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5 Ways to Help Your Child With ADHD Posted: January 5, 2018 @ 7:24 pm |
Help Your Child with ADHD Thrive with These 5 Tips Raising a child with ADHD isn't easy. ADHD can make even the brightest kids struggle with day-to-day activities, and it's all too easy for parents to get frustrated and overwhelmed. But ADHD isn't the end of the world - either for your child or for you. There's a lot you can do as a parent to help your child learn to manage their ADHD and thrive as they grow up. Here are five key things to focus on. 1. Understand why your child acts the way they do. ADHD is a medical condition that makes it difficult for kids (and sometimes adults) to control their impulses, focus, and plan ahead. Your child isn't intentionally trying to disobey or ignore you - they really can't help their behavior. In fact, their ADHD may be a bigger problem for them than it is for you. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to help your child change their behavior - you should, and with the right guidance, your child will get better at controlling their actions and thinking ahead. But when you understand why your child acts the way they do, you'll have an easier time keeping a cool head with them, and you'll be better able to separate your child from their ADHD in your mind. 2. Give your child routines and structure. Children with ADHD need routines in their life. Routines help them stay on track, but if you leave them at loose ends, they'll flounder. Create some routines for every part of your child's day, from getting ready for school to eating dinner and doing homework. Use timers, planners, and clocks to help your child remember what they need to do and when. Stick to your routines as much as possible, and let your child know ahead of time if you need to change a routine for some reason. 3. Help your child stay healthy and active. Exercise is a must for kids with ADHD. It helps them burn excess energy and sleep better at night, and it also improves their mood. Encourage your child to join a sports team or play outside with friends frequently. In addition to exercise, make sure your child is eating a healthy diet low in processed food and getting plenty of sleep every night. Sleep deprivation or a sugar-filled diet can make signs of ADHD in children much worse than usual. 4. Set consequences, both positive and negative. Set clear and predictable consequences for your child's actions, and make sure not all of them are negative. For instance, maybe your child loses their screen time if they don't get their homework done before dinnertime - but if they do get their homework done, they get to play their favorite video game for half an hour. Praise your child when they do something well, too. Negative consequences are important for deterring bad behavior, but if you only notice when your child misbehaves, they'll come to associate misbehavior with attention. 5. Give your child chances to do things by themselves. It's easy to over-parent a child with ADHD. But as kids get older, they need to learn how to handle new situations by themselves. If you swoop in too often to rescue your child or tell them what to do, they won't learn problem-solving skills for themselves. Give your child some chances to make good decisions and do new things on their own, and help them practice coming up with their own solutions instead of asking you for answers all the time. The Takeaway When you're parenting a child with ADHD, you'll probably have days when you want to rip your hair out. The good news, though, is that your child's behavior can improve (and will improve!) with patient, consistent guidance. It takes time and hard work, but if you believe in your child, they'll get there. Use these guidelines as a starting point, and before long, your child will start to thrive.
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