Many parents are searching for helpful tips in parenting their attention deficit child.  If your child is fidgety while doing homework, unable to concentrate, having difficulty listening, then this article will help you help your child.  If your child is inattentive, off-task or has a short attention span, the following ADD parent strategies may help you when you are assisting your child at home.

Tips to Helping Your ADD or ADHD Child At Home

• Develop and maintain a positive relationship with your child

Example: Show an interest in what your child’s interest are by talking, planning and participating in events that your child enjoys.  Sometime children feel that they “just hear about all the bad things” they do.  Catch your child doing something positive.

• Become aware and show interest in your child’s school work.

Example: Regularly review homework.  Avoid nagging or making too many corrections.  Showing interest does not mean that you need to do the assignment for the child, but become aware of what he or she is doing at school.  If your school has a computerized grading program that parents can access at home, sign up for this program and monitor your child’s grades and assignment weekly.

• Recognize your child’s strengths in the arts, drama, athletics, clubs and other extra-curricular activities.

Example: ADD/ADHD children often do well and have strength in activities that go beyond the school day. Make sure that your child is signed up for other activities that the school and community have to offer beyond the classroom. Speak with your child’s teachers, counselor and youth leaders about getting your child involved.

Finally! A Parent Help Program For Kids With ADD/ADHD

 
• Spend time learning about ADD/ADHD. Share information with your child and relatives.

Example: Read other ScottCounseling.com ADD/ADHD articles.  NAMI.com and PACER.com are two organizations that provide sound teaching information regarding attention deficit. This disorder is not life threatening.  Having ADD/ADHD is like having an eye or sight problem.  There are coping solutions.  For the eyes, we have glasses that help us copy.  For ADD/ADHD, there’s medication and coping strategies that can be implemented at home and at school.  An example of an at home coping strategy for hyper active children is to allow them time to burn off the “hyper” feeling through exercise or running activities before beginning homework.

• Team with your child’s school to help you and your child cope with ADD/ADHD

Example: It’s common for parents who have children with attention deficit to meet with school personnel to problem-solve.  The school counselor, nurse, psychologist, teachers and administrators are there to help you.  Set up a meeting with these school individuals and begin teaming to come up with the best practice and plans to help your ADD/ADHD child.

• Teach your ADD/ADHD child to take care of him or herself.

Example: Teach your child about proper diet; avoid foods that contain a large amount of sugar and fats.  Support your child’s involvement in a daily exercise program, sport or activity that allows him or her to increase the body’s nature, good chemicals like serotonin. Teaching proper hygiene will also help your child fell good about him or herself.

More ADD/ADHD questions: Go to: Ask A Counselor