating vapor.
• Promotes a restful night’s sleep
• Helps minimize the effects of seasonal threats

Uses of Breathe

• Diffuse, inhale directly from palms, or rub on chest or feet when seasonal and environmental threats are high.
• Use when outdoors to minimize the effects of seasonal threats.
• Diffuse at bedtime for a restful night’s sleep.
• Diffuse or inhale directly from palms, or rub on chest when environmental threats are high.

Directions for Use of Breathe

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Topical use: Apply one to two drops to desired area. Dilute with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to minimize any skin sensitivity.

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I want to clarify that the information I provide here is simply a testimonial of my own healing and my own experience. This hasn’t been scientifically verified with clinical tests or reviewed by medical experts. I am just sharing the benefits I’ve experienced using these two oils and wanted to share! 

If you’re interested in learning more about these oil blends and how we’re using them in our home, feel free to reach out and I’ll e-mail you some more information!

Questions of the Day:

• Do you use essential oils?

• What are you doing to stay healthy this flu season? 

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions are my own.

 

With the holiday season upon us, people are making plans, booking flights, and gearing up to see their family and friends! I, for one, cannot wait to be reunited with my family in December.

 

We’ve already booked our flights (yay!), made a checklist of things we have to do before leaving Tennessee, loaded up on reading material, and put a hold on our mail for the two weeks we’re gone.

All that’s left to do is pack our items but, first, we need to purchase luggage for our trip! Since we had the help of a moving company during our move across country, we didn’t need to pack any suitcases. Which makes it a bit difficult for our upcoming trip.

Luckily for me, Groupon Goods has incredible offers on luggage and traveling items so Ankur and I didn’t have to venture very far to find what we needed.

There are plenty of luggage sets to choose from, but the Sofia Luggage Collection caught my eye right away. It was affordable, had great reviews, and had a variety of different sizes/styles.

And, with just a few clicks, the preparation for our travels came to an end.

Thank you to Groupon Goods for being so easy to navigate, so affordable, and so convenient! The holidays can be stressful – especially when traveling – but Groupon makes it easier to get things done.

Questions of the Day:

• Have you used Groupon Goods?
  
• Where are you traveling for the holidays?