Tips for Parents
- Children with ADHD generally have deficits in executive function:
- This is the ability to think and plan ahead, organize, control impulses, and complete tasks.
- Parents need to take over as the executive function, by providing extra guidance while their child gradually acquires executive skills of his or her own.
- It’s important to remember that the child with ADHD who is ignoring, annoying, or embarrassing you is not acting willfully.
- Kids with ADHD want to sit quietly; they want to make their rooms tidy and organized; they want to do everything their parent says to do—but they don’t know how to make these things happen.
- Make sure to be patient, compassionate and provide plenty of support, and it will be easier to manage childhood ADHD while enjoying a stable happy home
- Stay positive and healthy yourself
- As a parent you set the stage for your child's emotional and physical health
- Keep a positive attitude
- Keep things in perspective- child's behavior is related to a disorder and most of the time it is not intentional
- Don't sweat the small stuff and be willing to make some compromises
- Believe in your child
- Take care of yourself- it will be easier to take care of your child if you are healthy
- Seek support when needed- talk with professionals, join an organized support group because you don't have to do this alone
- Takes breaks- accept offers of people willing to babysit, don't feel guilty, to make yourself feel better you can discuss with them how to best handle your child
- Pets can be a big help with children with ADHD
- Teach responsibility
- Can get the child outside to get some fresh air
- Can give the family some much needed fun
- Help the whole family blow off some built up steam
- Establish structure and stick to it
- It is a lot easier for the child to successfully complete tasks when they occur in a predictable pattern in a predictable place
- Follow a routine- establish simple and predictable rituals
- Use clocks and timers- allow enough time for your child to get things done
- Simplify your child's schedule- it may be good for the child to avoid idle time, but if there are too many activities going on they may feel overwhelmed and more distracted
- Create a quiet place- the child should have a quiet, private space of his or her own, but it is best that it is not the same place the child goes for a time-out
- Do your best to be neat and organized- make sure the child knows that everything has its place and where those places are, be a role model in this area as much as possible
- Set clear expectations and rules
- Make rules simple and clear- children with ADHD need consistent rules that they can understand and follow
- Write down the rules and hang them where they are easily read
- Use a system of rewards and consequence- explain what will happen when the rules are obeyed and when they are broken
- Stick to your system- follow through each and every time with a reward or a consequence
- Praise and positive reinforcement works really well- because they typically get so little of it and are criticized the most
- Reward for small achievement that you might take for granted in another child
- Rewards/Consequences
- REWARD with privileges, praise or activities rather than with food or toys
- CONSEQUENCES should be spelled out in advance and occur immediately after the child has misbehaved
- Change REWARDS frequently- children with ADHD will get bored with the same reward all the time
- CONSEQUENCES- time-outs and the removal of privileges
- Make a chart for the child to have a visual representation of success
- Remove the child from situations and environments that trigger inappropriate behavior
- Immediate REWARDS word better than the promise of a future reward, but you can do small rewards that will lead into a big one
- Ask the child what they could have done instead when they misbehave and then have them demonstrate it
- ALWAYS follow through with a reward or consequence
- Encourage movement and sleep
- Children with ADHD often have energy to burn so organized sports and other physical activities would be beneficial to help them get their energy out in healthy ways as well as it will help to focus their attentnion on specific movements and skills
- Exercise leads to better sleep which can reduce the symptoms of ADHD
- They may also benefit from activities which enhance mental control as they work out the body, like martial arts training or yoga
- Better sleep can help your child with ADHD
- Decrease television time-increase activities and exercise levels during the day
- Eliminate caffeine from diet
- Create a buffer time to lower down the activity level for an hour or so before bedtime- quiet activities
- Spend ten minutes cuddling with your child- builds a sense of love and security in additions to providing a time to calm down
- Use lavender or other aromas in the child's bedroom- the scent may help to calm and relax the child
- Use relaxation tapes as background noise
- Help your child eat right
- Diet is not a direct cause of ADHD, but food does affect mental state which can affect behavior
- Eating small meals more often may help
- Schedule regular nutritious meals for your child no more than three hours apart
- Teach your child how to make friends
- Children with ADHD often have difficulty with simple social interactions
- Can struggle with reading social cues, talk too much, interrupt frequently or come off as aggressive or "too intense"
- Their emotional immaturity can make them stand out among children their own age
- How to help your child with ADHD improve social skills
- Speak gently but honestly with your child about his or her challenges and how to make changes.
- Role-play various social scenarios with your child. Trade roles often and try to make it fun.
- Be careful to select playmates for your child with similar language and physical skills.
- Invite only one or two friends at a time at first- watch them closely while they play.
- Have a zero tolerance policy for hitting, pushing and yelling in your house or yard.
- Make time and space for your child to play, and reward good play behaviors often.