Image: Shutterstock
If you’ve just found out that your child has ADHD, you’re probably wondering how you, as a parent, can help your child. You need to understand that taking measures to address your child’s problems right at the start can help you and your child better. As a parent of a child with ADHD, you may often find yourself in exasperating situations, but it may help if you know how to tackle these challenges. We’re here to help you with some parenting tips for children with ADHD.
Parenting is not a walk in the park, more so if your child has issues with attention and is hyperactive most of the time. Read on to find out how you can help your little one, and thereby help yourself as well:
What Is ADHD?
Image: Shutterstock
Before we get into the parenting tips for children with ADHD, you must understand what ADHD is. ADHD, short for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a condition where you suffer from attention difficulty, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity.
Children with ADHD will often find it hard to stay still for a long time, are constantly fidgeting, and find it hard to concentrate and complete tasks (1).
Parenting Tips For Parents Of ADHD Children
Image: Shutterstock
We’ve listed out a few parenting tips for you that may help you through your parenting journey when you have a child diagnosed with ADHD:
- Create A Structure And Stick To It
Image: Shutterstock
If you have observed that your child is finding it difficult to complete tasks, creating a schedule or structure may help. Start with creating a plan of action for the day. This could include mealtimes, playtime, study time, and time for other activities. Feel free to set a reminder so you wouldn’t miss out on anything. You can make things fun for your child by sticking colorful post-it notes to remind them of an upcoming activity. Once a plan is in place, make sure you stick to this. It becomes easier for your child to stick to it and complete the necessary tasks as consistency is maintained and a habit is formed (2).
- Keep Them Occupied
Image: Shutterstock
Most children who have ADHD are filled with energy and looking for ways to burn them, so you can find healthy ways to get all that energy out (3). The best way to do this is to incorporate physical activities as a part of their daily routine. This works in favor of their health as well, so it is a win-win. You could get them to learn a new sport or extra-curricular activity. Both you and your child can set aside some time to do basic workouts at home, or you can ask your little one to help you out with a few chores as well. The idea is to keep them occupied in a healthy way, as this can help reduce the symptoms associated with ADHD (4).
- Sleep Is Important
Image: Shutterstock
The lack of sleep can affect your attentiveness whether or not you are diagnosed with ADHD, but it can be a real problem for kids with this disorder. More often than not, children with ADHD have a problem with falling asleep, probably because of the overstimulation of their minds. This makes it all the more critical to ensure that they get enough sleep as the lack of sleep can worsen the symptoms (5).
- Set Rules And Rewards
Image: Shutterstock
A child with ADHD will require a bunch of rules that are easy to follow. It will also help to create a reward system for these rules if they are followed well. Try to use positive reinforcement every time your child completes a task. Take the time out to explain why you’ve set the rules and the consequences they’ll have to face if they don’t follow the rules. The rules can be anything from table manners to completing their homework before six in the evening (6).
Make sure you talk to your healthcare provider for the correct diagnosis and necessary intervention. With the right understanding and support, you can help your child deal with this disorder and overcome several challenges. Do you know any parenting tips that can help? Let us know in the comments below!
