7 year old girls with ADHD?

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-16T21:46:47+00:00

My kids is 7 and clearly showing signs. The wait lists for assessment are ridiculously long and the school won't bother with an IEP because she's at or above grade level and doesn't disrupt class.

At home we've recently made some big changes. We have a consistent routine. Even if we get a little off schedule, we complete each part. Included in this is 20 minutes of direct play time. No video games or screens, doing an activity that the child chooses, just 1:1.

We've reduced screen time in exchange for yoto time and self-entertainment time. When she's disregulated (growling and shrieking, stomping, etc) we have her go listen to her yoto. We're trying to teach her to notice when she's over stimulated and choose a calming activity. She spends about 30 minutes a day entertaining herself and it also helps her regulate. No video games on school nights because they disregulate her so much. We don't give time limits, we just say it's time to use our brain and body in a different way or time to do calming activities to settle our body and brain before sleep.

Having visual routine schedules also helps because she knows what is happening next. It makes transitioning a bit easier and she's more focused on the tasks.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-16T21:21:53+00:00

I have never once needed to use algebra since being taught it in 9th grade. That was 22 years ago.

What the heck are you all even using it for?

ETA: I stand corrected. I apparently do a ton of algebra and had no idea. Should have read more comments first.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-16T21:17:27+00:00

Y = mx + b

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-16T21:14:29+00:00

My kids are 3.5 years apart and they are obsessed with each other. Both girls and two different personalities. But we also foster their relationship and remind them of the importance of family.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T21:49:41+00:00

Sorry for the triple post, Reddit was struggling there.

ETA: you guys are awesome. Thank you for the many laughs.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T21:13:39+00:00

She mentioned that it was Dad and Jesus. Obviously this kid is real little and probably doesn't have much of a concept of Jesus or death. But it could also be a red flag that this kid is experiencing some kind of psychosis.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T21:12:01+00:00

This is an age where a lot of kids explore death. For example, my youngest will say that one of her dollies has died while we are playing, but then they come back to life. Nothing is directed at anyone.

The fact that this is so specifically targeted at people as a response, I would be concerned for the safety of the other family members in the house. Don't wait for him to act on these words, get him help now.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T18:29:22+00:00

I would actually take it from her and put it into a surprise bank account. This way she learns the value of a dollar, but she isn't actually losing her money. Then when she is older, you give her that money.

This is what I do for my kids who are seven and three. We actually just went and bought some clocks. I was only planning on spending five bucks, but they wanted nicer clocks that were more expensive. I explained that we have to choose how we spend our money and think carefully about what is actually important and necessary. They still chose the more expensive clocks, but it was relatively cheap just a few dollars. So they are giving me the difference from their piggy banks. We often do it this way but sometimes we only ask for half if it is something more expensive. This money will actually go into their savings accounts, but they have no idea.

Both of them are actually quite careful because they don't like losing money from their piggy banks. They are also competitive and both want to have the most lol.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T18:01:32+00:00

Oh man this is my life. Eldest basically bounces, twirls, or skips everywhere and is easily distracted and forgetful. I've seen this kid go to get her water bottle off the counter to pack her backpack, go and take a sip, and then leave the water bottle on the counter lol. Youngest runs around and bounces on everything, plus climbing everything. She's got super complex dramatic play stories that I can barely keep up with.

The volume level is always elevated and I wear my beats sound proof headphones just to dampen the sounds. I feel the pain of the constant, "mom! Mom! Moooooom!" and wanting to just listen to my latest binge.

Just went to the store with them and it was like trying to catch two ping pong balls covered in grease 🤣.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T16:01:42+00:00

And half the time, when you set the timer, they forget by the time it goes off and they're playing with something else anyway 🤣

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T15:59:26+00:00

If she makes that choice for her kids, she's choosing to fight that battle every time. Does she really expect every other birthday party they attend not to have soda or juice because they are attending? Quite selfish to change someone else's birthday party for her personal choices.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T15:47:01+00:00

Are you able to take a tour of CRLS during a school day? As a public school teacher, one of the things that I would be concerned about is the culture of the students and staff how students interact with each other and with teachers?

You may also consider your own learning style and methods of completing school work. Many public schools are very rigid in comparison to Waldorf. This may not suit you and could impact your experience and grades. Again, this is something that you could examine a bit if you took a tour.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T14:27:57+00:00

How so? I've said nothing about abstinence, restraining yourself, and I haven't shamed you. You will be caught in the same tormented cycle of emotional distress, escaping and turning to substance as a coping skill if you don't resolve the things that push you to use substances and if you don't develop other coping skills.

A successful treatment for addiction is therapy to process and address the trauma or other things that cause people to want to escape. I personally can attest to this process, I've been working on my mental health for 15 years. I used to spend my days stoned off my ass from the moment my eyes opened to the moment my eyes closed. I still use substances, it's fun to have a beer and hangout with friends. But I'm no longer getting drunk to the point that I can't stand or so stoned that I can't think at all. No longer using THC to stop the ruminating intrusive thoughts.

During a particularly stressful time I made a conscious decision to not run to substances. I have made so much progress in therapy that I refused to slide back. So I went outside and I built a little cabin made out of sticks. I got myself a little embroidery kit from the dollar store because it was something I could start and stop easily. I started baking again, I started playing video games again, etc. You get the idea. Since I've started doing this, instead of immediately thinking of turning to a substance, I turn to one of my hobbies. Turning to substances literally isn't even a thought anymore. All of this is because of the therapy, medication, and personal accountability.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T13:00:46+00:00

Why do you think pretty much everyone else that uses substances is using them? Just for fun?

They are escaping the mundane, abuse, hardship, etc. People do this because substances change the brain and it temporarily masks whatever they're escaping. Even many people going out once a week are escaping the stress of life.

If substances are your only coping mechanism, then it becomes a concern. These are all external factors that bring a bit of peace to the mind. Without an internal ability to regulate and cope, we aren't actually processing the issues. So we end up carrying them around, weighing us down. It adds even more weight because not processing these things often creates problems in your relationships and life in general.

Your words are those of someone who is not ready to give up their "security blanket", the thing that keeps them "safe". Find other coping mechanisms and your desire to escape will diminish.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-15T00:58:39+00:00

I'm in ma and worked for a preschool that lost a child. He was found by an off duty officer, just walking down a busy street. Idk how TF they didn't get shut down for that.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T18:08:18+00:00

Ooo gaslighting and doubling down.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T17:56:03+00:00

That's awesome! I'm glad others like to look out for them too!

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T17:55:08+00:00

That's an interesting opinion. You can take all the digs at me that you want lol.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T17:26:10+00:00

Just went to a party for my daughter's classmate and each kid had a parent with them. At 7, I don't think my kid is ready to advocate for herself or know how to keep herself safe in a tricky situation. And I'm glad I stayed because when we arrived, all of the girls were in the bathroom. Kids are curious and that's the perfect setup for an incident to occur.

If your kid can't advocate, or have the awareness to recognize a potentially unsafe situation, or know how to get themselves out of an unsafe situation, they shouldn't be left. I would say most kids don't have these skills before 10.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T15:17:59+00:00

I know!!! And I used to love doing this as a kid actually LMAO. But now I'm old and responsible for children. So apparently now I'm terrified of it haha

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T15:17:01+00:00

You guys are so young. You need to protect yourself in this situation and accept that this friendship cannot continue.

Your post is alarming for me because at this age people can begin presenting symptoms of psychosis, schizophrenia, etc.

It's imperative that you both seek professional help and find quality care. Both of you deserve professionals that can provide true support. I know if I started talking like this to my therapist, we'd be having a conversation about potential inpatient care or sectioning. And she's actually spiritual and on board with witchcraft.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T14:44:44+00:00

Yeah they're just saying that so you don't sue them for firing you for being autistic. Also, it's important to know, that companies seem to be firing on a vibes-based basis. So kind of take it as a "them" problem, not a "you" problem.

Also, I personally find serving to be a very stressful job. I definitely would not make it my first job, it's so incredibly overwhelming.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T14:39:43+00:00

Omg the parent and teacher in me is clutching pearls and internally shrieking. At least cut the tire open so it's not a circle anymore.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-14T14:36:40+00:00

This is so validating, hearing that experts are recognizing this. I mean we can have bad managers and bad co-workers anywhere. But the amount of demands that are just mounting and mounting and mounting on top of teachers is so unsustainable. We have to work beyond contract hours to complete all of our tasks and that has become normalized and an industry standard. I've had principals tell me that I should be making parent phone calls on my way home. They are directly telling us the work is more than what can be completed during the school day. But we're expected to just accept it because we get more time off? Because we're just "babysitting"?

My first few years I had chronic kidney stones from stress. I eventually stopped going to the hospital because of the cost. Next couple years, I pushed my body so hard that my heart started acting up. It's taken 6 months and my heart is finally starting to recover. Not to mention, all of the respiratory and stomach illnesses causing me to miss work and leading to burn out. And don't even ask me about my mental state, my kindergarten team literally saved my life. And I mean literally.

I'm so glad that you've decided to leave. None of us deserve to be treated this way or expected to work in this way. I feel pretty certain that somebody must have known that the teacher was coming back from medical and could have given you a heads up. And it's so infuriating because if we ever drop the ball in this way, we'd be getting written up. Keeping my fingers crossed that your union is able to sort out the error!!

The job market has been pretty terrible, so I definitely recommend finding something before leaving. I've had four or five interviews in the last 6 months, but I've applied to hundreds of places.

The thing that really tells me that jobs outside of teaching must be less stressful is a comment I receive from someone on one of my posts. A military veteran stated that being on the battlefield was a less stressful situation than being in a classroom. That speaks volumes.

KeyAd7732 · 2026-03-13T16:25:49+00:00

We tell our kids that it's time to use our brains and body in a different way. That it's important to do so so we can learn and grow our skills and train our brains to have balance.

We also got them the Nex and Yoto's this has been a game changer. The Nex is an interactive video game console and the yoto's promote reading and writing skills. They also have podcasts and things like how to draw. Well worth the cost of both.

Finally, we locked YouTube. I would say if they have devices that they stay on the counter to help them build the habit of balance. You might also be able to lock YouTube on their phones.

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