Parenting a child with ADHD

It’s ADHD awareness month, and today we’ll be talking about parenting a child who has ADHD.

Parenting is often described as the toughest job in the world and one that we get no training for.

Parenting a child with ADHD can be a whole different ballgame and may require some extra special techniques. Children with ADHD are often more distractible, lively and hyperactive than children of the same age… and the result is that they can be super hard to parent.

Being distracted and in a daydream means they may not seem to listen to what you say, don’t follow instructions and don’t do as asked.

Being super lively means they can jump around and can be noisy. They may also seem to always be fidgeting or fiddling with something.  They may be extra disorganised and messy, rush activities and make silly mistakes.

Kids with ADHD can be impulsive. The way this looks is a child that interrupts a lot and does things without thinking. They may often do naughty things that they know they shouldn’t but have a real problem with stopping themselves. Often these children can’t wait, and won’t take turns or share. This can lead to emotional outbursts or meltdowns. Toddler tantrums that don’t stop at aged 2!

The result is as a parent you may think you just have a badly behaved child, or you may feel like you are bad parents. You may feel embarrassed… and well-meaning advice from others may make you feel worse.

But ADHD is certainly not caused by bad parenting, but it can lead to stress and anxiety within the family. Children with ADHD are not misbehaving because they are naughty, and we know that you as  parents and carers are doing the best you can under challenging circumstances.

Later in the week we’ll look at how to help!

For more information visit our ADHD pages.