Rethinking ADHD: Attention to Dreams, Humor and Discoveries

By Dawn Jackson, M.Ed What is art? Is it merely an opportunity for your child to view life from a new perspective, or is it just another mess that ends up needing cleanup by the end of the day? As a homeschool mom of three, I’ve experienced my fair share of creative chaos. I recall the vibrant murals we painted on the kitchen wall, featuring the animals we were studying. We made homemade playdough and amassed a collection of rubber stamps to craft beautiful art and cards for our loved ones. I initially saw these activities as simply fun and a way for my own artistic brain to alleviate the daily overwhelm. However, I soon realized the profound impact these art activities were having on my children, nurturing their innate curiosity and need for play. I was driven to achieve homeschooling perfection, striving for the best curriculum and ensuring they learned everything necessary for life. Yet, what I discovered from our art days was far more valuable than I had ever imagined. The benefits of art play are so remarkable and extensive that it’s challenging to capture them all in words. For instance, observe the magic that happens when paint hits paper. Add a spritz of water from a spray bottle and watch it blend and flow. If you're feeling adventurous, hand them a straw and let them blow paint into wiggly lines. Once it dries, they can go back and add eyes, features, and bodies to create their own creatures. The result? Curiosity takes flight, invention soars, and spontaneity is embraced. What lessons are unfolding here? As a teacher and coach, I remind myself of the objectives behind the art activities I present. What can children gain from these enriching experiences? How can art teach them to perceive the world around them differently? I’ve utilized art in various ways with children: as a therapeutic tool for emotional expression, a medium for spontaneous play, a means to tell stories, a way to explore the perspectives of master artists, or simply as a relaxing activity. Art is a beautiful gift from our Creator, the greatest artist of all, enabling us to view the world through fresh lenses. These are the valuable lessons children can gain from their art experiences. Yes, art can be messy, and it requires thinking outside the box to gather the right supplies and set aside any self-doubt about creativity. I encourage parents to provide a wide array of fun materials for their children to explore—different papers, grocery bags, old books, journals, paints, oil pastels, and chalk. Each texture presents a unique challenge and learning opportunity. Through art, you can gain insights into how your child thinks, feels, and approaches new experiences, perhaps discovering a budding artist you never knew existed. The most rewarding aspect of creating art with your child is the joy it brings to your heart as you reconnect with your inner child. When your child hears the joy in your laughter, they’ll feel inspired to join in the fun. Maybe today is the perfect day to start a new routine of daily art creation. Step outside and remember to bring along that box of chalk. Enjoy the process!

By Tracy Criswell It’s a question that has plagued me since starting back with homeschooling our four children: "Am I doing enough?" This summer, our family faced a series of challenges, including three surgeries—my husband’s benign tumor removal, my oldest son’s wisdom teeth extraction, and my oldest daughter’s spinal fusion—along with jury duty, a loss of income since I had to forgo my summer job to care for everyone, and the stress of preparing for a new homeschool year. This has been the toughest start to a homeschool year in our eight years of experience. A Rough Start We decided to start homeschooling the Tuesday after Labor Day. I thought this would give us time to gauge how well my oldest daughter was recovering and help her siblings transition into their dual-enrolled classes at local schools. It seemed like a good plan, but as soon as we started, I felt overwhelmed, and the familiar question resurfaced: "Am I doing enough?" Our days became packed with commitments—three different band practices (my youngest daughter weekly, my youngest son every other morning, and my oldest daughter every day), band lessons every other week, weekly therapy sessions for my middle two children to manage their anxiety, orthodontist visits, psychiatric evaluations for my oldest daughter, vision therapy appointments, doctor visits for anxiety medication, and, of course, homeschooling. One Day at a Time I don’t write lesson plans in advance (except for my oldest son, who is very independent), because I never know what each day will bring. My children have varying abilities and needs, and it’s a constant challenge to meet them all. But this past weekend, I noticed a pattern: every other week is chaotic. This is when band lessons, homeschool visits from our supervising teacher, and medical appointments tend to cluster. I’ve come to accept that on those hectic weeks, I’ll do my best to teach my children, even if that means schooling in the van between appointments. On the calmer weeks, we focus on catching up with any missed work. My husband has been an incredible support. He helps with dinner, listens when I need to talk about how things are going, and occasionally takes the kids to activities, giving me some quiet time to catch up on paperwork. His help has made a big difference. Other Strategies In addition to my husband's support, I’ve found a few other strategies that help keep the "Am I doing enough?" question at bay: Focus on completing three core subjects every day, no matter what. Write down what we accomplish each day for a clear visual of what we’ve done and what still needs attention. Use videos to supplement different subject areas like science, social studies, and literature. Incorporate read-alouds or audiobooks to deepen our understanding of various topics as a family. Take advantage of field trips, library activities, and volunteer opportunities as part of our learning. Practice giving and receiving grace. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from friends and family. More Than Enough At some point, most of us ask ourselves, "Am I doing enough?" The answer is, “Yes, I am.” I am providing a homeschool education tailored to my children’s unique needs and abilities. I’m teaching them life skills and values that will shape how they treat others. Life has seasons, and right now, ours is full of doctor’s appointments, therapy sessions, dual-enrollment classes, tumbling, scouting, 4-H, and more. But through it all, I’ve learned that I’m doing more than enough.