Introduction: Outside the Cookie Cutter

My memoir, RUNNING IN CIRCLES: CONFESSIONS OF A PERF3CT MOTHER is nearly finished. The rough draft, that is. I created this blog with the memoir in mind. Truth is, my son is 18 now and I feel like I can finally hide behind a tree, catching my breath. We made it! It's something that - when he was a little boy who ran in circles around me, and climbed everything in sight - I was unsure would happen. His future was something I fretted over. How can one possibly have a successful future if they can't hold still long enough to attend to the present?

Some of the best stuff is outside the cookie cutter.

But we made it.

My memoir begins with a moment in time when I realized I was a complete failure as a parent. My son's hand in one hand, and a prescription in the other, I'd failed. Or at least that's what I believed at the time.

The story takes you through the crazy (humorous) things I did to try to maintain my perfect parenting style, and the slow revelation that it was more important to be the parent William needed than a general parent who obsessed over what other parents were doing. My William didn't fit in the cookie cutter. But guess what? There's a lot of really great stuff outside the cookie cutter.

As I participate in forums and chats with other parents, an idea has been forming in my head. I want to help parents like me navigate the often frustrating, sometimes humorous, and always rewarding path of raising a child with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder. To accomplish this, I'm building my website/blog with you in mind. I want to know your thoughts. I want you to ask me questions. My promise to you is this - I cannot be stumped. There is an answer to even your most difficult situation with your child. And I will help you find it! I promise!

What gives me that kind of confidence? I'm not just a parent of a child with ADHD. I also taught them for many years as a special education teacher. I taught children in the public education system who, because of their behavior weren't able to access their education in the regular classroom setting. I helped to create and found a program for children with behavior problems. I worked with children with ADHD and other disabilities for more than 15 years. So, you see, I have it from all directions. And let me tell you something - raising a child with ADHD is much more difficult than teaching a whole classroom full of them. That said, I am in a unique position to be able to help on many levels and in many situations.

So, this is my invitation to you. Come along with me and let's work together to make a bright and beautiful future for our challenging children. Together, we can do this! Karen Fisher-Alaniz