My younger son is 19, but still likes me to help him with things. The other day I spoke to someone on his behalf. I said to the woman, “well, he has ADHD so that might make it more complicated for him,” and she was quiet and I said, “does that have any particular meaning for you?” She paused and said she’d worked with another young woman who has ADHD, but then nothing more was said. The need to explain my son to others has always felt awkward, but somehow always felt necessary. Like…maybe… if they understood the way things **might** flare up, they’d be better prepared to help him through it. That didn’t always turn out to be the case. I remember one summer that he went to sleepaway camp and less than 12 hours after he’d arrived, we got a call to come collect him. Why? He’d had a particularly visceral emotional reaction to another camper and the staff found it concerning. My reaction? That’s the ADHD. But even if you understand the ADHD, it can be hard to explain to others. Parenting an ADHDer can be emotionally exhausting. Be kind to yourself.