Children who have ADHD can have a tough time battling for their life on earth. And as parents, you must want to help out your child in every way possible. However, traditional parenting techniques and skills will not work in this case.
You’ll have to go beyond and follow some new strategies for your kids. But how different are these strategies of parenting a child with ADHD? Well, the answer to this question is tackled right here in this article. Here, we’ll show you all the things necessary for helping your kids with ADHD. However, before we start, we’ll like to take a moment to assure you that this condition doesn’t hold back your child. With proper guidance and love, children with ADHD can overcome all of the challenges they face and thrive in their lives.
With that said and done, let’s dig deep into the parenting tips that we have for you-
How do People With ADHD Differ from Normal People?
Before getting to know what to do, you must first understand your child’s ADHD. You see, they aren’t like every kid you see in the park. Their resilience might mask it on the outside, but they are suffering from the inside. So, how are kids with ADHD different from others? Well, there isn’t any proven medical way to diagnose someone with ADHD. So, you’ll have to look for symptoms like forgetfulness, impulsiveness, lack of focus, and fidgeting.
In most scenarios, you’ll find that your kid is jumping from one topic to another. This happens because their frontal lobe is 3% smaller in comparison. And that part is responsible for hone in a person’s attention and focus on their singular task at hand. The difference in the frontal lobe of their brains makes it difficult for them to focus on one topic for an extended period. Now, there are medications out there for this disorder. For instance, you can buy Adderall or Concerta, but there are some natural ways to address their ADHD.
Things to Do for Child With ADHD
Now that you understand what you’re dealing with, let us show you how to handle the situation. We have listed a few tips that are proven to work with kids with ADHD. So, if you’re ready, let’s see this advice up close-
Be Supportive
First things first, you need to be supportive of your child. They suffer from the inside, but your love and care will act as a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Plus, if you support them, they’ll have a safety net to fall back on. And with that, they’ll have the courage to take steps to improve their condition.
Make a Routine
Next up, you need to structure and organize your kid’s routine for them. Since they tend to lose focus quickly, they need the structure to maintain their focus. The best way to achieve this habit is by making them follow a healthy structured routine. However, don’t go overboard with the work. Make sure to give breaks for them to rest and relax. While you’re at it, include some healthy food (like orach) into their diet to help them build a healthy dietary structure as well.
Stimulate Interest
As important as they are, just making a routine won’t solve all the problems. You’ll have to get the kids to follow this routine. And you guys know how kids function. They simply don’t like to do what they are told. So, introduce creative ways of making the routine interesting, and find new techniques to get them interested in chores. For instance, you can color-code their routine or give them stars whenever they finish a task.
Reduce the Number of Distractions
We know this is obvious (and perhaps restrictive), but you have to reduce the number of distractions in your house. You see, if you have computers, tablets, and phones lying around, the kids are likely to head over to them. The best thing to do in this scenario is to limit the number of screentime for their gadgets. This way, they can focus on their tasks and activities scheduled for the time of the day.
Teach them to Prioritize Works
One more problem that kids with ADHD have is prioritizing work. They simply don’t understand how to give importance to specific tasks. As a result, they don’t end up doing those works at all. The lack of ability to prioritize can land them in several challenges with school work and projects. Plus, they will never be able to develop this habit if you don’t help them out.
So, stick by their side and teach them how to prioritize tasks according to the importance and time required to complete the work. Relying on that structured routine will come in handy in this training process. Aside from helping them overcome this hurdle of ADHD, you will teach them life-long skills that they will need in their daily lives.
Keep Your Calm
Last but not least, you have to keep your calm. You see, if you tend to lose your patience or take out your frustrations on the kids, they’ll be afraid to open up with you.
So, make sure you get some breaks in between and work on yourself a bit as well. It’s important to take care of yourself and rebalance your emotions to be calm and organized for your child. There are several at-home relaxation techniques you could apply to calm your nerves, such as massaging your head with lilac essential oil to reduce stress.
Things to Avoid in This Scenario
Well, those were all the things you have to do. However, there are a few things that you should avoid at all costs. Let’s have a quick look at them:
- Don’t be discouraging
- Don’t rebuke them for trying
- Don’t get bossed around by your child
- Don’t be pessimistic about the disorder
Final Words
We hope these parenting tips helped you in understanding the best way to tackle your child’s ADHD. However, if you’re still nervous about the whole situation, take a deep breath.
It’s normal to make mistakes, so don’t be afraid to take on the challenge and learn along the way. Be loving and caring, and you’ll see your child responding to that. Anyway, that’s all we have for today, folks. See you next time.
