Children may not admit it to their parents, but they like having routines and schedules. Children want to know the expectations for each day. Children want to know what is expected of them. The security of knowing that every morning the same routines will occur brings calm to the day for the child. It is how a child will learn what is expected of him now and in the future. A child with ADHD feels out of control most of his day and does much better when his day is scheduled into tasks broken down in order to be successful.
Routines and Schedules
Developing a routine in your child's day takes a large commitment of time and hard work. It is often the parent who will give up before the child when following the schedules. The schedules will require other family members to help out with the implementation of these schedules. Brushing your teeth at the same time as you child is brushing his teeth is one way to make sure that the routine is being followed and the teeth are being brushed properly. A sibling assisting the child with ADHD setting the table will ensure that the process is completed. It really is a family process when working with a child with ADHD. It is crucial for all family members to follow the schedules and routines as it will not only benefit the child with ADHD, but also to ensure that the entire family will run smoothly.
You know what your child needs to do from the time they wake up until they go to bed each night. Take a few minutes and write down what tasks they need to complete. An example would be:
7:00 am: Wake your child up.
7:05: Get ready for the day: wash face, comb hair, put clothes on that were laid out the night before.
7:20: Offer your child two breakfast choices that are healthy. When he has the option to choose he is less likely to fight the choices.
Write the information down until the child arrives at school. Begin another schedule for the time he arrives at home and begin working on his homework. Be sure to include the fun aspects of being a child: snack time, playing outside, play dates and special activities. In total, you will want to develop schedules for every day of the week and every day of the year. You will only need one schedule for a typical day during the school year, one for school breaks and one for Saturdays and Sundays.
Organizing the Home
Being organized for a child with ADHD includes more than schedules. It also includes having your home organized. There are agencies that will come to your home to organize your house. If it is not feasible for your family to hire someone, taking a few days committed to the organizational process will have the end result.
Start with the child's room and begin organizing his dresser drawers. Take out clothes that are too small, that are from another season and hang up as much clothing as you can. Put pictures of each clothing item that resides in the drawers. This will give your child a map of what clothing belongs in what drawers. Do the same with his toys. Put blocks in a bucket, cars in another and so on. Put a picture of the object that goes in the bucket for easy clean-up. Simplify his bed with an easy bedspread and sheets. Keep the tasks as easy as possible for the child to accomplish.
Do the same process with every room in the house. Make a spot for the child to do homework that has all the supplies that he will need to complete his homework. If the child doesn't have to go searching for pencils, paper and other supplies, then he will be able to concentrate on his task.
Organize Items Child Needs Most
Do the same process with every room in the house. In the kitchen have healthy snacks ready for him to prepare for himself. Keep the items he will need in an area set aside for this purpose. It will allow him the independence to make healthy snacks.
If you are able to keep the routines and schedules continuing in the home it will be a source of solace for the child when other parts of his life feels out of control. You will benefit when the routines make the morning easier, the dinner time smoother and the time you have to spend loving your child that much more precious.
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