Greetings!
Getting your kids ready to go back to school after the holidays is very important. Just a couple of tips:
1. Get the routine back before school starts. Get things like their regular bed time back in place a couple of days before the return to school.
2. Find all the necessaries (backpacks, etc.) before school starts again.
3. Discuss the return to school with your child--help him or her get excited about going back.
--more to come
-Dr. Al
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Tips for Surviving the Holidays with ADHD
Greetigns! I know this is late, but I hope it helps!
Dr. Al
Given that the holiday season can be stressful for all of us, we have put together a list of survival tips for the parents of kids with ADD/ADHD. Following these simple steps should make the overall stress level go down, and the holiday joy increase!
The Most Important Holiday ADD/ADHD Help Tip of All: Understand the Challenges Facing Your Child:
During the holiday season kids with ADD/ADHD will experience Behavioral Challenges that have their roots in the way their brains work. In general, these Behavioral Challenges fall into three groups:
#1: SHOOTING FROM THE HIP
** In many situations kids with ADD/ADHD have trouble with
** Acting BEFORE they think about the consequences
and
** Acting BEFORE they decide if they want the consequences.
#2: PUTTING ON THE BRAKES
** All of us struggle with PUTTING ON THE BRAKES when we are in trouble; it’s even worse for kids who already have problems with SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.
#3: MISSING THE IMPORTANT THINGS
**We are constantly bombarded by things going on around us.
**People are talking, lights are humming, the TV, etc.
**Tuning out the un-important things is really hard for kids with ADD/ADHD to do.
**They often end up noticing all the things that don’t matter, and MISSING THE IMPORTANT THINGS that do matter!
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #1: Set realistic goals for this holiday
**Expect your child to become “spun up” at times, and plan ways to manage those times.
**Avoid taking the difficulties personally.
**Slow your kids down by slowing yourself down first.
**Set a reasonable pace when shopping/decorating, etc.—The kids will match your speed…especially kids who shoot from the hip!
**Try to avoid last minute shopping trips…the kids will speed up with you and struggle.
**Set a reasonable schedule…attend a reasonable number of quality holiday activities, rather than trying to go to lots of them.
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #2: Stick as close to your regular routine as possible
**Try to avoid the “free-for-all” that often happens over the holiday break from school.
**Modify the regular routine (later bedtimes, wake up times, chores, etc.) but make sure the structure is there.
**Plan activities that have clear beginnings and endings.
**Plan quite times also.
**Enforce the rules consistently—even when company is around!
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #3: Involve your Attention Deficit and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder child in preparations.
**Make your child a full partner.
**Take advantage of their energy and ideas.
**Don’t be a perfectionist—let your child help wrap the packages even if they don’t look perfect—give your child ownership.
**Have fun with your child!
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #4: Maintain a healthy diet and limit sugar consumption throughout the holidays.
**All of us do better on a healthy diet.
**Provide structure—monitor the intake of junk food.
**Don’t let your kids get dehydrated—make sure they have lots of water.
Dr. Al
Holiday Survival Tips for Parents of Kids with ADD/ADHD:
Real Tools for Real Life
Real Tools for Real Life
Given that the holiday season can be stressful for all of us, we have put together a list of survival tips for the parents of kids with ADD/ADHD. Following these simple steps should make the overall stress level go down, and the holiday joy increase!
The Most Important Holiday ADD/ADHD Help Tip of All: Understand the Challenges Facing Your Child:
During the holiday season kids with ADD/ADHD will experience Behavioral Challenges that have their roots in the way their brains work. In general, these Behavioral Challenges fall into three groups:
#1: SHOOTING FROM THE HIP
** In many situations kids with ADD/ADHD have trouble with
** Acting BEFORE they think about the consequences
and
** Acting BEFORE they decide if they want the consequences.
#2: PUTTING ON THE BRAKES
** All of us struggle with PUTTING ON THE BRAKES when we are in trouble; it’s even worse for kids who already have problems with SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.
#3: MISSING THE IMPORTANT THINGS
**We are constantly bombarded by things going on around us.
**People are talking, lights are humming, the TV, etc.
**Tuning out the un-important things is really hard for kids with ADD/ADHD to do.
**They often end up noticing all the things that don’t matter, and MISSING THE IMPORTANT THINGS that do matter!
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #1: Set realistic goals for this holiday
**Expect your child to become “spun up” at times, and plan ways to manage those times.
**Avoid taking the difficulties personally.
**Slow your kids down by slowing yourself down first.
**Set a reasonable pace when shopping/decorating, etc.—The kids will match your speed…especially kids who shoot from the hip!
**Try to avoid last minute shopping trips…the kids will speed up with you and struggle.
**Set a reasonable schedule…attend a reasonable number of quality holiday activities, rather than trying to go to lots of them.
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #2: Stick as close to your regular routine as possible
**Try to avoid the “free-for-all” that often happens over the holiday break from school.
**Modify the regular routine (later bedtimes, wake up times, chores, etc.) but make sure the structure is there.
**Plan activities that have clear beginnings and endings.
**Plan quite times also.
**Enforce the rules consistently—even when company is around!
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #3: Involve your Attention Deficit and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder child in preparations.
**Make your child a full partner.
**Take advantage of their energy and ideas.
**Don’t be a perfectionist—let your child help wrap the packages even if they don’t look perfect—give your child ownership.
**Have fun with your child!
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #4: Maintain a healthy diet and limit sugar consumption throughout the holidays.
**All of us do better on a healthy diet.
**Provide structure—monitor the intake of junk food.
**Don’t let your kids get dehydrated—make sure they have lots of water.
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #5: Give a brush up lesson of rules and expectations when attending holiday functions.
**Review the rules that will apply when you are attending functions outside the home—where time-outs will occur, etc.
**Review the rules that will apply when hosting an event in your own home.
**Stay calm if you have to set limits on your child during one these times—doing so will help everyone get the most our of the holiday season.
**Outline rewards for positive behavior and the consequences of infractions—but do not make hollow threats of Santa withholding presents.
**Have a fallback plan for when or if your child becomes over-stimulated. You might have a sitter on standby, or a quiet place in the house for retreat.
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #6: Prepare well for the extended family get-together.
**Remember that transitions are hard for kids with ADD/ADHD—more family members means more confusion and less structure.
**Prepare family members who are staying with you—educate them about ADD/ADHD and the rules in your house.
**Include family and friends in the flow of your family—they will respect your rules and structure.
**Map out a place for your child to escape if he becomes over stimulated.
**If visiting family members, be ready to leave early if your child cannot settle down.
**When visiting, bring books, movies and a crafts to occupy your child.
**Notice and brag about how well your child is doing in life and during the family get together—make sure your child knows you notice and appreciate the effort!
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #7: Prepare well for travel
**Bring along interesting activities—a VCR that plugs into the car is probably one of the best gift ideas for saving parent sanity if your budget can afford.
**New books, video games, crossword puzzles, books on cassette tape, travel games and coloring books are also good ideas.
**Remember to schedule frequent breaks for your child to get up and move around.
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #8: Medication
**If your child normally takes medication, talk to your physician about continuing the medication even on days off from school.
**The high number of distractions and disruptions might be better handled with medication—especially if it normally helps.
**If you want to let you child sleep in later, consider getting the child up at the normal medication time and giving it to them and then let them go back to sleep. This can be better than simply skipping a dose because they woke up too late for the first dose—but remember to talk to your doctor about this. .
**Review the rules that will apply when you are attending functions outside the home—where time-outs will occur, etc.
**Review the rules that will apply when hosting an event in your own home.
**Stay calm if you have to set limits on your child during one these times—doing so will help everyone get the most our of the holiday season.
**Outline rewards for positive behavior and the consequences of infractions—but do not make hollow threats of Santa withholding presents.
**Have a fallback plan for when or if your child becomes over-stimulated. You might have a sitter on standby, or a quiet place in the house for retreat.
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #6: Prepare well for the extended family get-together.
**Remember that transitions are hard for kids with ADD/ADHD—more family members means more confusion and less structure.
**Prepare family members who are staying with you—educate them about ADD/ADHD and the rules in your house.
**Include family and friends in the flow of your family—they will respect your rules and structure.
**Map out a place for your child to escape if he becomes over stimulated.
**If visiting family members, be ready to leave early if your child cannot settle down.
**When visiting, bring books, movies and a crafts to occupy your child.
**Notice and brag about how well your child is doing in life and during the family get together—make sure your child knows you notice and appreciate the effort!
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #7: Prepare well for travel
**Bring along interesting activities—a VCR that plugs into the car is probably one of the best gift ideas for saving parent sanity if your budget can afford.
**New books, video games, crossword puzzles, books on cassette tape, travel games and coloring books are also good ideas.
**Remember to schedule frequent breaks for your child to get up and move around.
Holiday ADHD Help Tip #8: Medication
**If your child normally takes medication, talk to your physician about continuing the medication even on days off from school.
**The high number of distractions and disruptions might be better handled with medication—especially if it normally helps.
**If you want to let you child sleep in later, consider getting the child up at the normal medication time and giving it to them and then let them go back to sleep. This can be better than simply skipping a dose because they woke up too late for the first dose—but remember to talk to your doctor about this. .
Friday, December 29, 2006
Our Blog is Back!
Greetings from Dr. Al!
Happy New Year!
For reasons unknown to us our old blog site disappeared! So, we are back as "adhdviews.com".
More to come!
Dr. Al
Happy New Year!
For reasons unknown to us our old blog site disappeared! So, we are back as "adhdviews.com".
More to come!
Dr. Al
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