Stop Homework Meltdowns Before They Start: Teens with ADHD.
Feel like I've been reading Barbara Meltz's advice in the Boston Globe forever. Always balanced and rational. Here, she tackles a common lament: what to do when your child (in this case a 13-year-old) just won't take care of his homework responsibilities.
Regular times for breakfast, homework, TV, breaks etc will provide a much needed framework for a child with ADHD. Praise is also important and crucial to building your child's self-esteem.
A child with ADHD will try you. Don’t worry about sticking to rigorous schedules; we know that won’t work for him. It doesn’t have to be hardcore, just constant. When he gets upset, don’t get mad, yell, or threaten. Hold your position. The best thing you can do is let him have his tantrum and then proceed when it’s over. Give Me a Break!
Consider your child’s developmental level when setting the amount of time for homework. While high school students can focus for over an hour, first-graders are unlikely to last more than 15 minutes on a single task. Allow your child to take breaks, perhaps as a reward for finishing a section of the work. Organize study and homework projects.
When it comes to disciplining a child with ADHD, staying calm and keeping control over your emotions won’t always be easy, but it can have such a positive impact on your child’s life as well as your own emotional well-being. When you feel yourself becoming frustrated, remove yourself from the situation and allow yourself ample time to calm down to ensure you react appropriately, and be.
Today, we hear about the medical condition called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD or ADHD), and wonder if our children might be hyperactive. By age 4, about 40 percent of children act in a way that makes their parents and teachers concerned about ADD ( Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 6, 339-348, 1985).
It was just too hard” or “I didn’t do well on that assignment because my teacher doesn’t like me”. Believe it or not, this seeming tendency to refuse to accept responsibility is actually a function of ADHD. Behavior-altering conditions such as ADHD often cause children to feel that they have no control over life circumstances and they therefore tend to blame everything and everyone.