January 21, 2016

04: Parenting a Child with ADHD with Penny Williams

27 minutes

Parenting in the Rain, Episode 3

In This Episode:

Penny Williams is a parent of a child with ADHD and the author of several books.

For her most recent book, Insider’s Guide to ADHD, Penny provides clarity regarding what it is like to be a child with ADHD.

She surveyed and spoke with adults about what it is like to be a child growing up with ADHD.

Knowledge is power. As adults that care about children with ADHD, we need to learn everything we can about it to best understand and help our children.

Stepping back from the situation and looking at the child’s perception in a difficult situation is a helpful approach to get an accurate picture of what is happening for them.

Being present with our children can make such a huge difference.

Communicating effectively is one of the things that children with developmental delays struggle with.

Remaining calm with our children allows us to keep a focus on helping them self-regulate their emotions during emotionally stressful times.

When parents and teachers are calm, it is easier to help children focus on the task at hand.

Emotionally detaching when children say things out of anger such as “I hate you”, “You’re the worst mom/dad in the world!” etc. can help deescalate difficult situations.

Some children with ADHD that need sensory stimulation have their problematic behavior reinforced when adults respond with an argument. Remaining in a calm manner is the key to helping calm the situation down.

The more that we can remain calm with our child, the shorter the emotional outbursts will be.

It is so important to keep structure in a child’s schedule, especially when parenting a child with ADHD. Predictable schedules can give the child a sense of security. Posting a calendar for the family schedule and upcoming events/activities can be really helpful.

Doing what works best for your family is important. A one size fits all approach to parenting a child with ADHD isn’t practical.

Verbiage is important. Refraining from expressions such as “my ADHD child” can help you and your child focus more on the child and not their diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder. “See your child first, not their ADHD.” ADHD is just one facet of them.

Focusing on the strengths of our children and not their weaknesses can really help the parent and child feel a higher sense of positivity. Sometimes children can feel inundated their weaknesses. A focus on their strengths can send them down a healthier path.

A main goal is to help our children with independence. Letting them do and/or learn how to do for themselves is so helpful for them long-term.

Self-esteem is often an issue with children with ADHD. Often people with ADHD feels like they can’t do anything right, so focusing on the strengths can really help them to see the positive and build a higher sense of self-efficacy.

Resources

(Some of These Resources Are Affiliate Links)

https://www.pinterest.com/pennywauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/PennyWilliamsAuthor

https://twitter.com/BeingPenny

http://parentingadhdandautism.com/

“Create Routines” Morning Checklist – http://www.jackieflynnconsulting.com/adhdhelp or TEXT adhdhelp to 44222

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By Jackie Flynn, EMDRIA Approved Consultant

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