As it was school holidays this week, we decided
(misguidedly) to take the kids out to the burger bar
one day. Eleanor, 4, is always OK whenever we take
her anywhere and is an absolute credit to us, but
George, 12, well ....... It is well known by parents
of ADHD kids that trips to McD's or BK's usually
only last 3 minutes on average. Why?
Family walks in to burger bar.
Hyper kid goes charging round, knocking the bucket
with the soapy water and wet mop in it all over the
floor. Parent cringes with embarassment and smiles
appologetically to the other customers. Child then
switches the TV on and off repeatedly, as other
customers start to tut at each other and give those
looks we parents know so well! Parent starts to get
aggitated and goes to retreive kid, who by this time
has his head wedged under a refrigeration unit!
After forcibly removing said child, parent then
scolds "Sit in the corner Johnny".
"****off Dick 'ed!" comes the
screaching reply, followed by hysterical laughter.
Parent then grabs ADHD child by the NECK and storms
out. This usually takes approximately 2 minutes 24
and a half seconds.
Sound familiar?
Anyway, as my husband was at home
with me this particular day, we decided to take the
risk, and why should Eleanor miss out because of
George? We set off, but by the time we got there the
atmosphere was already highly charged because George
had insisted on flicking Eleanor's ear, poking her,
and pulling his tongue out at her in a disgusting
sexual sort of way that is really starting to
disgust us, in the back of the car all the way
there. George of course, never takes responsibility
for the upset he causes. He vividly expresses his
opinion (expletives deleted) of how we make *his*
life a misery. Ha!
We enter BK, Eleanor all smiles
again and George scowling and muttering under his
breath. He of course doesn't want to sit at any of
the tables I suggest.
"What do you want George?" hubby
asks.
"A Whopper, no a Flamer - no a
Whopper."
"Well which one?!?!?"
"A Flamer .......... no a
Whopper."
As hubby walks off to the counter,
George calls after him, "No, chicken nuggets!"
This of course, now only gives
hubby a 1 in 3 chance of getting the product George
*actually* wants. As he returns to the table
George's face drops as he sees he has been bought a
Whopper. The rest of the meal is spent trying to
stop George from metaphorically running amok. He
repeatedly pinches the little toy figure Eleanor got
with her meal, opens salt packets and makes patterns
on the table with the contents, mutters and scowls
when he is corrected or admonished. The
embarrassment factor eventually beat us and we ended
up walking out after grabbing everything we could
salvage and packing it into Ellie's child's meal
box. Oh happy days!
About the Author: Gail Miller
is a freelance internet and business writer and
author of Wild Child - A Mother, A Son and ADHD
http://home.freeuk.net/theadhdgazette/wild She also
writes and publishes two British on line
newsletters; The ADD / ADHD Gazette - ADDGazette-subscribe@onelist.com
and UK Home Money Makers -
ukhomemoneymakers-subscribe@onelist.com |
