Outside!!!!

Having done some reading in the book about helping kids with ADD symptoms, and trying out some of their advice, it turns out that many of my original instincts about my two little charges are right.  And I think the biggest one is that they are cooped up in a small apartment and can't play outside without supervision.  So I'm going to have to be the non-lazy nanny and force us all outside more, rain or shine, and create games for them to do in the parking deck and walk the two blocks of neighborhood they have available.  More effort for sure, but I'm tired of the physical fighting and screaming indoors all the time.  Especially since I cannot physically separate them - they're just a bit too big.

And no amount of "Keep your hands to yourself!" on my part will stop them.

And often "Time out.  Now."  won't make any difference either.  They do not listen.

Nor will "N - please play with X.  S - please play with Y."

Nor will "You guys need to use your words to solve this problem as a team, not your hands and feet."

Nor will waiting it out.  It will continue until someone intervenes.  And one or more of them is getting hurt.  And there are mean, nasty names.

But, "Quick, put on your shoes, we have to go outside right now!"  seems pretty effective.  Sometimes they'll even apologize to each other after we go outside and start moving.

I wish these two kids had a place they could play outside without my having to follow their every move  - like a back yard or something.  And I'll bet their parents do too!