I found the following article so interesting, especially since so many gifted kids are intense, and that so many 2E kids are soooo depleted by the end of the day and find it so difficult to do homework especially if the homework is busy work or does not interest them.

http://sz0085.ev.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/%3Cspan%20class=" target=_blank>http://sz0085.ev.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/%3Cspan%20class=" yui-spellcheck?>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?_r=4&pagewanted=all">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?_r=4&pagewanted=all

(sorry the the e-mail that I am using does not have the insert link option, so I pasted the entire address)


I was wondering does anyone have any thoughts? I think that people that have add, Aspergers, gifted spend so much energy on trying to conform (using their willpower, trying to make the right decisions, trying to remain calm, working on work that they do not want to be doing,etc) that they become even more easily frustrated and may become even more intense?

Link - Decision Fatigue

My ds12 is 2e - I don't know that it's decision making that fatigues him, but definitely can see that he spends so much energy during the day at school that he's exhausted far beyond what my nt kids are at the end of each school day. In his case, part of the exhaustion is the mental effort it takes to get through the academic challenges he has (written expression, expressive language), and another large part of it is boredom and frustration due to the pace of most of his classes - so definitely a combo of his challenge and his giftedness.

polarbear

Yeah, make it easy on yourself. I'm very interested in learning to recognize the ways to energize us and the ways that depletes us. This reinforces the saying I use about my kids, "so you've been good as much as you plan on it today? You used up all your good behavior?" my husband thinks I made that up or just read it online, but it sure is what I see happening in everybody.

I too thought this was about decision-making fatigue on the part of parents! I find this time of year (just before school goes back) to be extremely tiresome. It's worse that sorting out 1st year uni timetabling! I've got sticky notes all over my wall - sports; maths; science; mindfullness; piano; netball coaching; art; and not to forget synchronised swimming!! Grief!

Likewise MoN! But very glad to have read that article, thank you! My 2e girl certainly rips through her energy reserves faster than normal, and I think I do too. And In fact I have tried often to explain to my husband how exhausting it is that I do almost all the thinking and deciding about kids, house and family. Even when we make final decisions together I do all the work to get us to the shortest possible conversation to make a final choice from the best possible 2/3 options. All the little decisions along the way to the big choices... As well as what to eat for dinner, which order to pick the kids up in, whether we can squeeze a grocery shop between piano and school, whether we can afford not to squeeze it in. It's all little inconsequential stuff, but it's constant and five people will be late, disorganised, hungry, etc if it's not done.

My son and I both suffer from decision fatigue. It has gotten much worse lately. It is not yet noon and I can't decide if I should wake him up to put on the brace or let him sleep a little longer so he can learn. He is supposed to wear the brace 16 hours a day which doesn't leave a lot of time for exercise and showering and sleep. We usually end up staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. trying to get enough brace time in. Lack of sleep exacerbates our decision fatigue.

A small candy bar will help a lot.

There are parts of the brain that use up the available sugar more quickly than others. Replenish this sugar and you can keep going.

Oh, so THAT's my excuse...

-Mich

I agree. I discovered in high school that Snickers and a soda helped me perform better on tests when I was mentally tired. I did not do this often enough that I gained weight and I don't think I suffered any long term effects on my health. Somehow it felt wrong to recommend this to my child when I try to set a good example by eating healthy, but I think it might be okay to do this occasionally. My sister is a vegan and very health conscious and will probably think I am horrible if I let my son eat candy bars and drink soda.

My son has trouble eating more than three or four bites of anything while in the brace that has to be worn very tight. He looks like he has lost weight while wearing it. He is also in a growth spurt. I think we will try this. I don't think an occasional candy bar will hurt him.

Here is the book I read recently on this subject that cites the biochemistry behind "willpower."

http://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Rediscovering-Greatest-Human-Strength/dp/1594203075

The brain cannot make its own fuel. It has to come from the blood stream. That means sugar.


Humans are built to eat meat, eggs, blood, insects, blubber, internal organs, roots, berries, in fact, anything. Kids especially need fatty, nutrient dense foods to grow right.