Say you don’t want medications for your son or daughter suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. You don’t want to alter anything or risk any future liver problems or hindrances in personality. Undoubtedly, medication is a serious issue, and some parents don’t bother with it and take up the task of trying to handling ADHD head on. Here’s a wake-up call: a kid dealing with ADHD can be a handful; that’s just the truth. They don’t listen, they run around a lot, they can be distracting, they can cause accidents, they could even accidentally hurt themselves. It’s extremely stressful on the parents, and on teachers.
But it is possible to help a kid cope with it–all without medication.
The most important weapon against the onslaught of ADHD is simply this: trust. Your child needs trust. Come to think of it, everyone needs trust, but children moreso. Why? They need to know that they’re able to excel by themselves. They need to believe they can do it. The truth is your child reveres you more than anything, even when he or she doesn’t seem to. So use that. a child suffering from ADHD needs constant praise–a lot of constant praise. Constant positive reinforcement, even when it seems like they’re not listening. Patience is definitely a virtue for the parent going it alone against ADHD.
Setting up a structure and sticking to it, while we might take it for granted in other situations at home, is essential when dealing with an ADHD child. They need structure more than anyone else; and you must provide it for them. Repetition is key–even when you don’t want to keep repeating yourself. Put aside your aggravations and do the parenting job.