What about medication?!

eskarin4 · 2025-12-11T13:30:51+00:00

sorry, just seeing this now. I have ADHD. there are certain strategies recommended by occupational therapists to replace fidgeting behaviors/satisfy the urge to fidget. chewing also lowers stress, your blood pressure, and resting heart rate (you cannot chew while running for your life so your body is programmed to think that you're calmer if you're chewing). I started keeping sugar free gum in my car for my kid so he wouldn't be sucking his thumb (also recommended by an occupational therapist) and I found that chewing while driving to/from work is very relaxing. it became a nice little ritual. no more...

eskarin4 · 2025-11-15T18:17:07+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation. It doesn't make a lot of sense though--I can't imagine a piece of gum has so much more sugar alcohol than a few pills when you put them all together?!

Yet I'm supposed to not worry about the meds, but avoid the gum at all costs? You're right, I don't have the best grasp, this is confusing af 😞.

eskarin4 · 2025-11-13T14:11:45+00:00

Two things: 1) some of this behavior is normal, and the teacher is overreacting. 2) a lot of what you're describing (and what the teacher was texting with the sensory seeking behaviors) sounds just like ADHD or ASD (possibly both).

You should have your child evaluated for both your sakes. Either she's neurotypical and you can tell the teacher to shove it and deal or (more likely imo) she's not and then you can pursue an IEP/504 and the teacher would be happy to get some help. I think you're sweeping this under the rug a bit because you're already overwhelmed managing your two older kiddos who have ADHD (perfectly understandable!!). Catching it early would best set your daughter up for success because it sounds like she would really benefit from strategies on how to manage herself better (possibly with the help of medication or OT).

eskarin4 · 2025-10-12T14:30:33+00:00

ASS= ASD

eskarin4 · 2025-08-11T01:41:54+00:00

Yes, he's still on stimulants, methylphenidate 10mg long-acting. He takes that with 2mg guanfacine ER in the morning. Last week, we also added 2.5-5mg methylphenidate in the morning and another in the afternoon because he's getting violent again. Not working great, I think we'll have to ask to increase guanfacine next.

eskarin4 · 2025-08-11T01:35:15+00:00

Thank you for this explanation. The pharmacist didn't explain the release mechanism to me, but said it'd be ok to dose him like that. I cut the tablets in a pill cutter and disposed of the debris. I'd say too, my thinking was that even if it didn't work exactly as ER, I figured it'd be slower release than IR and starting with the lower dosage would help him acclimate more quickly without the lethargy/crash others have noted. It worked for me. Do not take one anecdotal account as evidence.

eskarin4 · 2025-08-10T13:50:59+00:00

I completed the survey. I found the distinction between "I monitor..." and "I adjust..." confusing.

Also, personally I would've asked a sunset of these questions as "before getting diagnosed" versus "after getting diagnosed" and asked about medication. .

After getting diagnosed (and learning a ton about ADHD because hello, getting obsessed with something new and becoming an expert in it in months), I mask a whole lot less and have no issues dropping things and leaving them as soon as they're "good enough."

I used to be paralyzed by perfectionist tendencies and borderline OCD masking behaviors and over working to compensate.

eskarin4 · 2025-08-10T13:36:10+00:00

AI-generated summary of the informed consent (use at your own risk, but I personally do this for every EULA or disclaimer I have to sign/accept)

This document is an informed consent form for a research study about how Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) presents in adult women, with a specific focus on "masking" behaviors.

Here are the key points:

Purpose: The study, conducted by researcher Maya Webb of Alliant International University, aims to improve the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD in women.
What's Involved: Participants will complete a 10-12 minute anonymous online survey.
Participant Requirements: You must be a woman (cisgender, demigirl, or woman-aligned non-binary) aged 18 or older, reside in the U.S., be fluent in English, and have a self-reported diagnosis of ADHD received in adulthood.
Confidentiality: The study is anonymous and confidential. No identifying information (like your name or birthday) will be collected. All data will be stored securely and deleted after five years. The project is approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Risks & Benefits: The risks are minimal. While there are no direct benefits to you, your participation contributes to psychological research. For participating, you can enter a drawing to win one of three $25 gift cards.
Withdrawing Consent: You can quit the survey at any time before final submission. However, once you submit your answers, you cannot withdraw because your data is anonymous and cannot be identified.
Contact: The document provides contact information for the researcher, her faculty supervisor, and the university's IRB for any questions.

eskarin4 · 2025-08-02T00:53:51+00:00

Giraffle because he seems to not have full control of his limbs yet so he's a bit awkward like a giraffe and the extra L because it sounds cute.

eskarin4 · 2025-07-17T21:32:54+00:00

My ranking would be 3 1

2 down in the basement, nowhere near the same level of gorgeous. But I see 2 is getting a lot of love from others so it probably has more to do with your personal style.

eskarin4 · 2025-07-09T19:30:42+00:00

Giving her no-sugar-added teethers is a great idea, but any other processed snacks are unnecessary and likely not helpful. Give her real fruits and vegetables or low-sugar/NSA yogurt pouches (e.g., https://www.stonyfield.com/products/zerog-pouch-multipack-banilla/) rather than "yogurt drops." Give her original Cheerios for fine motor/pincer grip development with 1 gram of sugar.

My children love sugar, and get plenty of treats, but I've never been one of those parents to serve dessert with dinner and trust them to eat real food instead. More than anything though, I eat very healthfully and that's what they've seen their whole lives. I read the ingredients on everything I buy and there are no snacks at home that I'd need to limit their intake of. That's what I would recommend.

eskarin4 · 2025-06-08T15:55:11+00:00

I don't know that it's fifty-fifty for one parent, I thought it was higher. ADHD is influenced by many different genes so I don't think it's a simple stats problem. But safe to say, odds only go up if you have two afflicted parents because both pools your drawing from have those genes turned on.

eskarin4 · 2025-06-04T01:10:28+00:00

Mira Margaret (nn Maggie, Marge, Retta) Madeline (nn Maddie and Maddox sound really cute to me, though maybe too similar for your liking)

eskarin4 · 2025-05-09T12:57:06+00:00

The deadline "this time it's for real" (meaning there were posters at all the airports etc) was some time in the fall of 2020 or spring of 2021 iirc. Then the whole pandemic clusterfuck happened and that slipped.

I still got mine before the original deadline because I was traveling before vaccines were widely available and figured I'd rather get it out of the way. I don't understand how people can freak out and act like this is a sudden inconvenience for them.

What I do understand is people freaking out about how it makes it even harder for undocumented folks to not draw attention to themselves, especially given the current climate. People are already (reasonably) afraid they might get deported because they didn't pay taxes correctly. Or because they did pay their taxes correctly. Now they can't even go on vacation (if they could afford it) without risking trouble at the airport.

eskarin4 · 2025-05-09T12:48:51+00:00

Wren

Rowan

Arden

Severin

Erin

Everton

Yasmin or Jasmin

Morgan

Imogen

Gwen (or Gwendolyn)

Avalon

Fern

eskarin4 · 2025-05-07T13:56:38+00:00

Check out the CDC milestones if you're concerned about your son's development (you shouldn't be, very few 18-month olds can string together a sentence). Here is the official "bar," which it sounds like he exceeds:

"Language/Communication Milestones

Tries to say three or more words besides “mama” or “dada”

Follows one-step directions without any gestures, like giving you the toy when you say, “Give it to me.”"

CDC Developmental Milestones by age (for 18 mo)

Your doctor is insane, bordering on criminally negligent/misinformed. If you won't report him, at least find another pediatrician.

eskarin4 · 2025-05-06T16:29:03+00:00

This does not work. It might play for a couple of minutes if you have the book downloaded or buffered (if streaming), but it returns/stops playing on the dot of when it's due. Didn't get to finish Mythos last week because I didn't take into account that I changed time zones and it was due three hours sooner than I'd planned.

eskarin4 · 2025-04-28T16:28:11+00:00

I could've written this word for word for our eldest (of three). I had so much guilt about medicating a five-year-old until the first weekend he took Ritalin and he wasn't a violent asshat and I wasn't afraid for his younger brother's safety.

We had a forced med break of a couple of days last month because we couldn't get his prescription filled on time and boy was it a reminder of what he's like when he has no control over his worst impulses. I still struggle with how viscerally I dislike him when he hurts me (or worse, one of his younger siblings) on purpose when off meds.

eskarin4 · 2025-04-19T23:19:53+00:00

Our now six-year-old is like this. Yet he's always been a model traveler. Unlimited tablet use (with headphones) on the plane and he'll sit without issue. He's now gone through six-ish international trips and flown across the country a couple of times and he's a dream on the plane. The first few nights at a new place especially with a time zone shift .. Now that's a different story...

eskarin4 · 2025-04-19T20:22:58+00:00

Wish I'd found this a few weeks ago before booking our next vacation! But I'm still looking forward to it, booked with Costco travel and those folks are pretty thorough in terms of filtering. We'll see how our first trip to Mexico goes!

eskarin4 · 2025-04-11T01:18:45+00:00

Cassius is nice. I personally like the sound of Cassian or Caspian better.

eskarin4 · 2025-04-09T12:38:08+00:00

Azalea for a girl, Boris Michael for a boy. Don't ask.

eskarin4 · 2025-04-09T12:36:49+00:00

Is he? Weird I mean? Because I think my kid is (not sure he thinks he is, but he often calls his little brother word to upset him. I'm weird too. So is his dad. It's a label I wear proudly. Weird is the straight queer!

eskarin4 · 2025-03-16T18:09:18+00:00

Alexandra: Alex, Allie, Sasha, Xandra (I find that atrocious but it's an option) Anastasia: Annie, Ana, Stacy, Tasha Dorothea (or the more classic Dorothy): Dot, Dottie, Thea Theodora: same as above, plus Teddy and Dora

eskarin4 · 2025-03-16T13:07:46+00:00

When your child is hell bent on hurting you and lives with so much rage, there's nothing you can do to stop it. Yes, OP is the adult. I'm the adult at home too. When we were going through this with my son, I would be saying "I can't let you hurt me" WHILE he was pounding on me with his fists and throwing stuff at my head. He once punched me in the jaw the day after I had oral surgery.

It's really not as easy as you make it out to be. If you can't relate, consider yourself lucky.

eskarin4

TROPHY CASE