Many kids have ADHD, and there are facts to prove that ADHD mostly affects children below the age of seven. If you’re wondering how to parent a child with ADHD, this is the first thing you need to know. Although ADHD also affects adults, the percentage is quite lower. Taking care of a child with ADHD isn’t easy. One tricky bit about parenting a kid with ADHD is in guiding them to behave accordingly and employing behavioral techniques for kids with ADHD.
Here are smart strategies to try out:
1. Set clear rules
Kids with ADHD need simple behavioral rules. Define your rules and note them down. If possible, post them on the wall or where your kid can easily see them. For young kids, use images and drawings to illustrate the rules in a way that your child understands best. Moreover, be clear on the rewards and consequences for obeying or breaking the rules.
2. Guide through examples
Parenting a kid with ADHD takes a lot of energy. But, it’s essential to guide the child through examples. Besides, you teach your child how to deal with conflicts by modeling behavior. Some of the right ways are; use of respectful words, using a low voice, and avoiding shouting and violence. For best results, seek family therapy for ADHD, and this will help your loved ones to understand the child better.
3. Set routines
Schedules are excellent behavioral techniques for kids with ADHD. Set an everyday routine for tasks like waking up, preparing for school, doing homework, playing, and going to bed. You can as well make it a habit for your child to attend summer camps for kids every time schools close. This way, they will learn different things to enhance their skills.
4. Give frequent feedback
Kids with ADHD require feedback concerning their behavior more frequently than others. To remember to do this, set the alarm to go off after a certain period. This way, it will be easier to check on your child frequently. If they are behaving as expected, praise, and reward.
5. Use natural consequences
These are results generated by your child’s behavior. Natural consequences assist a child with ADHD to resolve issues that they created and work well than punishment. For more effective results, do this immediately. Waiting for a later date or time makes your child forget the relationship to the event. For instance, if your child gets poor grades in school, set more study time instead of punishing them. If this doesn’t work well, consider behavioral therapy for children.
6. Reward good behavior
Unlike kids without ADHD, children with ADHD need prompt feedback for their behavior. They can quickly learn from praises for their acts hours after it occurs. So, once your child behaves well, acknowledge the excellent deed and reward it immediately.
7. Consistency is key!
Some parents lack the energy to deal with behavioral issues. But, if you fail to control the situation, a child with ADHD will get a different message, and this makes consistency vital. Consistency encourages an ADHD child to behave well and change some of the undesired behaviors to more positive ones.
So, exhibit the same response each time your kid behaves in an undesirable manner. Although you may not get immediate results each time, be persistent, sometimes it can take longer to get the desired results.
8. Design a checklist
A checklist prompts your child to follow the set routine, and you can use it to mark the accomplished steps. If your child is older, help them to come up with their lists. But, for younger children, images or printable ADHD behavior charts work best.
Final thoughts
Parenting a child with ADHD is a task that many parents grapple with each day. It demands persistence and perseverance. By utilizing the above behavioral techniques for kids with ADHD, you can be sure to get better outcomes.