Lesson 8: Lesson 8 - Prevention and Other Tid Bits
Homework
1. Go back to your list of positive things about your child you started making in Lesson 1. Add to that list all the strengths you have identified in your child.
2. Think about how you want to talk to your child about ADHD. Remember, whether you use a story, adapt a visual picture from the animal kingdom or talk about it in technical terms, be age specific. A teenager will feel he is being patronized if you talk about tigers in his tank and a younger child would be overwhelmed by medical terms. “Putting on the Brakes”, “I Would if I Could, A Teenager’s Guide to ADHD Hyperactivity”, and “Distant Drums, Different Drummers” are excellent books to help your child understand at different developmental levels what he is experiencing.
3. Sit down with your spouse and plan out a family meeting. Then explain to your children that you want to have a meeting where everyone gets an opportunity to share concerns, wants and needs in an orderly manner. Explain how the meeting works, time frames, agendas, etc. and tell them the first meeting will be a sample one to discuss the importance of having meetings. Encourage them to be there, that it can be fun and that it will benefit them. Then set a time when everyone can be there and give it a try. A single parent can also do this. Be sure to sit down ahead of time and organize what you are going to do and say.
