I am a dad with ADHD.

Last week I snapped at my daughter over something small. She went quiet. I knew immediately I had crossed a line my ADHD brain had pushed me past again. For years I would spend the rest of the day drowning in shame. Which made me MORE dysregulated. Which made everything worse. Until I built 3 rules for after the moment, not before it. Here are the 3 things that get me back to being their dad in 10 minutes: Rule [1]: Leave the room for 90 seconds. Immediately. Not to avoid the situation. To regulate your nervous system before you say something worse. Research shows that about 70% of adults with ADHD experience more intense anger than those without it, because our brains escalate faster than our awareness does. The 90 seconds is not for them. It is for you. Rule [2]: Physical reset first. Words second. Cold water on your face. 5 deep breaths. 10 jumping jacks. Your ADHD brain cannot access empathy or repair from a dysregulated state. You need a physical state change before you can be the parent your child needs in that moment. This is not optional, it is neurological. Rule [3]: Repair immediately. Do not wait until you feel ready. Go back. Get on their level. Say: I lost my temper and that was not okay. I love you. I am working on this. Short. Honest. No over-explaining. Research confirms that how parents repair after conflict matters more to a child’s emotional development than the conflict itself. 💾 Save this for the next time your ADHD brain moves faster than your patience. You will not get it right every time. But you can always repair. That is what makes you a good dad, not the losing it. The coming back. Follow @adhddadcode for real rules built for dads with ADHD who are done letting their worst moments define them. 🧠 🔁 Share this with a dad with ADHD who needs to know repair is always possible. 👇 What do you do after you lose your temper? Drop it below. #adhd #adhdparenting #adhddads #daddaughter #adhdmen