Caring for a child with ADHD

Having a child with ADHD can be overwhelming, but as a parent, there is a lot that you can do to help control and reduce the symptoms. There are several ways to help your child conquer daily challenges, channel his or her energy into positive arenas and bring better tranquillity to your family.

Here are a few things that you can do to help your child learn and develop as well as reduce stress in the family:

• Develop unwavering routines at home and at school
• Keep the rules clear, simple and give reminders calmly
• Make sure you have your child's full attention when you talk
• Give your child specific instructions, only one or two at a time
• Praise your child when he or she does something good
• Try to ignore minor annoying behaviours
• Be clear to your child about discipline for behaviour that you find unacceptable
• Decrease television time and increase your child's activities and exercise levels during the day
• Try and create a buffer time to lower down the activity level for an hour before bed time by doing quieter activities such as colouring or reading

Living in a home that provides both love and structure is the best thing for a child who is learning to manage ADHD!