Categories: Kids

Kids will be kids – ADHD is something different

Little kids are supposed to be full of energy and fun. They jump on things, annoy parents and teachers — and you know, act like kids! Kids can go forever, talk faster than a freight train, and make huge messes just having fun.So how is a kid with ADHD different from a “normal” kid being really active?

The Difference Between Being an Active Kid and Being a Kid with ADHD

The difference for me is not being able to control my mind. I want to stop, be still, pay attention, do as I’m told, be responsible, and be good… but my brain won’t tell the rest of my body. I also really really wanted to do well in school but my hand wouldn’t listen to my brain either (I have a written output disorder) so nothing ever ended up on paper.

Every September I would start out all happy that this was going to be the year I fit in and got to work. But by every November, I was depressed. (I hear November is a time when a lot of kids who have ADHD struggle with depression.) My first term report card was once again all C’s or worse, NHIs (not handed in). It would be another year of not being invited to birthday parties because the few friends I was able to make had parents that didn’t want their kids to have anything to do with me. It really sucked.

I just didn’t have a stop sign in my brain like the good kids.

How do you know your ADHD is real and who’s helping YOU? #adhd

Click To Tweet

So just so you know, ADHD is WAY different than just being a normal busy happy hyper kid having fun. It’s a real “thing” and it can really suck if you don’t have adults in your life like great teachers and parents to help you. Fortunately for me my parents are awesome and being the youngest of three boys they knew something was different about me. They have been amazing about helping me find my own way to do school and fit in and be successful.

If someone says there is no such thing as ADHD, they have never experienced being close to someone who really has ADHD and is more than just a busy kid.

How do you know your ADHD is real and who’s helping YOU?

~ Jeff

Get Updates from Jeff in Your Inbox

Don't miss out! Sign up to get the latest news and updates from ADHD Kids Rock.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Jeff Rasmussen

[content-block title="Meet Jeff Rasmussen" color="orange"] Age: 18 City: Langley, BC Diagnosed with ADHD in Grade 7 Biggest Dream: I want to change the world for younger kids like me who are punished daily for having ADHD. Fave Class: Mechanics "I've got the plans in my head for a motorized scooter with a gas-powered engine that I'm actually capable of building." ADHD Superpower: "If I'm determined to do something, literally nothing can stop me. Nothing. Not bribes, not bullets... nothing." Fave Food: Hashbrowns (the kind you buy frozen, in a bag) Career Goals: Telecommunications Guru Life-Changing Event: Winning the WDS Scholarship for Real Life School Achievement: Completing Math & Socials 10 in just 8 weeks this summer. "School's like 99% fluff. Summer school is that, minus the fluff." Biggest Struggle: Even though I take medication I still have trouble staying on task, doing boring homework, remembering not to swear when I am angry or staying still through assemblies. (That's where some of my strategies come in.) [/content-block] [content-block title="An Average Kid with ADHD" color="purple"] My ADHD has been really bad and given me every bad experience you can imagine for a kid. Before medication teachers took away my recess, my gym classes, they put me in the hall, I have been suspended from school, and I never did my work because even though my tests say I’m “gifted” I couldn’t do it. When I first learned I had ADHD I was so happy that I wasn’t bad or broken, it had a name and an explanation for what was going on. [/content-block]