Diane: My husband and I could not have raised Danielle with any semblance of sanity but for the help of her sister, Nicole. I don't think we are peculiar in this regard, and yet parents of ADHD children are usually too tired and stressed out to recognize the assistance they get from their other children who are "normal." So much of their attention is focused on the ADHD child out of necessity. Now that we have an empty nest and the time to reflect, we feel a tinge of guilt for the number of times we leaned on Nicole for her patience and methodical way of relating to her younger sister.
When Nicole was about 10, and Danielle five, I was in the kitchen cooking dinner when I realized we were out of milk, The kids were engrossed in some game in the family room, and I debated whether to bundle them up for a trip to the market, particularly when I would be gone no more than 10 minutes, I called Nicole into the bathroom while I ran a brush through my hair.
"Honey, would you please watch Sisty for just a few minutes? I want to dash to the store. Do you think you could do this, or would you rather come with me?"
Nicole readily agreed to the assignment. But what came next was the shocker: Within a couple of minutes - the time it took me to freshen my lipstick and pull on a sweater - Nicole had reappeared with a diagram on a sheet of paper. She had outlined the escape routes from the home in case there was an emergency or a fire in my absence. I was dumbfounded! Is it any wonder we "leaned" on this child a bit more than we should have in bringing up Danielle? She was always thinking ahead ... and was eminently trustworthy. Treatment Of ADHD In Children With Seizure Disorders
I used to refer to Nicole as "the perfect child" because she was in so many ways. I didn't realize until later in life that Danielle had as much a "whirlwind" impact on her as she did on her father and me. Danielle received so much of our attention that Nicole got used to being taken for granted.
One of my precious memories is of Danielle, tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks, saying good-bye to her sister as Nicole left home for college. Danielle admitted later that she thought the family would have no more fun with Nicole gone. Their rooms were across the hall from each other, and for months after her sister left, Danielle chose to sleep upstairs, close to her father and me. Nicole had been her confidante and protector, and it took almost a year for Danielle to adjust to her absence.
As I mentioned before, Nicole was the one who packed for her sister before trips; she was the one who fixed her hair for occasions that called for more than a ponytail; she was the one who taught her the "rules" - the "unspoken code of conduct" for school, especially when it came to relating to her peers. She was a role model for Danielle, and in so many ways was the one who taught her how to "get her act together."
When Danielle lacked the patience for the repetition involved in practicing piano in preparation for her weekly lessons, Nicole would sit with her and patiently go through the assignment with her hour by hour, week by week. When Danielle was too flighty to read a lengthy book for a book report, Nicole taught her how to skim pages and take notes on what she had read.
Danielle admired her big sister so much that she tried to emulate the way she did everything, even though it was contrary to her very nature. And not a night went by in those growing-up years when her father and I didn't hear those wonderful words, "Good night, Sisty! I love you!" And the response, "I love you too, Sister!"
Dennis and Lauree and Paul and I feel strongly that siblings are God's hands and feet in keeping their ADHD brothers and sisters walking a straight line, clear of trouble - especially when they are out of sight of their parents in the school setting. If they are older, they serve as their protectors, and the recipients of that love and safekeeping are forever grateful. Treatment Of ADHD In Children With Seizure Disorders
Dennis: Dusty will call his brother, Chad, before anybody else if he is in trouble. Chad and Dusty are three years apart, yet Chad has always let Dusty tag along with him and his friends, even when he was being a pain in the neck. There is probably a great Bible study here about the relationship between brothers and friends.
Andrew brought Simon Peter to Jesus, and although Andrew was less flamboyant than his brother, he could be called Christianity's first missionary. Yet one never reads that Andrew was jealous of the role that Jesus gave to his brother as the rock of the church. The Old Testament recounts the wonderful account of Jonathan, Saul's oldest son and rightful heir, who befriended a shepherd boy named David. He always put David's interests in front of his own, and even saved his life, yet was never disloyal to his father.
In another Old Testament story, we learn of Joshua, whom God gave the honor of leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Caleb, by right of seniority, should have been given that honor, yet he subordinated himself to the Lord's selection. And then there was Barnabas, a respected Levite, who was instrumental in bringing the newly converted Saul to respectability in the eyes of the apostles in Jerusalem.
Think about it! There are a dozen or so examples in Scripture of one worthy individual subordinating his personal interests for those of another. In many ways, siblings of ADHD kids play much the same role in a family. They often become the "lesser" so that more attention can be focused on the child with the problem.
So do your family members protect and love your ADHD kid? Want to learn how to have such a family? You can get Treatment Of ADHD In Children With Seizure Disorders right now and simply follow the steps in it!
