Parenting ADHD Children
5 Powerful Steps You Can Take
Parenting ADHD children can be extremely effective when done in a structured manner. Help for ADHD kids is best provided by their parents at home because the schools are largely ill equipped to handle the large number of children they encounter.
In addition to this, children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder benefit much more when their needs are addressed individually. Every child is unique and it is very difficult to take a group approach to providing help for ADHD.
Here are the most effective steps you can take to reduce the symptoms of ADHD in your home:
1. Find support for parenting ADHD children
If you are like me, you are wondering how finding support for the parent will improve behavior and concentration issues in your home. We list this first because it is so easy to be pulled down emotionally by hyperactive behavior. When parents are stressed, it makes it much harder to take the steps required for parenting adhd children.
It is important to find a support group with other parents who are struggling with these same issues in their home. Just being with other parents going through the same issues as you are will greatly reduce the stress.
These other parents of ADHD children will be able to provide emotional support as well as ideas of things that have helped them work through the difficulties that this disorder presents.
2. Modify the Child's Diet
Many children who are diagnosed with ADHD, are actually reacting to the foods they eat. These children are typically overly sensitive to their environment and often have extreme reactions.
Blood sugar fluctuations caused by the types of foods children eat is often the cause of tantrums and angry outbursts. Food additive such as artificial dyes will lead to hyperactivity in many children as will sugar.
Help for ADHD kids will be found best by removing as much sugar and foods made with white flour as possible. Both of these play havoc with blood sugar levels in children and it often isn't until a child reaches their mid teen years that this improves.
Reducing milk products in a child's diet will also improve behavior. It is difficult for most children to express accurately how they feel, but milk seems to create discomfort which leads to behavior issues in many children.
One of the best things you can do for children with ADHD is provide frequent healthy snacks throughout the day. Peanut butter on celery and various types of nuts make great snacks. Peanut butter and raisins on bread will help level out blood sugar fluctuations and often reduce behavior issues quickly.
3. Use consistent discipline techniques.
Learning the best discipline techniques for ADHD Children will improve your home life greatly. Most ADHD children are master manipulators and need to be provided with a strong sense of direction. They need to know that you are the parent.
ADD children on the other hand will require a softer approach and more encouragement. When helping ADHD children, Always let the children know that you are on their side, not against them. This is often difficult to do in the midst of out of control behavior.
When parenting ADHD children, it is important that they are always aware of your full love and support. Avoid the angry responses that hyperactive behavior often brings out in parents.
4. Provide a structured sleep schedule.
It always amazes me how important the connection between sleep and ADHD behavior is. A child's internal controls are greatly reduced when they are tired. Depending on the child, they will either exhibit hyperactive behavior or sluggish, uncooperative behavior.
Health professionals say that young children need 10 to 12 while teenagers need at least 8 or 9 hours of sleep. If you are parenting ADHD children, these are more than suggestions. This amount of sleep is essential for children with behavior problems.
5. Limit the amount of screen time.
Limiting time playing video games will provide help for ADHD kids in many ways. For some reason, there seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding behavior problems related to playing video games hours on end. I can tell you from personal experience, however, that the behavior of ADHD children quickly goes down hill while playing these games.
For certain children, video game playing shuts down part of their brain, leading to anti-social and hyperactive behavior. We have found that it can take as long as a couple of weeks for behavior to change back to normal after the video game playing has been completely stopped.
For other children, video games seem to lead to depression when they are not playing. If depression becomes an issue then it is necessary to be proactive and address the things going on in the child's life. If you feel the need for specialized help, then do not hesitate to seek out a professional.
Herbal formulas for ADHD have been helpful for many families. They help improve both, behavior and concentration problems for both children and adults. Visit our ADHD natural treatment page to learn more.
Providing help for ADHD in your family will require a lot of attention and work on your part. However, the rewards of parenting ADHD children and watching them develop into emotionally healthy adults will be well worth it. The years will go by so quickly.
You may also be interested in:
Raising an ADHD Child
How to Discipline ADHD Children
Vitamins for ADHD Children