Is your child who has ADHD preparing to go back to school? The back-to-school transition can be a difficult one, so we want to provide you with some tips to getting them ready for the new school year. We will share these four pieces of advice below.
1. Set Goals and Rewards
Reasonable goals set for your child with ADHD, any other children in the family, and for yourself as a parent, may help the whole family stay on track. In addition, this might help your child with ADHD achieve successes academically and at home. These goals can be written down or they can just be verbal.
Rewards to goals being met can be small but still meaningful to your child. Some examples may be a later bedtime, extra time with electronics, or social activities. Praise and encouragement can be important for ADHD children too as studies have shown that they respond better to positive reinforcement more than they do to criticism.
2. Routines
Creating routines for the morning and afternoon can set a tone for that day or the week. An example of a routine can be planning set times for things like waking up, breakfast, leaving for school, homework, dinner, etc. These routines can be adjusted based on what works best for the family or individual over time. Routines can help reduce stress by forming good habits.
3. Meet Your Child’s Teacher
Your child’s teacher can be a very helpful resource. Some things you can discuss with them are expectations for their classroom, any major upcoming projects or assignments, or previous assignments to help keep track of their work. Visiting or touring the school may also be exciting for your child and help them feel comfortable with the building.
4. Take It One Day at a Time
It will be important for your child to see a positive support system at home. To be able to provide that as a parent, try to find time to have fun, relax, and recharge on your own when you can. Seek opportunities to practice self-care, ask for help when you need it, and appreciate the happy moments.
If your child or a child you care for has ADHD, contact us to learn more about clinical trials for ADHD by entering your information here.
