Eight-year-old Éva is constantly challenged at school. An environment in which she?s expected to focus for long periods isn?t ideal for someone who has a hard time paying attention for more than five or 10 minutes at a time. That makes it all the more important to her mother, Patricia Tomasi, to make home somewhere Éva can feel safe and secure.
?At home, she?s free to be herself,? says the Barrie, Ont., mom. ?There are still rules and there?s still discipline, but she?s free to run and yell as much as she needs to.?
Keeping it together all day long can be challenging for kids with ADHD, so here?s how to set things up so home is a place where they can let loose, recharge and relax, and where you can all enjoy family time together.
While experts say no method of discipline will eliminate ADHD symptoms altogether, the following techniques can be helpful in teaching kids who have ADHD learn to follow rules and instructions. 1. Use rewards and consequences
Good discipline for kids with ADHD is closely tied to behavioural therapy strategies: When they act appropriately, kids are rewarded with privileges. When they don?t achieve their goals, there are consequences. Some experts recommend a token system, in which kids can earn points for completing tasks (for example, making the bed), lose points for misbehaviour (ignoring rules) and spend points for privileges (staying up 30 minutes past bedtime).
2. Create checklists
Before her kids can read, make magnetic images of each task t...