Literally😂

Hahaha

I want this on a T shirt!!!

My squirrels are driving me NUTS.

Love this lol, hubby, son and I all have ADHD/ADD and or other mental health stuff that has some very similar symptoms lol.... We actually say "Squirrel" to each other if we notice one of us is getting side tracked. As for keys, that's why all of us have either a lanyard or wristlet they go on, which we'd keep on while out and about, and a place near the door where we're supposed to always hang em when we get in, but squirrel 🐿️ lol

I have tiles on everything. My keys. My vape. My medicine. I can use any one of those items to find my phone. Invest in them. They have been a life changer.

Sounds about right for ADHD. I used to mid place my keys all the time and call my parents crying because I’m trying to leave for school. 9/10 times they were in the place I always keep my keys and I totally missed them. One other time I lost my college student ID and you need that to open your dorm building door (its one of those things you see at a hotel to get in your room) and so for a couple days my roommate had to let me in the building.

😆😆😆😆😆😆 OH MY GOSH !!!! I've always said that I'm MORE ORGANIZED in my DISORGANIZED MESS !! 😆😆😂🤣.. 😖☹️😫😫😫

I was once using the toilet and I realised I needed a shower, so I got undressed while sitting there. I remembered to take my shirt to the dirty clothes basket but forgot my pants. I was in the shower and my wife came into the bathroom and asked, "Why are your pants perfectly gathered in front of the toilet like you just got raptured in the middle of a shit?"

@@jamesdominguez7685 I am laughing so hard at this! Your wife is hilarious!

seems logical to me? lol

The thing about pants is that they are foldable, so when I do things like that I remember I can just fold it over my arm so I only need to make on trip 😆

I just realized after 37 years of marriage that my husband constantly leaving cabinet doors standing wide open is simply a symptom of his ADHD (which he was diagnosed with some 25 years ago.) This particular behavior had puzzled me for years. Thanks Penn and Kim!

this

Oh man.

Me too.

I have totally done this (multiple times).

Yep I’ve 100% done that

I totally fid that. 200 bucks in food destroyed

Check out the @HowToADHD channel

Same with me I’ve had tests in 3 days... Math. Math stressed me out and I also have adhd so a lot of math things are hard. I’m just a fiddler so I fidget a lot in class. It’s hard for me

@@hettie3331 same experience with maths. You made me feel less alone and stupid 😂

I have left my house keys in my entry door countless times. When I lose them, that's one of my first go-to spots on my backtracking list.

Me too! it helps me accept mine.

Lol same

@Vince Laurence Macalanda Perhaps it's your brain back lashing against the cancellation of Pepi Le Pew?

@@scotttovey don't get me started. Pepe le pew is my favorite! Canceling him is like canceling me.

@@janybelleoftheclanbell8752 😎👍

He leaves things on top of high places because he's tall and they're readily available. The spaces are available because she's shorter and probably doesn't store things where she can't easily reach them. My entire family has ADHD. On the plus side, you have a lot of fun adventures. On the minus side, it is really frustrating to watch everyone else's families function as expected while yours runs around like the Keystone Cops. As a child and the best hyper-focuser, I compensated for my scattered parents and siblings by obsessively watching the clock and making lists in hopes of organizing everyone. My dad learned to tell the family we had to be somewhere 1 1/2 hours before an event really started so we'd have a prayer of being on time. We were typically 20 minutes late to everything despite that. We always joked we'd be late to our own funerals, and my brother actually was -- because we arrived late to the memorial with his ashes. As the wife and mother of ADHD folks, there are plenty of days I want to kill them all because every door and drawer is standing open, nobody can find anything because every storage and horizontal space looks like a junk drawer, and it's utter chaos. Then I can't find my own shoes and I've half-completed six tasks in six different rooms, and I remember why we're in this literal mess. We are great at setting up organizational structures; they last three weeks before mass ADHD defeats them, we decide the structure is the problem so we reinvent the wheel by devising a new system. Lather, rinse, repeat.

@@SouthCountyGal I've heard the HowToADHD channel is super helpful for making a reasonable system. :)

@@hollyl5702 I love that channel!

This may explain why the librarians look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them lost books can be found in the most unlikely places. (As in, yes, I did return the book, and you need to look under things whether you think it’s likely it’ll be there.)

I've done this in my house. All the while it's been in my hand. 🤦

Same lol

I have looked all over my room for my phone while I was on the phone before.

I've used the flashlight on my phone to help me look for said phone...

Don't feel bad, I don't have ADHD...... & I've done that. Even had it in my hand, or been talking on it...... & walked around looking for it. 😂🤦‍♀️

I'm the last one to go to sleep in my house, so part of my bedtime routine is making sure everything is closed and the doors are locked.

🤚

I actually have an "inbox" in each room where I can set things down. So if I lose something, I can check them first and clear them out each night. I also have a charging station for electronics and a designated work bag location, I place my things directly in front of the door, and I have a magnet on the door to put up notes for major reminders.

I love the inbox idea. I'm in a shared place rn so only have my bedroom and kitchen but when I have more space I might do this

That's actually a great life hack!

😄

IKR? I have tried writing parody lyrics and it's really hard. I Newberry finish the snooker song. (I left those autofills in because they're funny. "I never finish the whole song" was what I was trying to type.)

Omg 😂

Lmaooooooo

I ADHD-skimmed this and legit thought that the kids were in the fridge and checked the comments to see who had shamed you. Saw no shame and re-skimmed this. Thank God it was the keys 😅

My ADHD screams - I need a Kim! While I'm trying to be Kim (shiny... squirrel...oh follow the trail of open things!) for my family - oh man do I feel you with those doors, drawers, and socks!

I've done that but with a phone, not a cell phone, but the remote ones that are bulky and have a charging station. You know the one's that always use in '90s movies. Kinda hard to miss when it's sitting next to a carton of milk.

HAHAHA the same thing happened to me with my glasses.

Everyone has that duh moment where they lay something down or forget to finish a task. We say "oh I was tired", or "Had to stop doing that to go do.... because ...." I refer to the ADHD brain as trigger happy. ADHD people are so smart! The thoughts form normally, but then the ADHD brain shoots those thoughts full of holes, while running on a hamster wheel, juggling, and considering their 401k investment plan, at the same time. The swiss cheese thoughts sometimes just lay there as a result.

I don't have a key fob, so the only way I can lock my keys in the car is if I press the lock button on the inside of the door while the door is open and then get out and close the door. That being said, I've locked my mom's keys in her car before. Thankfully we were close enough to home that she could walk back and get the spare, but it was still a good 5 miles when it was all said and done.

I haven't left my keys in the car recently (see, hear, AND feel the keys before I close that door!) but I do have a key fob. (I wear that around my neck on a lanyard.) I got out of the car at the post office one day to mail a letter; the truck had just pulled up so I was in a hurry to get the mail in the box. I got back in the car to find -- yup! I'd forgotten to shut the car off. I have a lot of routines that non-ADHD'ers would find very strange, like the keys one I just mentioned. I keep having to come up with new ones . . .

Kara, I feel this comment so much! Cheers to you! I was SO happy when schools opened and I could send my 9 yr old son (also with ADHD) back!

Preach!

same.. props to us moms

Kim's a saint. Also, anyone else who has to do all that stuff is a saint.

That’s me! Always an adventure!

Tip one: The person with ADHD doesn't get to use it as a get-outta-jail- free card and owns their stuff. Tip Two: find a medication regime that works for Both of You. Been with my ADHD and wonderful husband for 20 years. From the beginning I demanded a say-so in the meds. I have to live with the results, too. There have been 2 meds that he was on that I vetoed the hell out of because one made him a monster, the other a comatose couch potato. Both meds were his favorite when he took each of them. Either would have made him a single man. Sometimes a good medication, that we both like, stops working. I HATE that because it is always me who notices first and has to have the "something is going on with your meds" conversation, the immediate reply is Always, "Nuh-Uh!" (just a knee-jerk denial) and the month that follows where I have to point out what each example of non-normal behavior is and explain how it affects our lives...Then he'll ask the doctor about it. I've likened it to riding a merry-go-round that never stops. But then again, I'm getting to ride it with my best friend.

From the perspective of a spouse with ADHD I can share things that have helped my husband and I.... 1. Work together to build systems that reduce stress and chaos. One example is that we have a bowl or hook right at the door where keys go as soon as we come in the house. It's convenient, it's visible, it's consistent, and it has drastically reduced the number of times the keys get lost. It won't solve it 100%, but it reduces it. Another example of this is putting a laundry hamper wherever your spouse bus most likely to get changed so putting clothes in it is easy and natural. Also, make putting away laundry as simple and streamlined as possible. So unless they love crazy socks like I do, get the same two or three kinds of socks and just throw them all in a drawer or basket instead of pairing them. For underwear, just throw them in a drawer or basket rather than trying to make them folded and tidy. I have found I do better hanging a vast majority of my clothes now that I have the closet space to do so because then I don't have to fold and I can see more of my clothes when I am trying to find them. These kinds of systems vary, but the easier and more natural it is for things to land where they should be, the less stress there is. 2. Build routines together. Routines for things like getting dressed, showering, brushing teeth, and day to day responsibilities are so helpful to my ADHD brain. Routines reduce the amount of executive function I need to get things done and my husband helped me figure out what routines I needed and what to include in them. And if I get off track in a routine he can often just ask questions (Are your clothes ready? Did you pack your lunch?) And that is often all I need to get back on track. 3. Understand that an organized person with ADHD looks different than a neurotypical organized person and try to be ok with that. If need be, set boundaries on spaces so your space can be organized your way and their space can be organized their way and shared space find compromises that you both can work with. For ADHD brains, the more steps to make sure that something ends up in the right place, the less likely it is to end up there so using methods like baskets or clear boxes can be super helpful. 4. When it comes to chores and adult responsibilities, don't be afraid to try dividing tasks in different ways to figure out what works. My husband is super good at cleaning and cooking. I suck at those tasks but he isn't very good at managing our finances or getting some of the yard work done and I am pretty good at those things. Some things we share like shopping (I am great at getting things we can order online but grocery stores are my kryptonite). This doesn't mean that I never clean or cook or go to a grocery store, but they aren't my primary responsibilities. 5. Lists! Checklists and packing lists and grocery lists and calendars are so helpful! If I have a list it's easier for me to stay on track. Everyone is different, but those are some things that have helped me and my husband reduce the chaos that is me and my ADHD brain.

We all have ADD/ADHD at our house. Medication helps us tremendously, so does meditation, and so does swimming. My son is on a swim team, he swims two hours a day, his symptoms virtually disappear when he swims everyday. But if he ever takes a break from swimming for more than a few days his symptoms start to come back.

Leave him

I agree with the others, it’s all about finding a system that works. And realizing that his ideal system is going to look different than your ideal system. Since he’s currently the stay at home parent, I defer to his “methods” of organization, even if they don’t make sense to me. But I still have control over certain small areas of the house that he doesn’t have to interact with daily. Having those areas organized in my way gives my brain the ability to function properly too. I also echo the medication/exercise part. When we first married he worked 50 hrs a week in a warehouse and his symptoms were well controlled, but when he quit to stay home he needed to go on medication. We got lucky and the first one worked well, but he has to be strict with the time of day he takes it. Not a hardship, but something we had to learn through trial and error.

I'm also hard of hearing and between the "Ooh, shiny! and "Huh? What did you say?" it takes the patience of a saint for my husband to have a conversation with me.

Or start talking to you before they have your attention and then get mad because you came into the conversation late and didn't hear a thing they said prior to that point?

I need to find a better way of explaining it to people. Otherwise, they seem to think all will be well if I'm given a planner. Sigh.

@@jeffreym68 as if none of us had ever thought of this. Sigh

@@susanwilliams2392 I know, right! 😑

I had to use an electric scooter at the store because of a knee problem and I left my purse in it when I gave it to an elderly lady when I was leaving... it had my keys in it or I'd have gone home none the wiser and my roommate had to run around the store (the employees not willing ot help) to find the lady.

Oh God I Did that!, OnCe Ppl,lal, ok twice, but I realized befor leaving the parking lot!

Did you check your mailbox lock? I've done that before. It's always fun when a neighbor drops by to deliver keys left in a random lock.

I once found someone's wallet in a cart when I was putting mine back. It freaked me out!!! I grabbed it and ran back in the store with it so I could find a manager to help me try to find identification for who it belonged to. I didn't think it was safe for myself or the wallet owner to go through it alone. We couldn't find a driver's license, but we were able to find credit cards with the last name and a work ID with the first name. We called the employer and they were able to get in touch with the wallet owner, so thankfully there is a happy ending. The wallet was put into the safe in the Manager's office once we got to the bottom of who it belonged to, and she was able to safely retrieve it from the store. I had wanted to hang around to see her feeling relieved but I was pregnant at the time and needed to rest after all that excitement. Thankfully I left my phone number asking for an update because I was so freaked out over this and both she and the manager called me to let me know that she got her wallet back safe and sound.

Yeah, I feel ya. My iPhone went in the dumpster too 😂😂

YES! Awesome idea!!!

Agreed!!

THIS!

Would love to see it!

It's the same with us with autism.

OMG I love that explanation! I have to tell neurotypical people "your thoughts run in a straight line, mine look like the flying spaghetti monster! :) " People seem to "get" that

Kim, I understand. I am married to a man who's brain is similar. And oh yeah, "squirrel". Year 33 of our adventure! 😊

You bring up a good point! While I don't have ADHD I have something that makes my brain works similarly and my husband has ADHD Tendencies as well it makes life in our house a little interesting sometimes. :-)

I am the one with ADHD, not the hubby, but I spend half my life looking for things he can't find. Life hack--get an awesome key rack and keep it by whichever door Penn goes thru most (garage?) It has literally saved me HOURS of looking for our keys. Now if I could only find a similar hack for the remote!

This is hilarious!! My nephew showed up at my parents (4 hours from their house) without a coat. Dead winter! No coat. “I thought it was in the car.”

⁠​⁠@@mykijiji1958so I am assuming that the last time that he took said coat off he thought he did so while in the car when the last time he took it off was actually inside the house or something

I have to ask exactly how did you manage to leave your coffee in your kid’s closet what was the reason that you left it their and was it a cup of brewed coffee or the coffee grounds as I can’t think of any reason why you would leave a cup of brewed coffee in your kids closet but then again I don’t know why you would put the coffee grounds their either

At least once a day i hear my roommate ask "hey google, where's my phone?"

Try, "Hey google," phone beep, "sing me a song."(Requires voice recognition setup.) Or just have someone call. Need to figure out one for apple iphone for my mom. We lose our phones often. (Tempted to get square or tile. But we'd probably forget to change the batteries.)

@@lisapham4443 iPhone. Hey Siri, play (insert artist or song here)

Didn't you know that vaginas are equipped with homing devices? 😂

I'd say: because she knows him. From a wife with a taller husband.

@@taniavalenza1288 Not doubting that. But does she carry a stepladder with her or one of those mirrors on a stick things? Just talking about the physical line of sight issue.

or a demon

@@danlmarlow5446 what

Me too! I should've taught the kids to find my sunglasses 😎.

OMG. ME TOO!! My husband is SO frustrated at me, yet I walk around ALL day picking up stuff. House is still ALWAYS a disaster!!! (PS. As a school project in French, my kids had to name the “most organized” family member, and (bless her heart) my daughter said, “Mom”!! Because despite my scatter brain... if I weren’t here, the kids wouldn’t have a clean article of clothing or ever eat home-cooked meals.)

There’s a bitter laugh that no matter what the skills of family members, it’s the mom and the daughters who are supposed to keep the guys clean, fed and organized

More info please?

@@sissinoklahoma2057 Google "Tile for keys".. they even have small tabs you can put on important folders etc.. Its a Bluetooth location system..

I hear you. My partner was my nudge, and died last year. I hadn't realized how much less functional I am without someone in that role.

@@jeffreym68 I'm sorry for your loss. And I can understand not realizing how much less functional you are without your partner. I know it's not exactly the same because my fiance hasn't passed but he lives in Canada and I live in the US so we've been apart since before covid. We do video chat daily and they help but we've both been doing a lot worse without being able to see each other. I hope things get better for you and that you're able to find peace and happiness and someone or something to give you the nudge you need.

@@danidynamite2 Thank you. It must be hard for you as well being so distant in such difficult times. I hope you can be together soon. It's been a process of learning where my limits are and how far I can push them, plus finding ways to get nudges elsewhere. I suspect that at this point, I really can't live alone anymore, but the next steps are difficult ones.

I see here you have, you know, absolutely used the wonderful friend to all ADHD ers and you have, you know, written this comment out in voice text :-) you know

Well, *I* did the spit take at SQUIRREL but have also been known to leave the freezer door open, only once overnight. Now my husband does a "Kim" and checks the house before he goes to bed.

Our freezer will beep at us if it's left open. This has saved several freezerfuls of food from thawing out.

Wow. That's a bummer.

that’s an oof on your part

My ex-husband was an uptight, quiet accountant type. He thought my wayward 'disregard' was intentional and quite fixable. So why didn't I fix it?

Sorry, to hear this. It is very true that understanding health problems makes a huge difference. Both for people who have them, and the people around them. I spend a lot of time teaching my daughter about her ADHD, and I spend a lot of time teaching her grandparents about it too. People with ADD/ADHD don’t choose to be this way, we often try very hard not to be this way, but if we try to force ourselves to do certain things, like pay attention to something we are struggling to pay attention to, it often makes it much worse. Imagine trying to force your self to overcome cold or flu symptoms, you can’t, and if you try to force yourself to do things, while you are sick that you just don’t feel good enough to do, you make it worse, much worse. ADHD is an illness just like the flu is an illness, except it never really goes away. We do need to learn how to manage our symptoms, and an important part of managing our symptoms is knowing what they are and why we have them. Just like understanding cold or flu symptoms in an important part of managing them. Once we know something is a symptom and not a personal choice or a personality trait, we can stop blaming ourselves, and being hard on ourselves for it, and we can seek out legitimate solutions. Just like it would be bad if we blamed ourselves for coughing, but we don’t because we understand coughing is a symptom we don’t choose to have and we can’t will it to go away. It is hugely helpful when others understand what we are going through and why we do the things we do. Compassion and understanding go a long way, they are even more important and helpful than medications, although medications can be hugely helpful too. There is no way I can do my job or my chores without my medications, they have been life changing for me. This is exactly why there are awareness campaigns for so many illnesses. People need to be understood and they need compassion concerning their problems. I do hope that this will encourage you to learn more about ADD/ADHD, and I hope that this can help you have a better relationship with your ex, especially if the two of you share children, and if you are still in contact with one another.

YES!!!!! That, or forgetting to put the Coffee in The Kurig first thing in the morning. Or, catching myself right before I forget to put The Mug under. Again, I blame that on my Coffee not kicking in yet!

I ping my phone (using my Apple Watch) at least ten times a day. A good portion of the time it is in my pocket or right next to me.

I know so many people that never set their phones down and I rarely know where mine is. The goofiest for me was looking all over the house for the phone -- while talking on the phone.

I once spent half an hour looking for my phone while having a phone conversation with my mom about how I couldn't find it anywhere. Not once did she think to ask how I had managed to call her on my missing phone.

Kim is gonna dislike dis comment....

FYI i meant this bc it’s seems like you ❤️ pen ...

@@bellasingh9541 I'm pretty sure she knows her husband is hot lol

@@DiegoHowl ok but if you were Kim and someone said that would YOU like it ?

@@bellasingh9541 having an issue with people saying your partner is attractive is weird and overly possessive. "This dude is hot" does not translate to "Im gonna try and get with him". My boyfriend is attractive (and completely out of my league). Anytime someone comments on his looks I'm just like "I know right? Feel free to drool with me"

I have to respectfully disagree. Invisible disabilities suck. At least for me they do.

@@karaa7595 I'm sorry to hear that😢. My youngest has Asperger's and finds it hard at times. More awareness and help needed out there that's for sure. Xx

I agree 100%!! I have two boys on the spectrum and myself have ADD. I have been a single mom for the last twenty years and my sons are in their twenties now. It is not always easy but we work together as best we can for each other.

I find that ADHD can be a gift in some ways and a curse in others.

My 28 year old has been struggling with aspergers and more public support and knowledge would be wonderful. Good for Penn teaching us about ADHD!

Yes, it's systems like this that let us function. I do the same things.

I do those things too...when I remember.