Unless you’re an angel from Heaven, there’s no way you can remain eternally calm as a parent of a child with ADD/ADHD. So your first step to staying calm is to accept that once in a while, you will lose it – and that’s normal. You can take a deep breath, remind yourself that you are, indeed, human, and then get back on track. Here are a few ideas for remaining calm MOST of the time:

  • Remember – Your child with ADD is NOT out to get you! There’s always a reason for not listening to you. (One girl had a poor appetite as a side effect of her ADD medication. Late night, as the meds wore off, she was starved. She wanted to avoid waking her family, so she brought food into her room and ate there. She MEANT to return the dishes to the kitchen….she was not trying to avoid listening to you)’
  • Learn to live with fidgeting – how many of us could sit all day and then hold still at home, too?
  • Schedule play time, preferably physical, right after school – BEFORE homework.
  • Support your child with homework: Help her get started, set the timer for 10 – 15 minutes; build in breaks and think about meaningful rewards.
  • Take a break before the children come home from school: Fifteen minutes to sit and listen to your favorite music or read something relaxing.
  • During the day, do some deep breathing, meditation, visualization. You can also do these with your child.

Inner calm is a gift you give yourself, and everyone benefits from it!!