Never let the milk leave your hand!

Summary: Got Spoiled Warm Milk?
Cost: Free

This is just a specific implementation of the 'One Hand Physical Reminder'
For some reason it is really easy to leave milk out on the counter. With the ADD mind having some cookies and milk isn't a simple thing - there are many independent steps:

Get out the milk
Get out a glass
Pour the milk
Wipe up the little sloshed bit (Oh Dang!)
Get the cookies
Get a napkin or plate
Juggle sloshy glass and the cookie plate to the entertainment or activity area
Enjoy the delicious milk & cookies

See how easy that is? Did you forget something? Yeah, you forgot to put the milk away in that list. The satisfaction of seeing and anticipation of the taste of the 'milk and cookies' somehow short circuits the 'put the milk away' task. In the ADD brain you've got 'milk and cookies' as a task and not the series of steps, and somehow 'put milk away' seems to get left out.
Okay, apparently so does 'wipe up the sloshed bit' if you are 15.

This coping strategy uses a physical reminder:
Never let the milk leave your hand. -

You can also say it to yourself as a Mantra.

If you can follow this rule you will never leave the milk out. Keeping the milk in your hand lets you do the preparation steps, pouring, and returning the milk to the fridge. If it touches the counter for any reason you are likely to leave it out and have sour warm milk very quickly.

Dramatic reinforcement:
If the ADD person appreciates the story visualization, you can use this one.
"You are an ancient Samurai warrior, trained in the code of Bushido. The Bushido only draws his sword to attack and then puts it away. (role play it... You put out the glass on the counter.) That is the enemy Samurai. You draw your sword (open the fridge and take out the milk), make the perfect cut "Hai!" (pour perfectly without spilling), and then sheathe your sword expertly (put the milk away). Would the Samurai warrior lay his sword on the ground? (put the milk on the counter). Never. (snatch it back up, deftly reapply the cap and put it in the fridge). "The sword always goes back in its sheath". (Add a polite bow Sensei).

Retain the Retainer

Summary: System for retaining the retainer
Cost: Free

I was helping my son try to hang onto his ($300-400) Dental Retainer.
It would get lost at home.
It would get lost in the backpack if he took it out at school.
It would spend more time lost than keeping his teeth straight.


He wasn't yet using the Home Base system - so I made a simple one for him. I took one of the standard dental retainer cases (The Orthodontist will probably give you one or two for free). His was bright yellow - pick something easy to spot not a color that will blend in a dark backpack.


I took a drywall screw and just screwed it into the wall by his bed. (Hinge side down, so you couldn't drop the retainer)


I gave him a simple mantra.
"IN ITS CASE OR IN YOUR FACE"


He had a second case for his school backpack or pocket, ostensibly to hold the retainer during lunch. The retainer had to either be in its case or in his mouth at all times. By having an easy to see, always findable case at home we dramatically reduced the 'where did you last chew something' hunt.
And really, one time searching through wadded up napkins in the trash bin is more than enough.


This coping strategy combines Home Base, Visual Reminder, and Mantra