INTRODUCTION

“What it’s like to be a parent: It’s one of the hardest things

you’ll ever do, but in exchange, it teaches you the meaning

of unconditional love.” - Nicholas Sparks

I didn’t quite grasp the meaning the first time I encountered this quote. Like

every other adult who has no idea what it entails to be a parent, I disagreed

with the speaker. As you know, there is no manual or recipe for parenting.

Everyone has to make do with what life throws at them, and the rest eventually

falls into place.

Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m a single, middle-aged mother of two

very active kids. I have firsthand experience with ADHD as my sixteen-year-

old daughter is neurotypical, but my eight-year-old son is not neurodivergent.

My daughter was first diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

at six, and that’s when reality slapped me in the face. I’ve experienced

firsthand the pain and embarrassment of my child falling into a frenzy or

acting out in public as an adverse response to something I’ve asked her to do.

And I’ve ridden the never-ending emotional roller coaster when attempting to

get our children to talk to us.