Diamonds for Valentines

Every mother expects one day to be introduced to her son or daughter's significant other. For some of us, this can be a revolving door, with new love interests being introduced monthly or even weekly in some cases. However, for parents of Attention Deficit Disorder, (ADD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD) children, the prospect of potential partners is somewhat diminished due to the constant display of (sometimes) disturbing behaviors. Yet, even though these behaviors can inhibit or limit social interaction, there is still a good chance your son or daughter will, at some point, be the target of Cupid's arrows.

My son, who will be fifteen in May, is one such casualty.

It is most interesting to be granted a back row seat to this budding romance. On one hand, my son can still be quite child-like in his play, opting for playing with guns (including sound effects,) or swords and vanquishing invisible opponents. On the other hand, he can appear quite grown up, discussing the car he wants to own, future living arrangements, and of course, his girlfriend.

Christmas came and went, along with thoughts of gifts for his girlfriend such as i-Pods and lap-tops, much to my relief. When they broke up near the end of January, I felt it was a good opportunity to remind him of our conversation about buying expensive gifts and possible short term romances, all of which went out the window when he reconciled with his girlfriend the second week of February.

With Valentine's day looming on the horizon, talk turned once again to gift giving. This time, instead of i-Pods, he shifted his gaze to diamonds. Try as I might, he would not be dissuaded from the idea of presenting his Valentine with a diamond pendant. (I suppose I should thank my lucky stars he wasn't thinking of a ring...) He was adamant that I spend upwards of $100.00 - in his words, "Don't cheap out Mom..."

Now, I know what you must be thinking. Diamonds? For a thirteen year old girl, from a fourteen year old boy? Are you off your rocker? Let me assure you, I am not nuts, nor will I allow my son to rush out and spend all his paper route money on a diamond pendant. Fortunately, my schedule did not allow for the both of us to shop for a Valentine's present, and since he can be easily distracted by his video games, he did not have the forethought to use public transportation to achieve his goal. However, this meant that on the eve of Valentine's day, after working an emergency shift for a Fortis BC gas leak, I was zipping through Zellers to find a "diamond" pendant for my son's girlfriend.

I found a lovely initial that I thought would satisfy both my son and his girlfriend and made my purchase. I won't divulge the price, suffice it to say it did not 'break the bank', and was well within the range of 'perfectly acceptable' when it comes to 'possible short term romance' gifts!

My son was thrilled with the pendant and presented his girlfriend with her gift this morning in class, sending me a text saying "she loves it!" 

Time for a well deserved "way to go Mom" and congratulatory pat on the back!