Sometimes the smallest decisions can feel surprisingly difficult for an ADHD brain.

Not because you don't care.

Not because you're incapable of making decisions.

Sometimes your brain is simply tired of deciding.

When you're parenting a child with ADHD, “I forgot” can become one of the most frequently heard phrases in your home.

Have you ever looked at a student with ADHD and thought:

“But you did this perfectly yesterday…”

Yesterday they started independently.

Yesterday they remembered the instructions.

Yesterday they completed the work.

Today?

They can't get started.

They've forgotten what they're doing.

They're frustrated before they've even begun.

It can look like they're not trying.

There’s probably a shelf, cupboard or corner of your home filled with evidence of former enthusiasm.

The paints you were certain you would use every weekend. The half-finished crochet project. The camera equipment, gardening tools, language app, roller skates or supplies for the business idea that felt absolutely brilliant at the time.

You did not pretend to be interested. The excitement was real.

So why did it disappear—and why can looking at those unfinished projects bring up so much guilt?

You have waited all day to see your child.

You want to know what they learned, who they played with and whether anything happened. So you ask a perfectly reasonable question: “How was school?”

The answer? “Fine.” Or perhaps, “Nothing,” “I don’t know,” or a frustrated, “Stop asking me!”

You know the moment.

Lunch ends, students return to the classroom and the energy in the room feels completely different.

Some students are restless. Others appear tired, distracted or reluctant to begin. Instructions need to be repeated, small frustrations become bigger and tasks that felt manageable in the morning suddenly seem much harder.

Have you ever looked at your bank account and wondered...

"Where did all my money go?"

Not because you went on a shopping spree.

Not because you made a series of bad financial decisions.

But because of all the little things that quietly add up over time.

When your child walks through the school gates each morning, they're carrying more than just books, lunchboxes and homework.

They're carrying an invisible backpack.

One that most people can't see.

For a child with ADHD, that backpack is often filled with things far heavier than a math book.

As teachers, we've all experienced it.

You explain the task, the student is looking straight at you, nodding along… and moments later they ask, "What are we doing?"

It can be easy to assume they weren't paying attention.

Do you ever feel like everything needs your attention right now?

The email.
The washing.
The appointment you forgot.
The message you haven't replied to.
The task you've been avoiding.
The thing you were supposed to do yesterday.

Suddenly it all feels equally important.

Equally urgent.

And equally overwhelming.

If you're an adult with ADHD, this experience is incredibly common.

When we think about ADHD, we often think about the things we can see.

The forgotten school jumper.
The messy bedroom.
The unfinished homework.
The emotional outburst.

These are the behaviours that sit above the surface.

But ADHD is a lot like an iceberg.

What we see is only a small part of the story.

“Put your book away.”
“Pack up your things.”
“Come and sit on the mat.”

You’ve said it once.
Then twice.
Then five more times.

And somehow… it still doesn’t seem to land.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone.

Ever notice how you can technically “rest”…
and still feel mentally exhausted?

You sit down.
You stop working.
You scroll.
You watch something.
You try to relax.
But your brain still feels busy.

For many adults with ADHD, rest doesn’t automatically feel restorative — and there’s a reason for that.

There’s a moment most parents know well.
You’re running late.
You need to leave.
And your child is moving… very slowly.
So you say it:
“Hurry up.”
But instead of speeding things up, everything seems to slow down even more.
If this happens in your home, you’re not alone.

There are students in every classroom who don’t draw attention.

They follow instructions.
They stay quiet.
They appear to be coping.

On the surface, they’re “fine.”

But sometimes, they’re the ones working the hardest.

There’s a very specific ADHD experience:

Thinking about a task all day…
Planning it.
Replaying it.
Knowing it needs to be done…

And still not starting.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

By the second week of the school holidays, something often shifts.

The initial decompression has happened.

Days may feel a little more settled.

The holidays have arrived… but your brain might not have.

Even though the term has ended, it’s common to still feel “on.”

By March, something shifts for many of us.

The excitement of the new year fades.
The fresh-start energy softens.

And suddenly those goals, routines, or habits we felt so motivated about in January feel harder to maintain.

Mid March has arrived…

The back-to-school adrenaline has worn off.
Lunchboxes aren’t exciting anymore.
Homework feels heavier.
Mornings take more effort.

If your child seems less motivated lately, you’re not imagining it!