Tips for Parenting Children with ADHD

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Parenting a child with ADHD can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Visitors to this site have shared some of their parenting tips below:

Visitor Submitted Parenting Tips:

Learn all you can about every aspect of ADHD, and share this information with other family members as well as with the child (when appropriate).

Make certain the child understands that the ADHD is not his/her fault. Make certain you understand that it is not your fault either.

Use positive reinforcement to increase positive behaviors or performance in school.

Help build up your child's self-esteem. Pay attention and give praise when your child is behaving or has accomplished a task. Be careful not to overpraise, however, or your insincerity will be obvious.

Use immediate consequences to decrease negative behaviors, and make sure the consequences are not too harsh and that your child understands the negative behaviors that prompted them.

Try to target only one or two problem areas at a time. It is very easy for both the child and the parent to become overwhelmed if too many areas are being focused on at a time.

Use token economies at home to help in following rules and with family chores. Use charts, chips, stickers, or smileys to follow behaviors and create immediate rewards. Some parents also find that removing these tokens works well as a consequence for minor negative behaviors.

Be sure your child knows and understands ahead of time exactly what is expected of him or her. You may need to remind your child often, or to list the rules in writing if the child is old enough to read them.

A child with ADHD can be very distractible and forgetful, so keep directions simple. Use short sentences to give directions and give only one or two directions at a time. Try to use the same routine whenever possible.

Make sure your child is paying attention to you when you speak. Keep your child's eyes on your face while giving directions or instructions, even if it means turning their head to look at you.

Review your expectations often and make sure they are appropriate for your child's emotional level as well as their chronological age. Discuss your expectations with a professional or with other parents if you are uncertain what is age-appropriate for your child.

Focus on your child's positive traits, such as artistic ability or interest in helping others.

Be an advocate for your child at school. Insist your child has all the resources needed to get the best education possible. Educate the teachers and the faculty about your child's needs, and also make certain to point out your child's abilities as well as disabilities.