Being a parent is a challenge in itself, what more being a parent to a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This can be very frustrating and be challenging to any parent. A great ounce of understanding, patience, and compassion is a must for parents to cope with their child.
But the first step which is understanding your child’s condition can greatly help you cope and support your child needs. You need to know that they have difficulty in executive functions such as planning, organizing, controlling impulses and completing tasks. As much as they want to do what their parents are telling them, they just simply do not know how.
Below are the parenting tips you can use to support and guide your child:
- Accept your child’s condition
“Kids with ADHD often feel they’re letting others down, doing things wrong, or not being “good.” Protect your child’s self-esteem by being patient, understanding, and accepting. Let your child know you believe in him and see all the good things about him,” explains D’Arcy Lyness, PhD.
Your child just like the other children is imperfect. Although it is hard to accept your Childs condition learn how to love them unconditionally. Keep a positive attitude. when you are calm and focused the more that you can help calm your child as well. Remember that whatever is the behavior of your child, it is not intentional and it’s it is related to a disorder.
- Take care of yourself
You are your child’s role model and you are his/her source of strength that is why it is important to keep yourself healthy. Remember that you do not have to do this alone, you can get support from your family, your child’s doctors, and therapist. Do not also feel guilty about taking a break. This is important for you to be able to take care and support your child. Take a break once in a while.
- Follow a routine in the house
Children with ADHD can function more if they have tasks in a structured manner with predictable patterns and places. Help your child be focused and organized by following a routine. Set time for meals, home works, and playtime. You can also use clocks and timers for these tasks. Create a quiet place for your child’s time out, a place that he can call his own. Set up your house in an organized way. Make sure your child knows the places for everything and where to find them.
“Simple household routines like meals at a specific time, a special homework location in your house, or weekly assigned chores will leave little room for confusion or disorganization if your child knows exactly what is expected of them,” shares Emily Hasselquist, LCSW. “Constantly changing household rules or schedules will make it more difficult for your child to understand and focus on what they need to do.”
- Positive reinforcements “Rewards and Consequence”
Set easy to follow rules in the house for your child. Children with ADHD respond better in organized or structured systems of rewards and consequences. Explain to them the rules and what will happen if they are followed and if they are broken as well. If they exhibit good behavior, praise them.
“Contrast time-out with time-in. That means that if you put your child in time-out for hitting his sister, you should have been praising him earlier for playing well with his sister — and should praise him after time-out for having a good attitude,” says Carla Counts Allan, PhD, of the ADHD Specialty Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City.
- Exercise and sleep
Children with ADHD have high energy and so making them use this energy in exercises can help them focus their attention and at the same time be healthy. Sleep is important as well in children with ADHD but they usually have trouble sleeping because of over stimulation. Set bed time rules every day, decrease use of T.V, use lavender aromas in your child’s room, and cuddling as well can calm them down.
6.Help them eat right
Children with ADHD do not regularly eat, and so your guidance and monitoring are important. Schedule your child’s meal time, get rid of junk food in your house, and a daily vitamins/mineral supplement is good as well.