5 Tips To Deal With ADHD Bad Behavior.
We all know that corporal punishment or even slapping and smacking kids is not an effective way of dealing with any kid’s behavior problem. This is even truer with ADHD bad behavior.
But does everybody really know that and adhere to it? The statistics are alarming in that the University of Texas at Austin found that there are still very large numbers of parents who believe that corporal punishment is still the only way to discipline a child. The research team found that almost 90% of African American parents spank while the numbers for Caucasians parents are a little lower at 79%. Asian parents seem less slap happy in that they come in at a mere 73%. But these numbers are far too high.
The effects of this type of discipline are now well documented and researched. The Canadian Medical Association Journal carries a article on the long term effects on a child which can be summed up as follows:-
* damages long term development of a child
Unless we really try to do this, the obstacles the ADHD child will face are like enormous roadblocks. People with ADHD are at a disadvantage and this is reflected in many statistics as study after study shows. Let me just give you one example. The Child Study Center at the New York University Langone Medical Center followed a sample of boys with ADHD until they had reached adulthood. That was a period of 33 years.
They found these boys ended up with less education (probably on average 2 to 3 years less than the control group).They found that these men were now:-
* working in lower paid jobs and earning up to $40,000 less than their non ADHD counterparts
* they had higher rates of divorces and separations
* they had more problems with substance abuse than their non ADHD peers.
Here are my 5 tips to deal with ADHD bad behavior :-
Robert Locke MBE is an award winning author and has written extensively on ADHD and related parenting problems.
We all know that corporal punishment or even slapping and smacking kids is not an effective way of dealing with any kid’s behavior problem. This is even truer with ADHD bad behavior.
But does everybody really know that and adhere to it? The statistics are alarming in that the University of Texas at Austin found that there are still very large numbers of parents who believe that corporal punishment is still the only way to discipline a child. The research team found that almost 90% of African American parents spank while the numbers for Caucasians parents are a little lower at 79%. Asian parents seem less slap happy in that they come in at a mere 73%. But these numbers are far too high.
The effects of this type of discipline are now well documented and researched. The Canadian Medical Association Journal carries a article on the long term effects on a child which can be summed up as follows:-
* damages long term development of a child
- children will become more aggressive themselves as adults
- they are more likely to have problems with stable long term relationships
- children react more aggressively in their dealings with parents and siblings.
Unless we really try to do this, the obstacles the ADHD child will face are like enormous roadblocks. People with ADHD are at a disadvantage and this is reflected in many statistics as study after study shows. Let me just give you one example. The Child Study Center at the New York University Langone Medical Center followed a sample of boys with ADHD until they had reached adulthood. That was a period of 33 years.
They found these boys ended up with less education (probably on average 2 to 3 years less than the control group).They found that these men were now:-
* working in lower paid jobs and earning up to $40,000 less than their non ADHD counterparts
* they had higher rates of divorces and separations
* they had more problems with substance abuse than their non ADHD peers.
Here are my 5 tips to deal with ADHD bad behavior :-
- Make sure that the boundaries, limits and so on are well established and clear. They are written on the noticeboard or illustrated with drawings for younger kids. Consistent application these will help enormously and so will the fact that our spouse has exactly the same approach. This will help to avoid good cop, bad cop parenting.
- Consequences and rewards are doled out as appropriate. We will be focusing on rewards hopefully. A great way is to have a points system or stars awarded which will lead to a big treat. Put these on the noticeboard.
- Did you know that by giving clearer instructions can help the child to avoid lying? This should be an integral part of leaving reminders and post its to help the child manage his or her day.
- Having well established routines really helps everybody to keep on track and can help to avoid temper tantrums and so on. Mealtimes are regular and bedtime routines are always adhered to and not changed at the weekends!
- A lot of aggressive behavior may be due to excess energy not being burnt off appropriately which is why we should never underestimate the value of physical activities and sports. It is also shown that kids concentrate much better. The opposite is true when they spend hours on a video game or some electronic device. They become like zombies!
Robert Locke MBE is an award winning author and has written extensively on ADHD and related parenting problems.