Letting something go you knew you shouldn't
ADHD parent behaviour
Consistent boundary enforcement runs on sustained executive function, and every boundary depletes the same prefrontal cortex resources used all day, so by evening the system cannot hold the line. Inconsistency confuses children, especially ADHD children who need predictable environments to regulate. The fix is not more willpower but fewer boundaries held more consistently. Pick three that matter, let the rest go, and reinstall the limit clearly before next time.
What to do right now
The moment has passed and the limit bent. You can't rewind it, but you can reinstall it clearly before the next time. "I let that go earlier. I want to be clear: when [situation] happens, the answer is [limit]. That's the rule from now." Brief, forward-looking. Not a prosecution of what happened.
What your brain just did
Your body
You felt the boundary slip and let it go. Enforcing it would have required energy you don't have right now. The path of least resistance won.
Your brain
Consistent boundary enforcement requires sustained executive function. Each boundary is a decision that depletes the same prefrontal cortex resources used for everything else. By the end of the day, the system doesn't have enough left to hold the line.
What this did
Inconsistency is confusing for children, especially ADHD children who need predictable environments to regulate. The fix isn't more willpower. It's fewer boundaries, held more consistently. Pick three that matter and let the rest go deliberately.