Bullet Journal to help my tween

[Mama_Maehem]

Has anyone used a Bullet Journal to help their older child with ADHD get organized?

I would love any tips or tricks if you have. In particular, I'm thinking about a chart to help motivate my tween to keep up with homework or household chores.

She just started her bullet journal to keep up with her homework. The newest challenge there is that her journal is so disorganized that I can't understand it! But I'm hopeful that this tool can help her with the "I forgot" moments.

[ADHDOverload]

Hello! I have learned that ADHD and planning, being on time, basically anything that is of no interest to them is a major task! But I find that if you involve what interests them...that helps. Like if your daughter is into technology allow her to type her diary on a computer. Give her an incentive to do the chores. Like if you do the chores and do them right I will ( then do something she would like that is reasonable). I play video games with my daughter. She is 10. When your kids are doing something they really like they let their guard down and talk to you. Also I recently read an article about APPs and ADHD. I have included the link. Good Luck Friend! 🙏✌️ healthline.com/health/adhd/...

[Mama_Maehem in reply to ADHDOverload]

That’s why I was hoping the bullet journal would be good for her. She is very artistic, loves to draw. I thought she would get into the design/doodle side of it. But so far, not so much.

Thank you for the advice and resource!

[ADHDOverload in reply to Mama_Maehem]

I bet she is very good at drawing! You know people underestimate those with ADHD. They don’t understand them. But honestly they are very interesting and intelligent. My husband has ADHD and it took me YEARS to understand him. How his brain works. Now my daughter has it. What does she like to draw?

[Mama_Maehem in reply to ADHDOverload]

Right now she’s into fantasy, sort of anime/manga inspired. Big eyes, big hair!

We’re just learning that my husband has ADHD! He’s still in the early stages of diagnosis, just took neuropsych testing. He went through 30+ years of life on hard mode. It has been very emotional.

I’m glad to have this place where other people know my struggles!

[ADHDOverload in reply to Mama_Maehem]

I understand that all too well. My husband has ADHD. We have been married 12 years and for the first half of our marriage I felt like I didn’t know him. It was because I didn’t understand him. He is so complex. And I had so much to learn. One of the biggest things that was really hard for me was affection. A lot of people with ADHD don’t like you kissing and hugging on them. I for one am very affectionate. But I have learned what bothers him and what doesn’t. Like lotions, oils, medicines that you rub on. Anything that touches you. It makes his skin crawl. LoL my daughter is the same way. But the biggest one of all and it’s the saddest to me...is communicating. People often times don’t understand what people with ADHD are saying. My husband is very smart. And when he talks to people he works with they think he is talking down to them. But he isn’t. I hope your husband finally gets the help he needs. I understand the situation your in. Because I’m in it to. 🙏✌️

[Mama_Maehem in reply to ADHDOverload]

I feel like I’m married to two different people sometimes! It’s been 14 years, but I have the opposite of what you’re saying. At first we were on the same page more, but as our kids get older and the challenges get bigger, we are running into more issues.

But we have a lot of love in our house. I tell my husband and our kids as long as we have love, we’ll make it through.

Good luck to you, too! We’re all in it together.

[Pennywink]

We haven’t started bullet journals yet, but I remember them being mentioned in How to ADHD (a YouTube channel). I don’t know if looking that up would have more info for you.

For chores / incentives, here is what we currently do:

I made a chart (laminates to use with dry erase markers) w/ 10 blank spaces. Underneath in a list of @ 8 things (chores, being ready for school early, etc) that can earn a check in one of the spaces. If he fills up 10 spaces by then end of the week, he can pick a “coupon” I made of various rewards he might like. However - I only let him choose 1 coupon from among 3 coupons I select ahead of time, and I rotate which coupons he can choose between - and he doesn’t know ahead of time which will be offered, so it always seems like a new surprise. So far its working well.

Each chore with multiple steps has a checklist posted somewhere, so he can have a visual cue if he needs to do. His memory can fail him here, so being able to read it helps - at lest until it moves into habit & he doesn’t need it (with the occasional brush up.) I also use analog timers a lot to help with his time management. And dry erase boards around the house with notes / reminders also helps (if he remembers to check it.)

[Mama_Maehem in reply to Pennywink]

I’ll have to check the How To ADHD on the topic. I just discovered those videos yesterday, and the first one I found had me crying. I think my daughter will really identify with the host, and I’m looking forward to showing her.

Thanks for the tips!