ADHD Parenting: How to Establish an ADHD Routine
Children with ADHD are often all over the place.
They seem to have unlimited energy, and show it in ways that create chaos at home and in school.
They run around, make noise, and make messes.
If your child fits into one of these cases, you may be exhausted from cleaning up after him and trying to settle him down.
The good news is that you won't have to stick to this tiring routine if you give your own child a routine to follow.
In fact, a routine is the cornerstone to good ADHD parenting.
Routines give children structure in their lives.
By giving them a certain list of things to do, they learn how to follow rules better.
They learn the value of discipline, and gain the self-motivation to follow through with that discipline.
Establish a routine for your ADHD child, and you'll find that things are not only easier for you, but your child will exhibit the symptoms much less.
The first step to establishing an ADHD routine is identify a single behavior you want to encourage; for example, getting ready for school.
It is important to do these tasks one at a time so that your child can learn to focus.
Multiple routines early on will likely either confuse the child or decrease his motivation.
Concentrate on baby steps - give your child time to adjust to the routines at a comfortable pace.
Once you've determined the most important routine to establish, you should then make a checklist of steps that accomplish the routine.
Getting ready for school, for example, can involve five steps: 1) Get out of bed; 2) Fix the room; 3) Bathe; 4) Dress up; and 5) Organize school bag.
Experts recommend creating a visual reminder of this checklist and placing it in the child's room.
Visual reminders help reinforce the importance of the routine, as well as give the child something concrete to follow.
For younger children, it may help to have pictures accompany the checklist.
You should then explain why the routine is so important, and then reward your child for following it.
If he follows the rules, give him something that makes it all worth his effort.
This is crucial, as the routine can sometimes involve things he doesn't want to do.
The reward should outweigh the benefits he gets from not following the routine.
For instance, if your child likes to stay in bed, you should determine a reward that is even better.
This could be extra dessert in his lunch box, an additional hour of television, or a small increase in his allowance.
Talk to your child and work out an acceptable and favorable reward system.
If your child has gotten the hang of the routine, and can follow it completely of his own volition, you can then move on to establishing another one.
Again, start by identifying the behavior you want to reinforce most, and continue from there.
After some time, your child will have no trouble following simple guidelines, making life a lot easier for the both of you.
They seem to have unlimited energy, and show it in ways that create chaos at home and in school.
They run around, make noise, and make messes.
If your child fits into one of these cases, you may be exhausted from cleaning up after him and trying to settle him down.
The good news is that you won't have to stick to this tiring routine if you give your own child a routine to follow.
In fact, a routine is the cornerstone to good ADHD parenting.
Routines give children structure in their lives.
By giving them a certain list of things to do, they learn how to follow rules better.
They learn the value of discipline, and gain the self-motivation to follow through with that discipline.
Establish a routine for your ADHD child, and you'll find that things are not only easier for you, but your child will exhibit the symptoms much less.
The first step to establishing an ADHD routine is identify a single behavior you want to encourage; for example, getting ready for school.
It is important to do these tasks one at a time so that your child can learn to focus.
Multiple routines early on will likely either confuse the child or decrease his motivation.
Concentrate on baby steps - give your child time to adjust to the routines at a comfortable pace.
Once you've determined the most important routine to establish, you should then make a checklist of steps that accomplish the routine.
Getting ready for school, for example, can involve five steps: 1) Get out of bed; 2) Fix the room; 3) Bathe; 4) Dress up; and 5) Organize school bag.
Experts recommend creating a visual reminder of this checklist and placing it in the child's room.
Visual reminders help reinforce the importance of the routine, as well as give the child something concrete to follow.
For younger children, it may help to have pictures accompany the checklist.
You should then explain why the routine is so important, and then reward your child for following it.
If he follows the rules, give him something that makes it all worth his effort.
This is crucial, as the routine can sometimes involve things he doesn't want to do.
The reward should outweigh the benefits he gets from not following the routine.
For instance, if your child likes to stay in bed, you should determine a reward that is even better.
This could be extra dessert in his lunch box, an additional hour of television, or a small increase in his allowance.
Talk to your child and work out an acceptable and favorable reward system.
If your child has gotten the hang of the routine, and can follow it completely of his own volition, you can then move on to establishing another one.
Again, start by identifying the behavior you want to reinforce most, and continue from there.
After some time, your child will have no trouble following simple guidelines, making life a lot easier for the both of you.
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