While disciplining any child can be difficult at times, parents of ADHD children often face added challenges when trying to keep their active children in line. Because of the nature of the disorder, children who suffer from ADHD commonly have trouble following rules and remaining goal-focused. Along with working to teach their children right from wrong as all parents do, parents of ADHD children must help their children overcome these additional hurdles that stand in the way of proper behavior.
While disciplining any child can be difficult at times, parents of ADHD children often face added challenges when trying to keep their active children in line. Because of the nature of the disorder, children who suffer from ADHD commonly have trouble following rules and remaining goal-focused. Along with working to teach their children right from wrong as all parents do, parents of ADHD children must help their children overcome these additional hurdles that stand in the way of proper behavior.
Obstacles in the Way of Good Behavior
Many of the symptoms common in ADHD children relate directly to behavior. ADHD children often struggle with impulsivity, making it difficult for them to consider the consequences of their behaviors before they act. They also often lack follow-through, which makes it difficult for them to do simple chores, like taking out the trash, without continual prompting. The excessive energy that many ADHD children possess can lead them to act out or make it impossible for them to sit quietly and engage in non-active behavior.
ADHD-Associated Disorders
An array of behavioral disorders commonly occur along with ADHD. Before you assume that your child's behavioral difficulties stem only from his ADHD, you should consider the possibly that your child my have an accompanying disorder, reports the Help for ADHD website. Many ADHD children also exhibit the symptoms of Oppositional Defiance Disorder. Children with this disorder are often directly defiant and struggle with responding appropriately to authority figures. Other ADHD children suffer from Conduct Disorder, which leads them to act out and deliberately disobey simple requests.
Allow for Think Time
If you feel like you are constantly at battle with your ADHD child, consider adding think time to the mix. As the ADDitude website reports, ADHD children often require a bit of think time before they can follow a direction. To allow for this think time, consider counting. After giving the child a direction, slowly and patiently count backward from 3. As you count, the child has the opportunity to consider his actions and weigh the consequences.
Pile on the Praise
ADHD children are often the kids who are constantly being scolded for misbehavior, both at home and in school. This continual negative attention can be difficult for children who suffer from this disorder to handle. Instead of piling more negativity onto the shoulders of your children, try to praise him as much as possible. If your child does something good, tell him how proud you are of him. This positive attention may lead him to make better choices in the future.
Don't Go It Alone
Disciplining an ADHD child is not a one-person job. To correct your child's behavior effectively, you must enlist help from others, reports the Kids Health website. Keep lines of community open between you, your child's school and any other caregivers. If you all work as a united group to help the child change his behavior, you will likely be more effective in your attempts.
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