Saying my ADHD son doesn't wake up well would be like saying Old Faithful is a pretty big geyser. This child, age 10 and with severe ADHD, wakes up like a rock.

Morning has always been a difficult time for us, even before the ADHD diagnosis. He whines. He grumbles. He shrieks. He goes back to bed. It's like having two of me in the house!

I have come up with a morning routine that takes into account his ADHD and the fact that he's not only tired and grumpy but hasn't had his ADHD medication yet. This routine might not work for everyone, but maybe you can use it as a starting point for a routine with your ADHD child. The main thing, I think, is to have a routine.

Before I wake my ADHD son, I start the shower and put his clothes on the bed where they're easy to find. I wake the ADHD monster, usher him into the bathroom, and wait.

If I don't hear him get in the shower after a couple of minutes, I go in and prod him. I know his ADHD makes him distractible and he's more than half-asleep. After a few minutes of shower time I urge him to finish up, then I tell him when time's up.

Even with ADHD, my son does a pretty good job of taking his own shower most of the time. Sometimes he has shampoo in his hair when he gets out, but usually he's clean.

Because of his ADHD, he doesn't sleep well, or enough. He catches up on his sleep on the weekends. So during the week I let him put his clothes on and get back in bed for 15-20 minutes before he brushes his teeth, takes his ADHD medication, and puts on his shoes and socks.

While Jack's back in bed catching up on ADHD-deprived sleep, I get his sister in and out of the shower and dressed.

When it's time to brush teeth and take ADHD medicine, I wake Jack again, usher him back into the bathroom, and lay out his medicine and toothbrush. I stand there as much to make sure he brushes his teeth (he forgets) as to make sure he takes his ADHD meds. Then he puts on shoes and socks and gets ready for the bus.

When I make Jack's lunch, I fix him a "snack baggie" of dry cereal, usually frosted shredded wheat. I put this in the top of his lunch bag and he eats it on the bus. This makes up for the fact that my ADHD son can't wake up enough for breakfast.

Again, this routine may not work for everyone with an ADHD child. But the point is to have a routine. It's what helps my son get up and get going every morning, in spite of his ADHD.