An Illness, Not Willfulness -- ADHD In Kids

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Your son is running through the house at 92 miles per hour (you've clocked him with a State Patrol radar gun) and won't stop. Yes, he has ADHD, you know this, but you've asked and then told him to stop, and you could really care less about ADHD. You want this child to BE STILL.

In these circumstances it's easy to think your ADDHD child is being willful and stubborn. That really is probably not the case. Remember that ADHD comes with impulse control as a main component, and kids with ADHD sometimes just can't control themselves.

What to do when your ADHD child seems to be willfully disobeying you? First, take a deep breath. Count to ten if you have to.

Second, do whatever you can to redirect your ADHD child. In the case of running 92 mph through the living room, physically stop him. Step in front of your ADHD running machine, stop the forward movement, and put your hands on his shoulders to get his attention.

Third, state clearly what your expectations are in terms your ADHD child can understand. "I have asked you to stop running. I want you to stop running NOW."

Fourth, redirect your ADHD child to something else that occupies his ADHD mind and, if necessary, body. "Instead of running, would you like to stand in the corner and do jumping jacks to burn off some energy?"

Fifth, tell him you love him and that his ADHD doesn't affect that at all. "I love you very much. I can't let you run in the house because you might hurt yourself. That has nothing to do with how much I love you."

Finally, just remember that your child has ADHD, that it's an illness, and that MOST of the time he is not really deliberately trying to make you angry. Okay, he may do that once in a while. Every child does. But the ADHD child is usually very eager to please and just unable to sometimes. Keep that in mind while you're going through the steps of calming and redirecting your "willful" ADHD child.

Angie Dixon is a writer and ADHD mom of an ADHD son, Jack. For a free report on helping your ADHD son, see Angie's site "That's My Son!" at http://www.Raising-the-ADHD-boy.com

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