It's easy to blame ourselves for how our children are – women do it all the time.

Carouselgirl has a son with ADHD. Here's what she says:

"I had a perfectly good pregnancy, no problems at all.  Then came labor.  I was in labor for 16 hours, pushed for 2 1/2 of those hours and ended up having a c-section.  I believe that the extended amount of time that he was in the birth canal may have limited his oxygen.  I contribute this trauma during labor to his ADHD and LD."

Turns out, she's not alone.

Richard Rubin, M.D., who specializes in ADHD, writes "Don't Blame Self" as one of his top tips for parents with ADHD.  "Put distance between your adult problems and those of your child," he says. "Your ways will not work all the time with an ADHD child. When they fail, do not blame yourself. Do not talk down to yourself and say things like, 'I'm a bad parent.'

ADHD children normally have periods of tough days and not so tough days. These changes are not related to how good you are at parenting, but part of your child's disability. Look for welcome behaviors, and count on not welcome behaviors."

Richard Lougy, author of ADHD: A Survival Guide for Parents and teachers, writes, "One parent said that she 'felt uncomfortable and guilty when picking up her child's Ritalin after hearing about its side effects on the radio'... Sadly, exaggerated and misleading claims by groups opposed to psychiatry in general have caused much anguish for parents whose children are being prudently treated by medication."

So, while Carouselgirl might think about how she contributed to her son's ADHD – as so many other parents do – we encourage you to be positive, and write to other moms here on Trusera when you're feeling down.