ADHD…..Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is something that affects many households across the world – my household is one of them.
Recently, I found myself with my son at his pediatrician’s office receiving an official ADHD diagnosis for him. He is 7 years old.
Ever since his diagnosis, my world went into a storm of worry, doubt, uncertainty, and stress. Should he be on medicine? How will this affect the rest of his life? How do I discipline him correctly? The questions in my mind were never ending – and for the first time in my motherhood, I felt completely unsure of what to do.
There just isn’t a natural maternal instinct to figuring out what to do with your child who has ADHD. It isn’t easy to parent a child with ADHD – and it’s literally something that you need to learn to cope with. I totally get it, mama – and I am here with you going through the same thing.
That is is why I’ve invited Carlisa, from Carlisa Creates to share with us 7 parenting tips for moms of a child with ADHD. Let’s read what she’s got to say…
7 Parenting Tips for Moms of a Child with ADHD
Parenting a child with ADHD comes with many challenges.
It turns regular parenting into super parenting. Many moms struggle to cope with parenting a child with ADHD. It is a stressful experience to deal with the meltdowns of a child diagnosed with ADHD.
Many parents often use medicine to help cope with the challenges they face. Know there are ways to help a child with ADHD without medicine. You need to understand how ADHD affects children. It’s not their fault they behave the way they do.
If you’re worn out from parenting a child with ADHD, then this post will help you cope with the challenges you’re facing.
7 Tips for Parenting a Child With ADHD
#1 Learn As Much as You Can About ADHD
If you do not know something, the best way to understand it is by doing your research on it. Learning will help you teach your child to discover their strengths. Find as many resources as you can to help you learn about the disorder. You know what! I’m here to help you!
Start off by reading books on parenting a child with ADHD. Here are books on amazon to help you:
- Discipline Your Kids with Positive Parenting: A Practical Guide to Building Cooperation and Connecting with Your Child
- Mindful Parenting for ADHD: A Guide to Cultivating Calm, Reducing Stress, and Helping Children Thrive
- Parenting Children With ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach
- What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life
If you prefer to do some research on your phone, then here are some websites on parenting a child with ADHD:
- http://www.fffbi.com/info/academy.html: Game-based website to help children with learning disabilities gain useful skills.
- https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/adhdkid.html: Gives you general information on ADHD.
https://chadd.org/: Organization to help improve the lives of those who struggle with parenting a child with ADHD. It also gives you tons of information and resources on ADHD.
#2 Work With Your Child’s School
Be your child’s number one advocate. Communicate with your child’s teachers. Call them… email them… KEEP IN CONTACT! Some parents make the mistake of not keeping in touch with their child’s teacher. Let them know you want to know how your child is doing in school.
The CHILD FIND LAW requires schools to accommodate children who have disabilities. Again, the website chadd.org can help you take the right steps for your child with ADHD.
#3 Use Positive Parenting Discipline
Parenting with an iron fist is not the way to go with any child. Parenting a child with ADHD aggressively will make dealing with the symptoms harder.
It’s better to use positive parenting techniques.
Positive parenting is using a system to teach, communicate, and reinforce your child. This will help them understand the world and feel empowered to face it. Think about it. How would you feel if someone yelled and used corporal punishment on you? It makes you feel small and weak.
Here’s a YouTube video to give you an idea of what positive parenting is and how you can use it to help your child with ADHD.
#4 Help Your Child With ADHD to Cope With Their Emotions
One challenge you face in parenting a child with ADHD is emotional outbursts.
As a parent, you need to remain calm. You losing your cool while dealing with a child with ADHD outbursts will not help any. Here are some anger management techniques to help deal with the angry outbursts:
- Keep track of when and why your child gets angry. After a breakdown happens write what happened. After a while, you can look through your notes and take steps to keep it from happening.
- Communicate during the outburst. Explain what you’re seeing. While upset, children with ADHD do not understand it’s not okay to react the way they do. Try using calming responses such as: “You’re angry, but it’s not okay for you to act like this.”
- Let them have some control. If one of your child’s triggers comes from you telling them no. Try to change your response to make it seem as they have some control.
–Example: Your child wants to eat ice cream mixed with Cheetos for breakfast. Instead of telling them no response by saying, “Let’s eat a healthy breakfast that’s good for our belly.” You can have oatmeal or a burrito for breakfast.
See, your child has the option to choose what they want to eat and for the moment…… no breakdown…
- Limit screen time: Must I explain how too much screen time is bad for a child? We already know what it does to our bodies. Think about how much harm it’s doing to your child. It’s recommended for children between the ages two to five only have one hour of screen time. As your child gets older, limit screen time by creating a healthy lifestyle.
- Daily Exercise: Again, no need for me to explain how important exercising is. Your child is a fiery burst of energy and needs freedom. Go outside every day for 30 minutes and let your child’s energy loose.
#5 Create a Routine for a Child With ADHD
Routines are great for everyone, especially moms, which is why you must create a routine for your child. Having a good morning routine for your child with ADHD will help them remain calm and know what to expect. Here are some ideas to include in your morning routine.
- Wake them up differently: Remember no yelling! You don’t want to wake up like this and neither does your child. Wake your child with a softer tone of voice and play gentle sounding music. This will help your child with ADHD to wake up in good spirits.
- Fix breakfast the night before: Even if you have nothing planned for the morning, it’s still a good idea to fix breakfast beforehand.
- Add in timers and choices: Let your child feel they have some control over their morning routine. It’ll make them feel like a miniature adult, and it can excite them for the day. Give them choices on what they can wear. What they would like to eat in the morning or a place they can visit for the day.
-With timers, it’s good to use it to let them know it’s time to end an activity. Use a timer when they are doing something you know your child may have a complete meltdown when it’s time to stop. Say, “Hey I’ll set a timer for 10 minutes and when it goes off, it’s time to clean up”. Your child knows what’s going on and there’re no surprises.
#6 Connect With a Support Groups for Parents of Children with ADHD
The best thing about the internet is that there are plenty of ways to connect with other people. There are plenty of online communities to help support you while parenting a child with ADHD. Here are some options:
Facebook groups
Website resources
- Chadd.org: During my research, I also found this to be the number one online resource for parents with an ADHD child. The website has a resource directory to help you find support within your community.
Virtual group for members only: ADHD.org
#7 Try Natural Remedies for ADHD
I’m a firm believer that your diet affects your mind, body, and soul. If your child’s diet consists of mainly unhealthy foods, switch to healthier options. I’m not saying to do a complete 160 in your child’s diet. Just limit the amount of pop and junk food.
More Natural Remedies for ADHD
- Behavioral Therapy
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Mindful Meditation
- Essential Oils: Lavender Oil is great for reducing anxiety and promoting calmness
The Best Parenting Tip for Moms of a Child with ADHD
Is toooo…….
Have breaks for yourself!
This is something many mothers seem to forget to do. How can you continue to super parent your child when you don’t give yourself the chance to rest? If your mind, body, and soul are calling for a break then give it to them. All three will thank you for it.
Are you a mother struggling with parenting a child with ADHD? Yes, I did the research to help you, though I don’t know everything. Please comment and share your thoughts and tips on parenting a child with ADHD down below!
About the Author
Carlisa is a freelance writer for hire. Specializing in writing for the parenting, health, and wellness industry. Carlisa Creates captivating content for clients at affordable rates. When she isn’t writing you can find her sipping green tea and mastering the arts of yoga!
Ending Notes...
Carlisa’s parenting tips are spot on! As a mommy of a child with ADHD, I found this article very useful and packed full of knowledge! It is super important to do your research on what your child is going through, modify your parenting technique specifically for your ADHD child, and make sure you get the support and help you need as a parent.
One of the most important things I have done since my son was diagnosed was to join a support group!
Here at Network Nessi, we not only talk about business growth and marketing, but your mindset, self-care, and parenting.
I want you to thrive in all the areas of your life and definitely take care of your little ones and yourself.
Self-care is so important and you can easily begin to lose your sanity when parenting a child with ADHD so make sure that you learn how to properly take care of your child and also how to properly take care of YOU.
Comments? Questions? Ask them below! I will answer as soon as I can 
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