Parenting the Child with ADHD 

ADHD Parenting Tips 

4 Ways to Help your Child Focus 

• Providing consistency by following predictable routines for getting ready for school, homework, play, bedtime, etc.
• Model and practice appropriate organizational skills and help your child maintain their organizational systems
• Help your child use large monthly calendars for planning after-school activities and when tests and assignments occur
• Use timers as a visual reminder for your child when they need to complete a task
• Give specific, concise directions to your child in positive ways (phrase directions as what do you want to happen rather than what you don't want to happen)
• Help practice problem solving skills with your child
• Give your child a chance to practice using appropriate social skills
• Help your child make healthy food choices
• Use encouragement and positive reinforcement

All About Anger for Kids 

• Take a break (moving away from what makes you angry)
• Do a physical activity (shoot hoops, do jumping jacks, or run the track)
• Take deep breaths
• Count to 10
• Squish Play-Doh
• Color your feelings
• Write your feelings in a journal entry, story, or poem
• Read a quiet book to yourself (When Sophie Gets Angry is a good one!)
• Positive self-talk (I can control my anger...)

Tips for Parents and Caregivers
of Anxious Children 

• Listen to your child's worries and fears and remind them that they are not alone and that other kids have worries too
• Help children address their concerns and if they are not realistic, help them see the truth
• Help your child gradually ease into new situations that may cause anxiety and provide encouragement when they are in these situations
• Practice relaxing including deep breathing, counting to 10, visualizations (taking a pretend field trip to the relaxing beach or a peaceful meadow), and listening to calming music
• Encourage structured play dates or extracurricular activities if your child has an anxious temperament
• Promote your child's independence and build on their strengths

Information and Videos on Bullying Topics 

• STOP: First, students are taught and role play how to appropriately and assertively request another person to stop bothersome or hurtful behavior. 
• WALK: If this does not work, we train on how students can remove themselves from the situation. 
• TALK: If this does not work, the last step is to talk to an adult. We take this very seriously and want all of our children to feel listened to and safe at school.
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Information about preparing children
for college

Information about saving for your
child's college fund

Career interest inventory for kids

• Talk about your education and career
• Discuss a variety of other careers so your child knows there are many options out there
• Talk about your child's college and career goals
• Introduce your child to colleges and after high-school training programs by visiting websites together
• Encourage your child to do the best they can now in order to prepare for the future and develop his or her strengths

• Talk it out (use an inside voice)
• Say "Please stop"
• Walk away and stay away
• Ignore...don't react
• Cool off (count to 10, take deep breaths)
• Say "I'm sorry"
• Share or take turns
• Use an I-message (I feel ____ when ____ and I need ____.)
• Have a Peer Mediation

• Choose your words carefully and make sure to provide encouragement for your child
• Model positive self-esteem and positive self-talk
• Create a positive home environment where students feel safe and loved
• Allow your child to become involved in cooperative activities such as volunteering for the good of others in order to feel good about themselves
• Help your child give others compliments and make others feel good in order to trigger positive feelings amongst themselves

• Because lots of things will be changing in your child's life, try to keep things as consistent as possible for your child; routines = stability = safety
• Listen to your child's feelings and make sure they know it's okay to share their feelings
• Refrain from speaking negatively about the other parent in front of your child
• Allow kids to only have to worry about "kid worries"
• When kids ask questions, tell the truth in age appropriate ways
• Make sure your child is not the "middle man"
• Remind your child that he or she is very loved and never has to choose one parent over the other

• Understand that children cope with death differently and may have a range of reactions (including emotional shock, regression, acting out and explosive emotions, and questioning) depending on their developmental level
• Answer your child's questions and help them understand what happened with truthful, developmentally appropriate responses
• Allow children to grieve and tell their story, listen and validate their feelings, and show extra love and care
• Understand that grief is a process and allow it to happen as the child needs
• Realize that as children move into new developmental stages, they begin to understand the loss in a new way and may need extra support
• Be aware of your own need to grieve as a parent; adults who get help working through their grief are much more able to help their child through the grieving process

• Allow your child to re-energize themselves after school by taking a break, having a snack, or playing a game before beginning homework
• Create a routine for homework each night using the same time and place each day
• Encourage children to use planners to stay organized with assignments
• Have a set place for homework like a big desk with all necessary materials available such as pencils, paper, books, and calculators; make sure the area is free of distractions
• Sometimes a break may help with concentration during homework time

• Discuss internet safety with your child
• Monitor your child's internet activity by making sure they use a computer that is in a common area such as a family room rather than a child's bedroom
• Remind your child to never share personal information (name, address, phone number, school, etc.) with anyone on the internet and never to agree to meet anyone on the internet
• Do not allow your child to enter private chat rooms

• Give your child many chances for socialization, including joining an after school club or an extra-curricular activity 
• Schedule play dates with friends from the neighborhood or friends from school
• Role play meeting a new child with your child, greeting each other in a friendly way and making conversation
• Practice partaking in conversation with your child and other social skills
• Model for your child how to be a good friend and make a friend

• Listening and validating your child's feelings about the change
• Let your children know you care about them with extra hugs/nice notes and support
• Visit your child's school together
• Help your child feel prepared in every way s/he can (school supplies, school clothes, healthy breakfast, etc.)
• Explain the rules/procedures of school and how things will work and role play going to school and what things may be like
• Allow your child to possibly sign-up for an extra-curricular activity in order to make friends and feel like s/he belongs

• Practice visualizations (take a pretend field trip to the relaxing beach or a peaceful meadow)
• Listen to calming music
• Get lots of rest
• Eat healthy foods
• Drink plenty of water
• Use positive self-talk (I can...)
• Think positive thoughts
• Focus on something good that happened that day