Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun.” - Mignon McLaughlin
BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO HELPING YOUR CHILD IS TO GET TO KNOW YOUR CHILD FIRST!
- In the old days, children with ADHD were misunderstood and punished for their behavior.
- Nowadays, there’s a little more understanding, but for the most part, they’re given solutions and rules to follow (hang your keys here, use this alarm there, etc.)
- What’s missing and will get the results you want is the step of getting to know your child BEFORE applying solutions
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
- ADHD is primarily a state where the child feels overwhelmed and afraid.
- You may not see the causes since their behavior is REACTIVE.
- The greatest gift you can give to a child with ADHD is the gift of knowing and understanding their struggles.
- This will help them CALM and REGULATE their behavior.
- When this happens, the brain fires back up and the symptoms lessen. It’s a chicken and egg scenario
CAN THIS UNDERSTANDING ‘CURE’ ADHD?
- There is no ‘cure’, since your child will always be unique, full of wonder, promise, potential, and sensitivity (awareness of the good things, as well as overwhelming awareness of sensations and emotions, etc.)
- When you understand your child, and he feels safe and loved, you are halfway there
- The other half lies in knowing how to embrace his/ her strengths and help them manage their sensitivities.
HOW DO I GET TO KNOW MY ADHD CHILD BETTER?
- Sit with your child. Literally, sit with or get down on the floor with him/her, meet your child right where he/she is at, both mentally and physically.
- Let go of the desire for your child to meet you where you are. Meet your child where they are.
- Notice the songs he/ she is listening to. What is special about the songs? The lyrics? What are they? Is it the beat, the melody? Why are they important to your child?
- What do they enjoy watching on TV? Why? You’ll find clues about your child through his/her interests and passions.
- Similarly, with computer games; learn a little about the games your child enjoys (even if it isn’t your thing!) to understand what makes him/her tick.
- What friends does your child enjoy hanging out with? Again, why? What are their likes, interests, and personalities?
- Look to your child’s emotions. Past the reactionary ones and into what’s behind them. Try to make sense of their highs and lows.
- Understand their body language (this is HUGE!) what can you learn from this?
- Look to your small interactions; the things your child chooses to share with you. There’s often more here than is immediately obvious.
THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SITTING WITH YOUR CHILD, AND LETTING YOUR CHILD MANIPULATE YOU!
Children see magic because they look for it.” - Christopher Moore
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
By far the most important step to helping your child is to get to know your child first!
Your child with ADHD will always be unique, full of wonder, promise, potential, and sensitivity (awareness of the good things, as well as overwhelming awareness of sensations and emotions, etc.)
Let go of your desire for your child to meet you where you are. Meet them where they are.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Download WHAT EVERY CHILDWISHES YOU KNEW ABOUT ADHDe-Book
A rare perspective and honest account of what it's like to have ADHD told through their own words.
Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun.” - Mignon McLaughlin
BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO HELPING YOUR CHILD IS TO GET TO KNOW YOUR CHILD FIRST!
-
- In the old days, children with ADHD were misunderstood and punished for their behavior.
-
- Nowadays, there’s a little more understanding, but for the most part, they’re given solutions and rules to follow (hang your keys here, use this alarm there, etc.)
-
- What’s missing and will get the results you want is the step of getting to know your child BEFORE applying solutions.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
-
- ADHD is primarily a state where the child feels overwhelmed and afraid.
-
- You may not see the causes since their behavior is REACTIVE.
-
- The greatest gift you can give to a child with ADHD is the gift of knowing and understanding their struggles.
-
- This will help them CALM and REGULATE their behavior.
-
- When this happens, the brain fires back up and the symptoms lessen. It’s a chicken and egg scenario.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
By far the most important step to helping your child is to get to know your child first!
Your child with ADHD will always be unique, full of wonder, promise, potential, and sensitivity (awareness of the good things, as well as overwhelming awareness of sensations and emotions, etc.)
Let go of your desire for your child to meet you where you are. Meet them where they are.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Download WHAT EVERY CHILD WISHES YOU KNEW ABOUT ADHD e-Book
A rare perspective and honest account of what it's like to have ADHD told through their own words.
CAN THIS UNDERSTANDING ‘CURE’ ADHD?
-
- There is no ‘cure’ since your child will always be unique, full of wonder, promise, potential, and sensitivity (awareness of the good things, as well as overwhelming awareness of sensations and emotions, etc.).
-
- When you understand your child, and he feels safe and loved, you are halfway there.
-
- The other half lies in knowing how to embrace his/ her strengths and help them manage their sensitivities.
HOW DO I GET TO KNOW MY ADHD CHILD BETTER?
- Sit with your child. Literally, sit with or get down on the floor with him/her, meet your child right where he/she is at, both mentally and physically.
- Let go of the desire for your child to meet you where you are. Meet your child where they are.
- Notice the songs he/ she is listening to. What is special about the songs? The lyrics? What are they? Is it the beat, the melody? Why are they important to your child?
- What do they enjoy watching on TV? Why? You’ll find clues about your child through his/her interests and passions.
- Similarly, with computer games; learn a little about the games your child enjoys (even if it isn’t your thing!) to understand what makes him/her tick.
- What friends does your child enjoy hanging out with? Again, why? What are their likes, interests, and personalities?
- Look to your child’s emotions. Past the reactionary ones and into what’s behind them. Try to make sense of their highs and lows.
- Understand their body language (this is HUGE!) what can you learn from this?
- Look to your small interactions; the things your child chooses to share with you. There’s often more here than is immediately obvious.
THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SITTING WITH YOUR CHILD, AND LETTING YOUR CHILD MANIPULATE YOU!
Children see magic because they look for it.” - Christopher Moore
ADHDRedefined
You might also find this helpful...
You might also find this helpful...
3 Keys to Helping Your ADHD Child Calm
Kids act up: it’s what they do. One of the best things you can do for your child is to…
7 Ways ADHD Children Stay Calm
All children are different, and it’s these differences that make them unique &…
7 Ways Grandparents Are Uniquely Positioned To Help The Child With ADHD
Grandparents are uniquely positioned to provide meaningful contributions to the care,…