Outside the box: from the Clark Chronicles

My 15 year old 6'0 baby boy, Clark.

One thing I've learned as the parent of an ADHD child (now, young man): ADHD kids are the prototype of out-of-the-box thinkers.  In my early years with Clark, I thought his solutions were irrational, a little nuts, and infuriating.  Why was he weeding the flower bed in lacrosse gloves?  How could he possibly remove a spring from the lawnmower engine to get out of mowing the the grass?

A few weeks ago, we asked Clark to mow the leaves in the yard into the grass catcher.  This job creates a lot of leave-dust, so Clark protested.  We insisted.  Clark said, "Fine.  What am I supposed to do about the dust?"

Rather than answer the question for him, we left him to his own devices.  Personally, I would have tied a bandana around my face.  My husband owns a few face masks for just this purpose (the white ones with the stretchy strap that goes around the back of your head), and he would have used one of them. 

Clark was 15 years old at the time, 6'0 tall, and one would assume he would choose an easy, effective solution that would not ruin his social life for the next three years.  But, if one assumed that, one would be wrong. 

Clark chose to stuff toilet paper up his nose, with the ends streaming free and floating in the breeze. 

Unfortunately, I didn't realize until too late, and I missed the photo op. 

I tried to imagine any of our other four neuro-typical kids doing the same thing, brazenly in the front yard, at his age.  Nope.  Not a chance.  They would never risk their reputation and social life like that.
 
But Clark defended his choice.

"It was quick.  It was easy.  It worked.  It didn't get tangled in my hair."

Right on all counts.

So, tell me about your ADHD kids in the comments.  What are their creative solutions to life's little problems?

Until next time,

Clark's Mom aka Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Pamela Fagan Hutchins writes on parenting ADHD kids, thanks to the crash course given to her by her 15-year old ADHD son, Clark, and his ADHD father. She focuses on the post-elementary school years. Visit her blog, Road to Joy, but hang on for the ride as she screws up her kids, drives her husband insane, embarrasses herself in triathlon, and sometimes writes utter nonsense.