What´s your earliest adhd memory?

[rickymooston]

I can't really distinguish non-ADHD memories for ADHD ones.

I day dreamed a lot a very early age and always loved figeting with things. I had a very rich imagination and was perfectly content to be by myself.

[nestlepurelife]

eating food

[weepygonzales]

Originally Posted by Geno

Ah, another early memory is the time in first grade when I got screamed at, and I mean SCREAMED at because we were coloring and 1. I didn't color it right. and 2. I couldn't color inside the lines. (The teacher was a nun and this was a catholic school)

Me: *coloring in a person red*
Nun: *gasp* WHY ARE YOU COLORING THE PERSON ALL RED? PEOPLE ARE NOT RED. *she reaches in to crayon box and grabs the correct crayons for color in the person* DO IT RIGHT. (keep in mind she was screaming this at the top of her lungs and nuns can scream hellishly(haha a pun) loud.)
Me: uh...o-o-okay... *begins coloring in person*
Nun: NO NO NO YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STAY IN THE LINES. COLOR INSIDE OF THE LINES. IS THAT SO HARD?!
Me: YES IT IS *begins crying because that's pretty much what I did as a kid when someone screamed in my face for no reason*
Nun: OH GET OUT, GO TO THE OFFICE.
Me: *walks out of room*

It was that moment I knew the next 12 years of my life were going to be torture, and hey, I must have been a smart little guy because I was 90% right

She blew up at me like that on a regular basis, the above was the first time. She did it to other kids too but mostly me because I, evidently, was the only one with ADHD in the class. This was in 1999 or 2000, so I guess when they stopped letting nuns hit kids they replaced the hitting with deafening screaming.

Man.... Being ADHD at a Catholic school must have been awful

[Drewbacca]

Originally Posted by weepygonzales

Man.... Being ADHD at a Catholic school must have been awful

The type of school doesn't matter so much as the individual teacher. School is school. Nuns with rulers just make for a better story.

[Lunacie]

Originally Posted by Drewbacca

The type of school doesn't matter so much as the individual teacher. School is school. Nuns with rulers just make for a better story.

I went to public school. My third grade teacher whacked my hand with a ruler.

It hurt for years, seriously, when the weather changed or whatever.

[weepygonzales]

Ah, maybe it's just my age then! I never had experiences like these. I am pretty young though

[fracturedstory]

When I started my high school they had just taken out the cane. Mind you this was 1999.

They should have kept it in for one year longer. Let me just see them try and touch me with that stick.

I wasn't actually much of a bad kid. I just hung out with those thought to be a bit rough. And wouldn't do my work and answered with apathy to my teachers threats.

[mizzzrachel]

Normally teachers make you do one page at a time in a workbook and then go over it, but my 2nd grade teacher would make us take out all the pages we were supposed to do for the whole week and turn it into a packet. Whoever completed the packet by Friday afternoon got to participate in a mini class party and for those that didn't had to finish it for homework that weekend. I was only allowed to participate in those parties about three or four times and that was only because I handed in my work unfinished. This was the teacher that also the teacher that sat my mom down and said, "She's a beautiful child, but she's a daydreamer!" At the time my mom was furious with my teacher for saying that, but many years later she finally realized what the teacher was trying to tell her.

[Zevispaz]

Originally Posted by weepygonzales

Man.... Being ADHD at a Catholic school must have been awful

I went to one as a kid, and most of my teachers were really nice. My mom worked as a teacher at the same school too, which made things even more difficult. It was a small school so you had basically the same class from K-8 grade.

My 1st grade teacher asked me why I was standing up and fidgeting during class, and I told her because I listened better. She rolled with it and let me stand up and fidget, but it had to be quietly. She passed it along to my second grade teacher, who did the same thing. Then my third grade teacher let me draw on the desks as long as I stayed after school and helped wipe them clean. Though, I do remember getting sent to the principal's office at least once or twice a year when I crossed the line (I don't really remember what I did).

It wasn't until 4th grade that my teacher refused to let me stand and fidget. She made me sit, then punished me when I didn't listen by making me skip recess. So, let's think about the logic, you take a hyperactive child make them sit still, take away their two recesses for the day, then wonder why they're causing trouble in your classroom?

4th grade was a rough year, my mom was always getting complaints in the teacher's lunch room. It didn't take long before I realized that getting in trouble got me an audience with my classmates who thought it was all hysterical. It just went downhill from there real fast. She was the one who demanded I get tested for adhd, when they said I didn't have it, she was just kind of stuck with me. My mom kept yelling at me because I was a teachers daughter and I had to set an example for the other kids. Which just made things worse, because I realized I was the ringleader and the power that came with that, so I would do things knowing I could get the kids riled up and following along. I got them all bouncing around during quiet time, it was awesome. I'm pretty sure that teacher hated me by the end of the year.

Anyway, by 5th grade my teacher was really smart and gave me leadership responsibilities. Real ones, not fake "line leader" or "board eraser" crap. I was really good at reading, so she would have me help other kids with their reading homework and spelling. I think this one impacted me the most, because kids were improving because I helped them out, which gave me a sense of purpose. I was bad at math so she had other students help me out with my math homework, so I had to learn to follow too. She would also have me in charge of classroom activities and she had me responsible for making sure everyone felt included. That pretty much did the trick, and that's where I learned about leading by example. I wasn't a saint, but I was much better behaved once I understood the responsibilities that came with being a leader.

I left at the end of 6th grade, where I got thrown into a new school in 7th grade at the bottom of the totem pole. That was an interesting experience, but a story for another day.

The point is, my Catholic school was amazing. I don't think I would have done nearly as well as I did if my formative years were filled with teachers always lecturing me and losing their patience.

[lalapin]

I remember how i felt when i went to a day camp at about 4 years old. When we had to play a game, i was completely lost and I did not understand how come all the other kids knew where to go and what to do and all the rules of the game ( which were pretty simple games such as " duck-duck-goose!" If any of you remember that game!!) but i really had no abilities to follow instructions... Like 0 ability!

[oneup]

Chucking a carton of milk at my preschool teacher when her back was turned because I just all of a sudden wanted to. I thought it would be funny but she was not laughing. It splatted everywhere on the chalkboard

[lalapin]

Originally Posted by oneup

Chucking a carton of milk at my preschool teacher when her back was turned because I just all of a sudden wanted to. I thought it would be funny but she was not laughing. It splatted everywhere on the chalkboard

Aaaaahhh!!! I did someting so similar at 9 years old! I was angry with the lady that was watching us during lunchtime (don't remember why!) and i passed by her while leaving the room And threw my half full milk cardboard and it splatted on her fur coat!!! she got so mad, she was a classy young European woman...

[stef]

Originally Posted by lapin86

I remember how i felt when i went to a day camp at about 4 years old. When we had to play a game, i was completely lost and I did not understand how come all the other kids knew where to go and what to do and all the rules of the game ( which were pretty simple games such as " duck-duck-goose!" If any of you remember that game!!) but i really had no abilities to follow instructions... Like 0 ability!

most games like that baffled me. even if i understood the instructions i remember thinking, and really young, "what's the point of this?!"
and those party games? pin the tail on the donkey - seriously?

[Geno]

Originally Posted by stef

most games like that baffled me. even if i understood the instructions i remember thinking, and really young, "what's the point of this?!"
and those party games? pin the tail on the donkey - seriously?

I UNDERSTOOD games like duck-duck-goose, pin the tail on the donkey, and other kid games, I just didn't see the point in them.

[lalapin]

Originally Posted by Geno

I UNDERSTOOD games like duck-duck-goose, pin the tail on the donkey, and other kid games, I just didn't see the point in them.

It's not I was unable to play or understand, it's that I could not pay attention when they explained the game so I was amazed that all the others knew they had to run quickly and form a circle! I hadn't listened at all!