Only 21 years old when she had her first son Wesley, Janice Jones had her hands full.

The young mother’s life was a juggling act. Balancing a full-time job with the needs of her new maternal responsibilities proved even more difficult when her son was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder when he was 9.

However difficult that might have been, Jones proves that a mother’s love can conquer just about anything.

Now, Jones is celebrating the publication of her first book, “Take Your Pills and Go to Your Room.”

Jones hosted a book signing and reading Wednesday at the Spruce Tree Coffee House to promote her self-published book.

“Talking about my book, and having even the slightest chance of helping one person, makes it worth it,” Jones said.

And what about that title?

“The title is meant to make you laugh,” she said.

Jones, the mother of three children, knew the title might “get some frowns” but decided to stay with it because of a humorous moment between her and her children.

“I had the baby on the changing table when she was 2,” Jones said. “Her indecipherable chatter was just becoming to sound like English. The house was full of hustling and bustling, and we were about to go out for a summer outing.”

“My son was in his usual bad mood in the morning,” Jones continued. “He was arguing with me, and by this time we had elected to try medication.”

Wesley was 12 years old at the time, Jones began outlining her book.

“While changing the baby I kept telling Wes, ‘Get your stuff.’ And finally I had to yell to him, ‘Wesley, take your pills and go to your room!’”

The situation grew more interesting.

“The baby, who had been quiet for a bit, said, ‘WES! Take pills. Go room!’ The whole house started laughing,” Jones fondly recalled.

That stress-filled summer morning brought an epiphany to Jones.

“I thought to myself, ‘That’s the name of the book I’m going to write,’” she said.

The inspiration, was the title. And of course, the children.

The Dolores resident, who self-published her first book, uses it as a platform to be a crusader for other parents struggling with dealing with children who have the disorder.

The touching book, which was written over the period of about 10 years, depicts the harsh and sweet realities of dealing with the disorder and the laundry list of responsibilities that go along with it.

Jones guides mothers through suggestions for diagnosis, diet, medication, schooling and tips for “successful day to day management” for ages one to 23.

With the experience of raising a child with the disorder, Jones recognizes the stresses that parents endure.

“Parents are inundated with information, overwhelmed by decision making, and often numb and fatigued from meeting everyday challenges,” Jones said.

Though working through the disorder can be challenging, Jones eloquently brings the beauty to the surface through the pages in “Take Your Pills and Go to Your Room.”

“There is hope and beauty in every day,” she said. “There is progress and victory in every hour, and there is an abundance of laughter and love in every moment.”

Faith, among her other muses for the book, played a role in the unfolding of her maternal wisdom through published work.

“As I journeyed through the years of my son’s upbringing, I often said, ‘Life is an adventure, and I am going to give it everything that I have,’” Jones said. “What I have is what God gives to me, and God richly blessed me with a child who has ADHD.”

The format of the book took shape, quite spontaneously and effortlessly, through Jones’ experiences with her son.

“I started jotting down stories that had happened that were just hilarious,” she said. “As I was writing this I realized I had had this walk with God through parenting, and that everything that happened here was because of him. I realized that as I was writing that it actually sounded like I knew what I was doing, but I didn’t have a clue what I was doing!”

Wesley, who is now 25 and lives in Farmington, has been his mother’s No. 1 fan and editor.

“The first person to read the manuscript was Wes,” Jones said. “He is a very good-humored person.”

Though the anecdotes of her book circle around the idiosyncrasies of raising her son and two others, Jones said she considers herself “the caretaker of many of her children’s friends and neighbors.”

Though “more life needs to go by,” Jones plans to continue writing. Ten years in the making? A sequel about her son.



Reach Paige Blankenbuehler at paigeb@cortezjournal.com