\u201cIt ain\u2019t fittin\u2019, it just ain\u2019t fittin\u2019,\u201d declared Scarlett O\u2019Hara\u2019s mammy in a scene from Gone with the Wind. Many times, I have wondered if \u201cit just ain\u2019t fittin\u2019\u201d for me, a mom with Attention Deficit Disorder, to homeschool my kids.<\/p>\n
I am in good company at my house. My son John was diagnosed with ADD early and often. He has a few other initials, too, but it\u2019s the ADD that causes him to wear his shoes on the wrong feet and throw his fork in the trashcan while trying to load his napkin into the dishwasher.<\/p>\n
Although my husband was not diagnosed with ADD as a child, he has clearly exhibited characteristics of ADD for a long time. Some years ago, he went to a doctor to check out a knee injury and came home with a prescription for Ritalin. Evidently, the doctor saw something besides a hurt knee.<\/p>\n
The three of us have deficits of attention to details, but, without hyperactivity, our ADD is not always easy to spot. Only our brains are hyperactive, flitting from thing to thing as we try to focus on the task before us. Impulsivity and distractibility are the hallmarks of ADD, and there is plenty of that at our house.<\/p>\n
I suspect I am not the only homeschooling mom who struggles with ADD on a daily basis. Every homeschooling mom is familiar with this interchange from others when they learn that we homeschool. \u201cOh, you must be so organized!\u201d Indeed, it is preferable, admirable and much easier to homeschool from a place of order and organization. But chronic disorganization is the life of someone with ADD. Those of us ADD moms who homeschool often hear the voice of Scarlett\u2019s mammy mumbling in our ears, \u201cIt just ain\u2019t fittin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
I have learned to recognize the voice of condemnation whispering, \u201dPeople like you shouldn\u2019t homeschool.\u201d It is the same voice that would try to say, \u201dPeople like you shouldn\u2019t live.\u201d It belongs to the enemy whose job it is to discourage me from obeying and trusting God.<\/p>\n
My struggle with ADD is constant and ongoing. Yet my God\u2019s faithfulness to bless my children in spite of me is constant and ongoing, too. Now that they are grown, or almost grown, I see they have turned out well in spite of my weaknesses and failures. After homeschooling all the way, my oldest, Claire, graduated college with honors and is now serving the Lord with Wycliffe Bible Translators. My son, John, with all the initials, is doing so well at the community college that he was inducted into a national honor society. That\u2019s not bad for someone who sometimes still puts his shirt on backwards! And when my youngest, Bethany, graduates from our homeschool this spring, she will have twenty-five hours of college credit.
If the blind leads the blind and they both fall into a ditch, what happens when an ADD mom homeschools her ADD child? My theory is that they will eventually get where they are going, with some detours along the way. My three wonderful children support my theory, which enables me to ignore \u201cMammy\u201d and embrace God. I thank Him that He is still working on me and somehow, I am going from glory to glory, ADD and all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/debby-alston-cropped.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDebby Alston has homeschooled with ADD for over 20 years.\u00a0 Before kids, she was\u00a0 a special education teacher. She tutors and teaches sign language and writing classes. Debby and her husband Allen live in Kernersville.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ng\u00e0y 27 th\u00e1ng 6 n\u0103m 2012 \u201cN\u00f3 kh\u00f4ng v\u1eeba, n\u00f3 kh\u00f4ng v\u1eeba,\u201d m\u1eb9 c\u1ee7a Scarlett O'Hara tuy\u00ean b\u1ed1 trong m\u1ed9t c\u1ea3nh c\u1ee7a Cu\u1ed1n theo chi\u1ec1u gi\u00f3. Nhi\u1ec1u l\u1ea7n, t\u00f4i \u0111\u00e3 t\u1ef1 h\u1ecfi li\u1ec7u \u201cn\u00f3 kh\u00f4ng ph\u00f9 h\u1ee3p\u201d \u0111\u1ed1i v\u1edbi t\u00f4i, m\u1ed9t ng\u01b0\u1eddi m\u1eb9 m\u1eafc ch\u1ee9ng R\u1ed1i lo\u1ea1n t\u0103ng \u0111\u1ed9ng gi\u1ea3m ch\u00fa \u00fd, cho con h\u1ecdc t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0. T\u00f4i \u0111ang \u1edf trong c\u00f4ng ty t\u1ed1t \u1edf nh\u00e0 c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i. Con trai John c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c ch\u1ea9n \u0111o\u00e1n m\u1eafc b\u1ec7nh TH\u00caM s\u1edbm v\u00e0 th\u01b0\u1eddng xuy\u00ean. Anh \u1ea5y c\u0169ng c\u00f3 m\u1ed9t v\u00e0i ch\u1eef c\u00e1i \u0111\u1ea7u kh\u00e1c, nh\u01b0ng ch\u00ednh ADD \u0111\u00e3 khi\u1ebfn anh \u1ea5y \u0111i nh\u1ea7m gi\u00e0y v\u00e0 n\u00e9m n\u0129a v\u00e0o th\u00f9ng r\u00e1c trong khi c\u1ed1 g\u1eafng nh\u00e9t kh\u0103n \u0103n v\u00e0o m\u00e1y r\u1eeda b\u00e1t. M\u1eb7c d\u00f9 ch\u1ed3ng t\u00f4i kh\u00f4ng \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c ch\u1ea9n \u0111o\u00e1n m\u1eafc b\u1ec7nh TH\u00caM khi c\u00f2n nh\u1ecf, nh\u01b0ng anh \u1ea5y \u0111\u00e3 b\u1ed9c l\u1ed9 r\u00f5 r\u00e0ng c\u00e1c \u0111\u1eb7c \u0111i\u1ec3m c\u1ee7a b\u1ec7nh TH\u00caM trong m\u1ed9t th\u1eddi gian d\u00e0i. V\u00e0i n\u0103m tr\u01b0\u1edbc, anh \u0111\u1ebfn b\u00e1c s\u0129 \u0111\u1ec3 ki\u1ec3m tra ch\u1ea5n th\u01b0\u01a1ng \u0111\u1ea7u g\u1ed1i v\u00e0 v\u1ec1 nh\u00e0 v\u1edbi \u0111\u01a1n thu\u1ed1c Ritalin. R\u00f5 r\u00e0ng, b\u00e1c s\u0129 \u0111\u00e3 nh\u00ecn th\u1ea5y m\u1ed9t c\u00e1i g\u00ec \u0111\u00f3 ngo\u00e0i \u0111\u1ea7u g\u1ed1i b\u1ecb \u0111au. C\u1ea3 ba ch\u00fang t\u00f4i \u0111\u1ec1u kh\u00f4ng ch\u00fa \u00fd \u0111\u1ebfn c\u00e1c chi ti\u1ebft, nh\u01b0ng n\u1ebfu kh\u00f4ng c\u00f3 t\u00ednh hi\u1ebfu \u0111\u1ed9ng th\u00e1i qu\u00e1, ADD c\u1ee7a ch\u00fang t\u00f4i kh\u00f4ng ph\u1ea3i l\u00fac n\u00e0o c\u0169ng d\u1ec5 d\u00e0ng ph\u00e1t hi\u1ec7n ra. Ch\u1ec9 c\u00f3 b\u1ed9 n\u00e3o c\u1ee7a ch\u00fang ta l\u00e0 qu\u00e1 hi\u1ebfu \u0111\u1ed9ng, chuy\u1ec3n t\u1eeb vi\u1ec7c n\u00e0y sang vi\u1ec7c kh\u00e1c khi ch\u00fang ta c\u1ed1 g\u1eafng t\u1eadp trung v\u00e0o nhi\u1ec7m v\u1ee5 tr\u01b0\u1edbc m\u1eaft. T\u00ednh b\u1ed1c \u0111\u1ed3ng v\u00e0 d\u1ec5 m\u1ea5t t\u1eadp trung l\u00e0 nh\u1eefng \u0111\u1eb7c \u0111i\u1ec3m n\u1ed5i b\u1eadt c\u1ee7a TH\u00caM, v\u00e0 c\u00f3 r\u1ea5t nhi\u1ec1u th\u1ee9 nh\u01b0 v\u1eady \u1edf nh\u00e0 ch\u00fang t\u00f4i. T\u00f4i nghi ng\u1edd m\u00ecnh kh\u00f4ng ph\u1ea3i l\u00e0 b\u00e0 m\u1eb9 cho con h\u1ecdc t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0 duy nh\u1ea5t ph\u1ea3i v\u1eadt l\u1ed9n v\u1edbi ch\u1ee9ng TH\u00caM h\u00e0ng ng\u00e0y. M\u1ecdi b\u00e0 m\u1eb9 h\u1ecdc t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0 \u0111\u1ec1u quen thu\u1ed9c v\u1edbi s\u1ef1 trao \u0111\u1ed5i n\u00e0y t\u1eeb nh\u1eefng ng\u01b0\u1eddi kh\u00e1c khi h\u1ecd bi\u1ebft r\u1eb1ng ch\u00fang t\u00f4i h\u1ecdc t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0. "\u1ed2, b\u1ea1n ph\u1ea3i r\u1ea5t c\u00f3 t\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c!" Th\u1eadt v\u1eady, h\u1ecdc t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0 t\u1eeb m\u1ed9t n\u01a1i c\u00f3 tr\u1eadt t\u1ef1 v\u00e0 t\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c l\u00e0 \u0111i\u1ec1u t\u1ed1t h\u01a1n, \u0111\u00e1ng ng\u01b0\u1ee1ng m\u1ed9 v\u00e0 d\u1ec5 d\u00e0ng h\u01a1n nhi\u1ec1u. Nh\u01b0ng s\u1ef1 v\u00f4 t\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c m\u00e3n t\u00ednh l\u00e0 cu\u1ed9c s\u1ed1ng c\u1ee7a ng\u01b0\u1eddi m\u1eafc ch\u1ee9ng TH\u00caM. Ai trong ch\u00fang ta TH\u00caM nh\u1eefng b\u00e0 m\u1eb9 h\u1ecdc \u1edf nh\u00e0 th\u01b0\u1eddng nghe th\u1ea5y gi\u1ecdng n\u00f3i c\u1ee7a m\u1eb9 Scarlett l\u1ea7m b\u1ea7m b\u00ean tai ch\u00fang ta, \u201cKh\u00f4ng v\u1eeba \u0111\u00e2u.\u201d T\u00f4i \u0111\u00e3 h\u1ecdc c\u00e1ch nh\u1eadn ra ti\u1ebfng n\u00f3i l\u00ean \u00e1n th\u00ec th\u1ea7m, "Nh\u1eefng ng\u01b0\u1eddi nh\u01b0 b\u1ea1n kh\u00f4ng n\u00ean h\u1ecdc \u1edf nh\u00e0." \u0110\u00f3 c\u0169ng ch\u00ednh l\u00e0 gi\u1ecdng n\u00f3i s\u1ebd c\u1ed1 g\u1eafng n\u00f3i, "Nh\u1eefng ng\u01b0\u1eddi nh\u01b0 b\u1ea1n kh\u00f4ng n\u00ean s\u1ed1ng." N\u00f3 thu\u1ed9c v\u1ec1 k\u1ebb th\u00f9 c\u00f3 nhi\u1ec7m v\u1ee5 ng\u0103n c\u1ea3n t\u00f4i v\u00e2ng l\u1eddi v\u00e0 tin c\u1eady Ch\u00faa. Cu\u1ed9c \u0111\u1ea5u tranh c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i v\u1edbi ADD l\u00e0 kh\u00f4ng ng\u1eebng v\u00e0 \u0111ang di\u1ec5n ra. Tuy nhi\u00ean, s\u1ef1 th\u00e0nh t\u00edn c\u1ee7a \u0110\u1ee9c Ch\u00faa Tr\u1eddi trong vi\u1ec7c ban ph\u01b0\u1edbc cho c\u00e1c con t\u00f4i b\u1ea5t ch\u1ea5p t\u00f4i l\u00e0 kh\u00f4ng \u0111\u1ed5i v\u00e0 li\u00ean t\u1ee5c. B\u00e2y gi\u1edd ch\u00fang \u0111\u00e3 l\u1edbn, ho\u1eb7c g\u1ea7n nh\u01b0 \u0111\u00e3 tr\u01b0\u1edfng th\u00e0nh, t\u00f4i th\u1ea5y ch\u00fang \u0111\u00e3 tr\u1edf n\u00ean t\u1ed1t \u0111\u1eb9p b\u1ea5t ch\u1ea5p nh\u1eefng y\u1ebfu k\u00e9m v\u00e0 th\u1ea5t b\u1ea1i c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i. Sau khi ho\u00e0n th\u00e0nh kh\u00f3a h\u1ecdc t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0, Claire, \u0111\u1ee9a con c\u1ea3 c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i, \u0111\u00e3 t\u1ed1t nghi\u1ec7p lo\u1ea1i xu\u1ea5t s\u1eafc \u0111\u1ea1i h\u1ecdc v\u00e0 hi\u1ec7n \u0111ang ph\u1ee5c v\u1ee5 Ch\u00faa v\u1edbi D\u1ecbch gi\u1ea3 Kinh th\u00e1nh Wycliffe. Con trai t\u00f4i, John, v\u1edbi t\u1ea5t c\u1ea3 c\u00e1c ch\u1eef c\u00e1i \u0111\u1ea7u, \u0111ang h\u1ecdc r\u1ea5t t\u1ed1t \u1edf tr\u01b0\u1eddng cao \u0111\u1eb3ng c\u1ed9ng \u0111\u1ed3ng \u0111\u1ebfn n\u1ed7i n\u00f3 \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c gi\u1edbi thi\u1ec7u v\u00e0o m\u1ed9t h\u1ed9i danh d\u1ef1 qu\u1ed1c gia. \u0110i\u1ec1u \u0111\u00f3 kh\u00f4ng t\u1ec7 \u0111\u1ed1i v\u1edbi m\u1ed9t ng\u01b0\u1eddi th\u1ec9nh tho\u1ea3ng v\u1eabn m\u1eb7c ng\u01b0\u1ee3c \u00e1o! V\u00e0 khi \u0111\u1ee9a con \u00fat c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i, Bethany, t\u1ed1t nghi\u1ec7p ch\u01b0\u01a1ng tr\u00ecnh h\u1ecdc t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0 c\u1ee7a ch\u00fang t\u00f4i v\u00e0o m\u00f9a xu\u00e2n n\u00e0y, ch\u00e1u s\u1ebd c\u00f3 25 gi\u1edd t\u00edn ch\u1ec9 \u0111\u1ea1i h\u1ecdc. N\u1ebfu ng\u01b0\u1eddi m\u00f9 d\u1eabn d\u1eaft ng\u01b0\u1eddi m\u00f9 v\u00e0 c\u1ea3 hai \u0111\u1ec1u r\u01a1i xu\u1ed1ng h\u1ed1, \u0111i\u1ec1u g\u00ec s\u1ebd x\u1ea3y ra khi m\u1ed9t b\u00e0 m\u1eb9 ADD d\u1ea1y \u0111\u1ee9a con ADD c\u1ee7a m\u00ecnh t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0? Gi\u1ea3 thuy\u1ebft c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i l\u00e0 cu\u1ed1i c\u00f9ng h\u1ecd s\u1ebd \u0111\u1ebfn \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c n\u01a1i h\u1ecd s\u1ebd \u0111\u1ebfn, v\u1edbi m\u1ed9t s\u1ed1 \u0111\u01b0\u1eddng v\u00f2ng tr\u00ean \u0111\u01b0\u1eddng \u0111i. Ba \u0111\u1ee9a con tuy\u1ec7t v\u1eddi c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i \u1ee7ng h\u1ed9 l\u00fd thuy\u1ebft c\u1ee7a t\u00f4i, \u0111i\u1ec1u n\u00e0y gi\u00fap t\u00f4i b\u1ecf qua \u201cM\u1eb9\u201d v\u00e0 \u0111\u00f3n nh\u1eadn Ch\u00faa. T\u00f4i c\u1ea3m \u01a1n Ng\u00e0i v\u00ec Ng\u00e0i v\u1eabn \u0111ang h\u00e0nh \u0111\u1ed9ng tr\u00ean t\u00f4i v\u00e0 b\u1eb1ng c\u00e1ch n\u00e0o \u0111\u00f3, t\u00f4i \u0111ang \u0111i t\u1eeb vinh quang n\u00e0y \u0111\u1ebfn vinh quang kh\u00e1c, TH\u00caM v\u00e0 t\u1ea5t c\u1ea3. Debby Alston \u0111\u00e3 h\u1ecdc t\u1ea1i nh\u00e0 v\u1edbi ADD h\u01a1n 20 n\u0103m. Tr\u01b0\u1edbc khi c\u00f3 con, c\u00f4 \u1ea5y l\u00e0 m\u1ed9t gi\u00e1o vi\u00ean gi\u00e1o d\u1ee5c \u0111\u1eb7c bi\u1ec7t. C\u00f4 d\u1ea1y k\u00e8m v\u00e0 d\u1ea1y c\u00e1c l\u1edbp ng\u00f4n ng\u1eef k\u00fd hi\u1ec7u v\u00e0 vi\u1ebft. Debby v\u00e0 ch\u1ed3ng c\u00f4 \u1ea5y l\u00e0 Allen s\u1ed1ng \u1edf Kernersville. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[221,14],"tags":[16,109],"class_list":["post-21865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-may-june-2012","category-greenhouse","tag-encouragement","tag-struggling-learners"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgvs5H-5GF","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21865"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21865\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21869,"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21865\/revisions\/21869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nche.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21865"}],"curies":[{"name":"trang web","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}