Want to help your ADHD child to stay calm and manage their challenges with effective strategies? Unsure where to start? I’m here to help!
Just in the US, over 6 million children – or nearly 9.5% of the population aged under 18 – are affected by an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
While most people diagnosed with ADHD learn to manage it in their adult life, this disorder can be detrimental to the development of children during their school years.
In fact, ADHD can greatly affect their ability to focus, remain calm, and concentrate.
Luckily, there is a lot that you, as a parent, can do to help your kids better understand and manage their ADHD challenges.
Unsure where to start? I’m here to help!
As you might know, I am a bestselling wellness author with about 2 million books sold globally.
Plus I founded a groundbreaking video course called The Anxiety Cure.
I love sharing insights and strategies to help people to be happier and calmer – especially during challenging times. So I put together this article with actionable tips to help children with ADHD to stay calm and focused.
Despite how widespread attention disorders are, each person experiences ADHD differently. That is why it is important to partner with a specialized psychologist or neurologist who is best equipped to diagnose and prescribe treatments for ADHD.
Are your child’s symptoms are causing significant disruptions in their social, educational, and personal life? If so, a doctor might prescribe stimulants to boost concentration and your child’s ability to cut out distractions.
Aside from seeking the expertise of a specialized doctor, once your child begins treatment, your responsibility as a parent is to follow through with the medicine schedule. You should also record progress and setbacks, and take part in parent training.
Pro tip: Unsure how to afford continued medical care for your child with ADHD? Check with your health insurance. Most policies will cover ADHD medications. Click Here to learn more.
Estimates suggest that children are distracted for up to a quarter of the time when in the classroom. And this percentage can be much higher for children with ADHD. But this doesn’t mean that they are unable to concentrate or deal with longer tasks!
What can you do to facilitate their attention and focus? Break up longer tasks that would usually require your child to stay quiet and calm for long.
For example…. Your little one might be able to focus on their homework for a few minutes. After this time, they might require a few-minutes break to stretch and move around.
Children and teenagers affected by an attention disorder are more likely to thrive in a consistent environment and structured routine. Ideally, you should involve them when creating a list of family rules about behavior. And you should include them when choosing the times of predictable tasks like meal and bed times.
Try to make sure you child knows what the next task on the list will be. Or what the day will look like. By preparing them in advance, you can help your child with ADHD manage their energy and hyperactivity.
To the uninitiated eye, fidgeting might seem unnecessary and even annoying. However, for children with ADHD, intentional fidgeting can be a vital tool to control their hyperactivity, manage their symptoms, and strengthen their mind-body connection, thus facilitating focus and calm.
You can encourage your child to restore focus by allowing him or her to play with a small toy or fidget cube.
Looking to help your little one burn off more energy? Planning playtime before a task that requires them to remain quiet and focused for several minutes can help them better manage their excess energy.
Getting your child with ADHD to sit still for a long time can be incredibly hard and counterproductive – but some techniques can make it progressively easier.
According to 2012 research, practicing mindfulness meditation, breath work, and relaxation techniques can help relieve ADHD symptoms in children – and decrease stress levels in their parents!
Starting with brief 2-minute calming techniques, you should consider implementing a progressive mindfulness program, which can improve your children’s cognition, attention span, emotional balance, and impulsiveness.
Understanding how to help your child with ADHD is essential to set your little ones up for educational success. However, before diving head-first into a strict program, make sure to understand the unique limitations and strengths of your little one and choose techniques that work for their specific ADHD symptoms.
And, don’t forget that forming calmer behavior can take time! Start by rewarding your little one for a 2-minute productivity window with a break. Then increase their focus time to 3 minutes, etc. You might feel like you are progressing slowly. And maybe you are. But please know that you are building the foundation of long-term health and well-being!
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