The Gorilla on my Back

One of my kids was going to Art therapy for a while. It was an imaginative, creative and beautiful experience.

We have difficulty with our morning routines. When medication has not kicked in, it is difficult and sometimes close to impossible for my son to get dressed, make his bed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, get his school bag (with all of his homework in it), grab his lunch, coat, and get into the car. All this and  hopefully not hit, spit or irritate anyone else in the morning. Never mind not leaving a trail of clothes from my room, bathroom floor, living room floor and even a piece of clothing on the kitchen floor.

Most mornings one out of 5 people in our home is upset, irritated or simply in a bad mood as a result of the energy in the home, and that is almost never Mr. A.D.D.

At art-play therapy it was explained that he should choose an animal figurine to be his A.D.D., his energy, and so appropriately he chose a gorilla. The idea is that the same way a gorilla takes up a lot of space, so does his energy in the morning. They take up so much space that there is hardly any room for anyone else. When you have a gorilla on your back you really do need to take it outside.

So, the plan was that he would take his medication, and then get dressed and take both our dog, and his gorilla out for a walk. That way there would be enough room for the gorilla and his energy. The sweet thing for the rest of us, is that there is quiet in the house long enough for the rest of us to get dressed, the dog gets his morning walk and by the time he gets back, medication has kicked in and things proceed as normal.

We also made on the computer pictures of Gorillas with reminders of what he needs to do like, get dressed, get socks, take the dog out for a walk, etc.

Like I said this was great for us, my neighbor on the other hand, who does not get up as early as we do began commenting that she is now waking up every morning, to loud singing or loud noises, or simply his yells of good morning to their family as he walks by.

It's not perfect, but a story worth sharing.