For Parents
Play Time
Play Time
- Allow plenty of free and child led play time
- This allows them to create their own activities and negotiate their own rules at a developmentally appropriate level. This way they can fail, learn, succeed, and develop independence in a socially rewarding environment
- Adult directed activities have some value, but often adults act as an external executive control, limiting some of the developmental benefits of free play
- This type of play may most closely mimic natural play drives and activities therefore providing some of the benefits demonstrated and proven in neurological studies of other mammals
- Children can learn emotional regulation, behavioral inhibition, and many social skills such as social problem solving in a rewarding way
- Allow children to participate in risk taking activities while evaluating the possible outcomes (skinned knee vs severed artery), create safer environments is important but it is equally important to allow them to exert maximum effort, run as fast as they can, jump as high as they can, etc.
- Allowing risk taking creates opportunities for children to learn lessons naturally, and participate in activities and games that are genuinely rewarding
- Understand that some skills are gained through natural learning and development and cannot be taught until the brain has developed enough to learn that skill
- Reward good behaviors and don’t punish children for being unable to behave in a way that they are not developmentally capable of, punishment suggests that the child would be able to behave differently if they wanted to
- Understand the difference between bad behavior and issues with social and executive function
- Maintain reasonable expectations while still considering development, ADHD can be difficult but can be dealt with and shouldn’t be used as an excuse
- Allow your child to struggle and even fail, this allows for natural learning and development
- Advocate for your child to other adults and even experts, not everyone with ADHD is alike, everyone has different skills, struggles and interests, no one solution is best, you know your child best
- Ensure that your child feels loved and appreciated despite their quirks
- Create and maintain an organized environment at home so your child can thrive and learn from example
- Children with ADHD often struggle with organization of physical space, teach them how to organize starting with simple instruction, be kind and patient but consistent
- Children with ADHD also struggle with time management, use routines and schedules as well as visual cues to help them remember what they should be doing