Parenting Your ADHD Child Course

If you found this page, you are probably searching for a way to improve your parenting skills. You probably have a child with ADD/ADHD and you are frustrated with some of the limitations you have found in your ability to manage his/her behaviors. We have heard it hundreds of times before. Parents work hard to be structured and consistent, only to find themselves becoming overwhelmed and giving in. They do not give in because they want to, they give in because they are exhausted and feel as though it is the only way to find peace. As you can well imagine, this creates problems. Inconsistent parenting, leads to inconsistent child behaviors. Consider this for a moment. If you are nine years old, and you really want to play Xbox, and you know that if you ask your mom 25 times to play she will say, “No.” But if you think that asking her one more time could mean that she says, “Yes,” what would keep you from asking again? Sure she may say it with exasperation. Sure she may be aggravated. But who cares? You get to play Xbox! When we are inconsistent, our children – even children with ADHD – quickly learn how far they can push to get what they want. And after all, from their perspective, why not push to the limit if it gets them what they want? We have been working with children and families for a very long time. In all of our years of experience, though, we can – collectively – count on one hand the number of children we have met who were determined to be bad. Children who looked for every opportunity to anger their parents and frustrate anyone in authority. All of the other hundreds – if not thousands – of children we have worked with want to be good. Let me say that again… They want to be good. So, your natural question, then, is why aren’t they? There are three reasons. Three factors that come together in just such a way as to result in what you experience every day. One factor is Biology. Think about it. You have likely seen your child try his hardest to stay in his seat. He has put forth his best effort to stay next to you in the grocery store. But something compels him. No, something drives him to move and be active. The biology and chemistry of children with ADHD are different. While those differences are not diagnostic (meaning we cannot put your child through a brain scanner or draw blood to make the diagnosis), there are consistent patterns in the brains of people with ADHD. They simply work differently. Not broken. Just different. Another factor is Psychology. Children with ADHD often think differently. While there is an overlap between the psychological component and the biological component, the simple fact is that children with ADHD are novelty seeking. They are constantly in search of excitement and stimulation. Children with ADHD will tell you… reading is boring! Sitting still is boring! They need stimulation and they are constantly searching for something to get their brain going. The third factor is Social. As we already discussed, inconsistent, chaotic environments do nothing but keep children with ADHD revved up. Because they are stimulation seeking, they tend to feed off of their environment. You have no doubt seen this on many occasions. Take your ADHD child to a park or an arcade and you will see how the energy in the environment seems to magnify their behavior. So what does this course help with? Great question! This course walks you through the process of establishing order in your home. Step-by-step, you will regain confidence in your ability to maintain control over your home and shape your child’s behavior in a more desirable direction. Along with many other things, through this course you will learn: What ADHD is from the biological, psychological, and social perspectives How ADHD symptoms change as your child ages The risks and benefits of medications for ADHD The limitations of the behavioral model of parenting The three pillars to parenting children with ADHD – Consistency, Predictability, and Immediacy How to build routines How to effectively use tried and true parenting techniques with the ADHD child How lifestyle choices – Diet, Exercise, and Sleep – affect children with ADHD and much more… So start with the Introduction and work your way through the course. We would love to hear from you, so please leave comments and ask questions! We will be monitoring and will help you become the parent you hope to be! Finally, be sure to subscribe to and share the Paedeia YouTube channel with your friends. If you want additional information on parenting and mental health issues, check out our other YouTube Channel, The Mental Breakdown.