Moms are generally tasked with being the COO of the household. We are the keepers of the schedule, the maker of the lists, the taxi drivers, cooks, the voice in our children’s head telling them to do their homework and clean their rooms. We give medicine, make sure laundry gets done, arrange play dates, return library books, find library books that needed to be returned two weeks ago, find matching socks, and know when we need to buy more diapers. We’re basically our kids’ personal assistants. 

But what if mom has ADHD? How do you keep a household and family schedule running when living with a disorder that makes it hard for you to manage your own schedule and life? 

More importantly, how does a mom teach her children emotional regulation and self control, when her own brain works against her in doing those things herself? How do we develop that mom tribe we all need, when making friends is so challenging because our brains work differently than most people’s?

Every mom with ADHD can thrive if she has the right tools and support.

As ADHDers we need a toolkit specific to how our brains work to keep ourselves and our families functioning. The weight of being the family COO can be manageable, even with ADHD, if you have the right tools. Medicine absolutely can be one of those tools. But in addition, there are countless techniques available —many developed by people with ADHD — that will enable us to thrive.

What’s more, being a mom with ADHD doesn’t have to rob of us of our capacity to pursue our other interests. Before I got serious about using ADHD specific tools to manage my family’s life, stress was our default state and I barely had anytime to pursue interests outside of being a mom. Now I pretty regularly read, write, craft, workout, and volunteer with a non profit that I care about. I also manage to —get this! — have drinks with friends on occasion. Because I get to live as my whole self, not just my mom-self, I am more energized and generally happier when I am with my kids and managing my household.

The more I manage my ADHD, the more my life and my family’s life improves. Learn along with me as I navigate ADHD as a stay at home mom.