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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Tell it to me straight - what is life like with a kid like this?  My son just turned 6, was just diagnosed and started medication, and I have days where I feel like I want to run away.  I love him intensely, but I also have moments where he pushes my patience to the limit and I want to run away and never come back.  School is a battle.  Doing sports or lessons is a battle.  "Listen, listen, listen, pay attention, stop doing that, listen, pay attention, focus, stop doing that".  I imagine his teachers will be glad to be done with him this year, since this is no doubt what they deal with all day every day, while trying to teach other kids.[/quote]

OP you asked what life if like with an ADHD kid- in my opinion, it depends on the type of ADHD and how much the symptoms impair the child.

A young boy who is hyperactive, impulsive, distractible, socially immature and tends toward power struggles is hard, hard, hard. I did not think I would survive my son's preschool years, and apparently his ADHD is mild to moderate! Our son is eight now and unmedicated. Here is what got better:

1. Far less physically impulsive
2. Can reason when he's not in meltdown mode
3. Self aware enough that he does *not* want to embarrass himself with a public meltdown. Yea! We can go to restaurants and on vacations without that worry. 
4. Hyperactivity is managed through individual sports and piano (an awesome two minute break during homework, play some scales)
5. Fits at home now rarely involve any destructive or physical aggression. He is starting to go to his room when he's close to blowing the roof off. 
6. Can make a transition without a major problem

Still a challenge: 
1. Physical impulsivity has become verbal impulsivity- interrupts, says things he wishes he hadn't, one-sided conversations. All of this is hard for him socially. 
2. Still emotionally overreactive- especially outward at home where he feels comfortable
3. Fidgets and needs to get up during homework, and sometimes during dinner
4. Has trouble sustaining attention through long tasks like multistep math problems, or grammar/reading worksheets.

ADDitude is a magazine and website devoted to ADHD. They have a lot of parenting tips. I with the people who stress organization. I will add a few things that help us a lot:

1. Set the boundary ahead of time. If you're going to be doing something and you think it might cause a behavior problem, talk with your son about your expectations. Be clear and concrete about what is expected and what will happen if expectations aren't met.

2. I only fight the battles that need to be fought and I am very consistent about expectations. Kids with ADHD can often tend to get "stuck" which leads to meltdowns if it's not handled well. It's why I set boundaries in advance, provide time and tools (e.g. a timer) for transitions, and de-escalate when I notice that my son is becoming emotional.

3. Therapy- in DS's case, social skills therapy. My son is beginning to "see" what he's doing, when he's doing it, and occasionally stop himself. It's a huge step forward- but keep in mind, his ADHD isn't severe. If he had more severe symptoms, he would probably need medication to do this. I would opt for therapy- either social skills or behavioral therapy even if my son took medication. Regardless of anyone's opinions about medication, it's not a permanent solution. The skill building needs to happen.

It's not so bad- and because your son is so young, some of the really hard things will probably get a lot better over time. 
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