From smart speakers and fitness trackers to Wi-Fi fridges and interconnected air fryers, smart products have integrated seamlessly into people’s homes and everyday lives – in fact, research shows that four in five Brits own at least one.*
As someone with ADHD, the implemented order of operations is never logically optimal.
The more steps I have to do to course correct the more likely I fuck up the next thing.
Home automation is a godsend for me.
I don’t have an air fryer but if I did, the biggest help for me would be some sort of obnoxiously obvious reminder the nuggs are done so I don’t A) burn the house down, or B) have cold nuggs when I wake up from my hyperfocus an hour later.
My husband has been wondering if he should get formally diagnosed for ADHD now that our kid has been. (Talk about a carbon copy of a parent, this kid, geeze.) This explains a lot about the way he cooks. He always says it’s because he “needs more practice” but all I see is a chaotic stressful experience, and of course if I try to help him I just get in the way and make him irritated that I seem to think he can’t manage it on his own. Anyway all I’m saying is that it’s interesting to read your comment because I wonder if that’s my husband’s trouble, too.
Certainly sounds familiar, my tip to him is to try and write recipes down and get in the habit of mise en place-ing (prep chopping / pre-measuring) when you know what you’re gonna cook. Once the food hits the hot pan, any semblance of a plan goes out the window
(but also know “sticking to habits” is hard for us with ADHD, as it frequently goes against our nature, so don’t be shocked if he struggles there)
I tend to be the one to cook the “whatever’s leftover in the fridge” dish, which is a guaranteed source of a little chaos. In those instances it’s always helpful to have my wife around to pass ingredients or do some prep tasks on the side so I don’t lose focus and burn the onions.
Also, if you don’t already have recipes written down, having someone help build out a recipe book as you go can help smooth out future cooks.
Shout out to Recipe Keeper - after a first cook, usually from a website or book, we put everything we like in there for future reference.
As someone with ADHD, the implemented order of operations is never logically optimal.
The more steps I have to do to course correct the more likely I fuck up the next thing.
Home automation is a godsend for me.
I don’t have an air fryer but if I did, the biggest help for me would be some sort of obnoxiously obvious reminder the nuggs are done so I don’t A) burn the house down, or B) have cold nuggs when I wake up from my hyperfocus an hour later.
My husband has been wondering if he should get formally diagnosed for ADHD now that our kid has been. (Talk about a carbon copy of a parent, this kid, geeze.) This explains a lot about the way he cooks. He always says it’s because he “needs more practice” but all I see is a chaotic stressful experience, and of course if I try to help him I just get in the way and make him irritated that I seem to think he can’t manage it on his own. Anyway all I’m saying is that it’s interesting to read your comment because I wonder if that’s my husband’s trouble, too.
Certainly sounds familiar, my tip to him is to try and write recipes down and get in the habit of mise en place-ing (prep chopping / pre-measuring) when you know what you’re gonna cook. Once the food hits the hot pan, any semblance of a plan goes out the window
(but also know “sticking to habits” is hard for us with ADHD, as it frequently goes against our nature, so don’t be shocked if he struggles there)
I tend to be the one to cook the “whatever’s leftover in the fridge” dish, which is a guaranteed source of a little chaos. In those instances it’s always helpful to have my wife around to pass ingredients or do some prep tasks on the side so I don’t lose focus and burn the onions.
Also, if you don’t already have recipes written down, having someone help build out a recipe book as you go can help smooth out future cooks.
Shout out to Recipe Keeper - after a first cook, usually from a website or book, we put everything we like in there for future reference.