There are many things that you, as a parent, can do to help your ADHD child practice necessary skills and learn positive behaviors at home. When you are establishing your routines and setting up guidelines, consider these tips:

Schedules

Establish a schedule that notes specific times for waking up, eating, playing, doing homework, watching tv, playing games, and going to bed. Children thrive on routines. By knowing what to expect and when to expect it, your child will be able to prepare and predict the day.

Avoid Sudden Changes

For a child that is set in a routine, changes can be difficult. Don’t be surprised if your child has more tantrums or difficulties when there are changes from the norm. This is also a key area to reflect on after a difficult day. Were there changes made to the schedule that your child was not ready for or aware of? Minor things, such as switching the order of activities, can set some children off.

Predict and Prepare for Changes

No one can guarantee that every day will run smoothly, but you can increase your chances by looking ahead to take note of any changes in the schedule and prepare your child in advance. For example, if your child has a doctor’s appointment during their normal outside play time, prepare the child for the change in schedule by talking about the “different day” you’ll be having. Usually a day or two ahead of time is sufficient for a child to wrap their brain around the new plans. This can greatly cut back on stress for everyone because your child is ready and willing to accept the change.

House Rules

Simple house rules provide the structure that your child craves to promote good behavior. Try to create 3-5 house rules that you can consistently expect of your child. These may consist of behaviors such as walking through the house, homework needs to be finished before watching television, or any other areas that are important to the daily functioning of your household. It will help older children to have the rules along with consequences posted as a reminder. You can even use a sticker chart or something similar as positive reinforcement each time the rules are followed. This leads us to the next important step, rewarding good behavior.

Reward Good Behavior

We all enjoy the feeling we have when we are doing something right. Your child wants to get your approval and make you happy. When you are able to reward the good choices he/she is making, you are embedding that behavior into your child’s brain as a good option for the future. They will ultimately want to repeat this good behavior to bring back those positive feelings.

Supervision

The impulsiveness of an ADHD child requires them to be monitored consistently throughout the day. They may need extra adult supervision, especially when they are playing with friends. Social skills, such as sharing or taking turns, may be more difficult for your child. As he/she is learning these skills, make yourself available to ensure that playdates are fun and run smoothly. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to reward the positive behaviors you want your child to repeat.

School Success

As your child learns the new strategies and techniques to help them be more successful in school, try to focus on the effort that your child has put into completing the activities, not just the grades received. Understand that completing the task may have been more difficult for your child than the task itself. This should be rewarded accordingly. Extra rewards can be given for earning higher grades.

Parent Teacher Communication

Your child spends at least half of their day under the supervision of a school teacher. This is a major part of your child’s day that you will want to keep up-to-date on. Meet with your child’s teacher periodically to discuss successes and concerns regarding your child’s behavior and performance in the classroom. You can even set up a plan to receive daily or weekly progress reports from the teacher.