Today, my step-kids proudly announced that their mum lets them drink coffee at her house. They both have ADD and I've been struggling for months to get them to eat right. Hello futility. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, my kids decided putting laxatives in my coffee would loosen me up and calm my nerves. I have a 3 hour long meeting soon. FML
Today, my stepmother, an uncontrolled diabetic who refuses to change her abhorrent eating habits, berated me for how "mean" I am for limiting my kids’ junk food, and making them eat a portion of vegetables with every meal. Yeah, real mean. FML
Today, my step-mom asked if I was having some eating issues. I admitted that maybe I've picked up some bad habits from friends and school. Now she won't stop bombarding me with self-help books and therapy websites. FML
Today, I caught my mother-in-law filling my one-year-old's cup with Dr. Pepper. When I flipped out, she told me I was overreacting since "all her kids turned out fine." Save for my husband, all her kids are morbidly obese diabetics who’ve struggled with poor diets. She herself is almost 450 lbs. FML
Today, my sister decided that it would be a great idea to give my almost two-year-old son some strong black coffee. FML
Today, at 2 in the afternoon, I walked in on my 6-year-old making coffee. When I asked what he was doing, he said, "You were being grumpy, and you said coffee makes you not so grumpy." FML
Today, my mom is furious that I won’t let her babysit my kids anymore. Twice they’ve come home with vomiting and diarrhea after she let them eat nothing but desserts the entire day. Her excuse? Grandmas are supposed to spoil their grandkids. Spoil, not give them diabetes. FML
Today, our daughter brought home a stray dog without permission. When my husband came home we took it to a shelter, who sent us to another shelter half an hour out of our way. Then their ADHD asses both wanted coffee at 6pm. By the time we got home, my dinner, and only my dinner, was ruined. FML
Today, as it goes for the last 7 years, my step-daughter got her child grant and disappeared into her meth habit. Again. As per every month after being "clean" for a week. The child that "is over" drugs. The same child that calls us useless and losers. Guess who gets her child ready for school and takes her there? FML
Today, I’m sitting in the ER pissed off at my teenage sons. They’re both violently ill from doing a shot contest to see who could drink the most. Alcohol poisoning? Nope. Caffeine overdose. They lost track of how many shots of espresso they were doing before they started puking and shaking. FML
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Top comments
Angelica Ballard 19
In people with ADHD (like me), stimulants can have the opposite effect. Probably not the reason why they’re allowed it, but useful info. Caffeine makes me sleepy.
kfchicken 31
for those who don't know why it's because adhd stems from an underactive brain. medications like aderal are actually stimulants
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Comments (12)
RichardPencil 32
**** coffee! Let them drink beer at your house, and you'll become the popular parent!
Angelica Ballard 19
In people with ADHD (like me), stimulants can have the opposite effect. Probably not the reason why they’re allowed it, but useful info. Caffeine makes me sleepy.
kfchicken 31
for those who don't know why it's because adhd stems from an underactive brain. medications like aderal are actually stimulants
bloopaloop 27
I hope my brain is interactive
TxKitten 8
The way my son's psychiatrist explained it to me is that the brain of the ADHD-er is understimulated with the same stimuli that is fine for normal brains. This means their brains are constantly looking for stimulus, which is why they are hyper and unfocused. Stimulants like caffiene (and some ADHD meds) which can over-stimulate normal brains, bring the ADHD-er's brain up to normal, as a result they can calm down and can focus. This also why downers (like benadryl) that make normal people sleepy, actually make ADHD-er's MORE active, because it further lowers their levels of stimuli and causes the brain to be even less stimulated than before.
Yolanda Patrice Evans 17
Could be decaf 🤷🏾♀️
xxlk4xx 6
I feel like there could be something worse then coffee lol, I would rather someone give my adhd kid coffee then pop! my adhd daughter hasn't had any coffee yet but I've heard it can be helpful! but that depends, how much sugar do you have to put in it in order for them to like it lol! but I wonder how your kids react to it? I guess just see what their behavior is like after they've had it. but as other commenters mentioned, shes probably just giving it to them for fun lol. and you also seem like a really caring step mom 😊
Vesi 30
We gave my ADHD sister diet coke. No sugar and the caffeine helped calm her enough she could sit still in school. Try that.
xxlk4xx 6
that's neat! I didnt realize that a diet coke could be helpful as well! sorry if I came off as rude at all commenting in the pop! but it makes sense that it would help if it has caffeine in it as well! and thank you for sharing :)
TxKitten 8
My now 15 year old has been drinking coffee fairly regularly since he was about 8. He can have a cup with VERY little sugar before school, and I sometimes buy him caffiene gum as well. He's on a non-stimulant med called Atamoxetine (generic for Straterra), and that combined with caffiene has really REALLY helped him. Also, I highly recommend a therapy called Neuro Feedback. It gave us amazing results.
longnight83 9
Caffeine can have different results on some cases of people with ADD/ADHD. Just for example, my brother used caffeine to calm himself and help control it, even as young as 8-9 years old. It was successful for him, as well as at least some others who tried this method that we also knew. Apparently it has to do with how the brain processed it differently; the science is sound, I just don't know it well enough to quote. Dunno if this is why they're allowed it... but it might not be a F ANYONE'S Life here.
TxKitten 8
The way my son's psychiatrist explained it to me is that the brain of the ADHD-er is understimulated with the same stimuli that is fine for normal brains. This means their brains are constantly looking for stimulus, which is why they are hyper and unfocused. Stimulants like caffiene (and some ADHD meds) which can over-stimulate normal brains, bring the ADHD-er's brain up to normal, as a result they can calm down and can focus. This also why downers (like benadryl) that make normal people sleepy, actually make ADHD-er's MORE active, because it further lowers their levels of stimuli and causes the brain to be even less stimulated than before.
TxKitten 8
Caffiene actually HELPS with ADD and ADHD. Their brains are understimulated so they are unfocused and hyper. Caffeine brings their brains up to normal, which then helps them be less active and focus. My 15 year old drinks coffee before school a few tines a week and has caffeine gum. If he's having trouble settling down at night he gets some unsweetened, but caffinated tea. Sugar gets limited, but caffeine is usually good for these kids. I'm honestly not sure why you think this is an FML for you. My kids' bio dad and step mom don't let them have caffeine, but let's them have all the soda (caffien-free) that they want, then complain to me about the ADHD kid being crazy and hyper.
TxKitten 8
p.s.- the healthy eating... i feel ya on that one o.p.
JackFaire 27
I mean I kind of get it but she's their mom and you're the stepmom. You're kind of talking like it's the other way around. I know blended families can be complex but she's gonna get more say.
Amber Barkdull 5
Caffeine has an opposite effect on people with add and adhd.
AmbrosiaFan 19
Bring that up with your lawyer/etc and see what can be done about it.
TxKitten 8
A lawyer is going to laugh at her. No laws are being broken and the children aren't being put in any danger. Furthermore, as stated by myself and several other people, caffiene actually helps most people with ADD and ADHD.