The only thing constant in family life is change. Whether it’s starting school, ending school, changing jobs or even a new babysitter, every day has times that throw monkey wrenches into the works. Frankly, it doesn’t take much for smooth-running systems to come to a complete halt. So how do you handle it when transitions in family life with ADHD create chaos?

Guest Expert Ari Tuckman joins us to discuss this issue. “We have certain routines, habits and patterns that are generally helpful,” he says. “What happens is, we hit a transition point (where) something changes...Suddenly, it’s a whole different ball game. It forces us to question and think about what we’re going to do.”

For starters, it’s helpful to recognize the chaos – to know it, understand it and expect it. That way, when things get a little wonky, you don’t freak out or make anything worse.

But if you don’t remember to do that in advance when you notice it, or it’s five days later and you suddenly realize your plan isn’t working, don’t beat yourself up. Just say, “Here’s where we are. Where do we go from here? What can I do today? What can I do tomorrow?”

As Elaine explains, the solutions are in the successes. In other words, if you ask yourself, “What worked before?” you can map over to a new space and look to repeat the success.