Headache. Relief.

Forget stimulant medication, occupational therapy, fidget toys, physical exercise, psychologist visits, fish oil pills or dietary changes. I’ve found the one thing that totally keeps Max’s ADHD under control and makes him very easy to live with:

The flu.

It kept him home from school last Friday. More than that, it kept him calm, quiet, polite, agreeable – and lying on the couch for the entire day. Granted, he had a fever. And a headache. Overall, he just didn’t feel well.

I’m not saying I wish my child to be in pain or discomfort. But it was interesting to note the one benefit to an otherwise typically unpleasant experience.

Think I’m a bad mom for finding relief in Max’s distress? Don’t worry – by the next day the worst of his symptoms – the fever, headache, chills, body aches – had been passed on to me.