Use your brain........or not

On Monday night during Jay's football game, he suffered a concussion.  Schools don't mess around with concussions and as a result Jay can't use his hands at school.  I asked him if that presented a problem with eating his lunch (just trying to find a little humor with my 14 year old).  Since he can't use his hands, he can't take notes or tests (but he is allowed to eat his lunch  - ha) and obviously he can't participate in any physical activity.  We were told that basically Jay has to give his brain a rest.  He shouldn't be on his cell phone, which I consider comical.....keeping a teenager off their cell phone is like performing a small miracle.  Even more challenging is not watching T.V..  As with everything I do with life, I am trying to balance it.  Last night Jay couldn't use his cell phone for four hours and I kept the T.V. off for a few hours before and after dinner but talk about a caged animal.  Jay hardly knew what to do with himself and he hardly knows what to do with himself when his brain is functioning properly.  Right now he's just battling a small headache.  He left for school this morning and told me he didn't want Tylenol, that he wanted to see how his head felt once he got to school and got in the classroom lights.  What is so amusing to me is knowing Jay should be giving his brain a rest.  You have to know Jay.  He's got ADD (which is really well controlled but still ADD).  In addition to ADD, he's highly impulsive and as with his ADD, his impulsivity has improved with age.  In our house, it's a common phrase to hear, "Come on boys, use your brains!"  The phrase is only said during times of dire frustration.  It was like the time, about 8 months ago, when Jay decided to suck up all the water that had gotten in his kayak with our home central vac unit!!!  We were like, "Really Jay!!!  Use your brain!!!"  So I find it ironic that now I'm encouraging him to not use his brain.......which translates into giving his brain a rest.  I certainly don't want him trying to suck up water in his kayak with our vacuum cleaner again.  Last night he did joke that since he's resting his brain he was incapable of loading his dinner plates in the dishwasher.  He may try to milk this no brain usage for as long as possible.  Ha!  But Jay is still Jay.  This morning he was asking me when he could get back to practice and at least observe.  He's his father's son.....he won't tolerate sitting around (and not using his brain) for too long!