Lesson 8: Lesson 8 - Prevention and Other Tid Bits
Creating Structure and Routine
ADHD children do much better when they have established routines, especially at high stress times such as getting ready for school and bedtime, after school and homework times, and when they do their chores. It is also helpful to have fairly consistent meal times. Keep their choices simple. Since ADHD children are very disorganized, it is extremely helpful to make organization in your home a priority.
Have a place for things. If necessary create some inexpensive bookshelves, etc. in their rooms and help them develop a routine when they are younger of putting things away at the end of the day. Clutter can only increase the frustration levels of ADHD children.
Keep a list of your child’s chores. For younger children the use of pictures can be helpful. To keep chores from getting too tedious, rotate them and allow some choices. Keep the list of family chores posted where it is visible to everyone. Have everyone’s name posted beside the chores they are responsible for on the chore lists. Indicate the points or rewards earned for completed work. Use rewards or loss of rewards to monitor completing chores versus nagging or constant reminding. Remember that rewards or reinforcers need to be important to the child. Let the charts be the reminders. Having a place to mark down a completed chore each day is a visual acknowledgement of success.
It might be helpful to post a large calendar in your child’s room where you can write family appointments as well as the activities, tasks and long-range school assignments important to a child. Encourage them to write down test days, etc.
