Failure to help a child with ADHD is devastating. A child with this problem is always blaming him or herself for constantly disappointing his or her parents. Not only that, he or she also blames him or herself for not performing up to expectations. And why wouldn’t it be this way? Through all of this, it’s important to understand that a parent is the most important person in the world for a child with ADHD.
So how does a parent avoid failures in their ADHD child?
Here’s how: one bite at a time.
Schoolwork is very difficult for a child who cannot pay attention for more that 15 minutes. What happens is that children begin to avoid homework; they simply cannot sit still long enough. Parents get frustrated because school requires completed homework and will hold the parent responsible. As a result, a conflict ensues; parent wants the work completed, but the child does not. Tension and anger leads to feelings of failure and low self-esteem. So, what do you do?
Break down work into 10-minute intervals and give a reward or break in-between.
This builds up success that the child experiences instead of frustration. Discuss this plan with your child beforehand, get his or her cooperation and promise a reward if he or she complies.
Here is where you can use the PowerChip System
.
Promise several chips after each 10-minute work period and remember to hand the chip immediately after the 10-minute interval. Remember the instructions: The power in the chip is that it is giving immediate gratification to the child. Do not push the child; this ends in tension and will make the child avoid a toxic situation. If your child complains of fatigue, stop for a few minutes, make small talk or tell a story and then resume. Make the time spent as relaxed as possible. If the child associates homework with a positive experience, he or she will be that much more inclined to participate. That’s trick number two. Any difficult task that one can pair with a positive experience becomes that much more easy to engage with and accomplish.
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