How To Praise an ADHD Child

For children with ADHD, it's better to praise the good behavior (ie. the one you want to see more of) and ignore the bad behavior as much as you can. Negotiate rules with older children so they'll have a say in what happens. When it comes to rules, you need to be consistent in your approach.

• State the rule: homework before TV.

• Remind your child of the rule when he challenges it, and what the consequences will be: homework first or no TV for the rest of the evening.

• Enforce it: take the fuse out of the plug, if you have to!

Remember to pick your battles. We can't stress this part seriously enough. Look at what's really important – what will matter five years down the road – and choose to address those issues.

Let your child make choices for themselves. Instead of giving them a myriad of options, set out two and let them choose between one and the other. ADHD children can't concentrate on many things all at the same time. When you taper down choices, you are giving them the ability to make decisions but you are not overwhelming them either.

Always keep in mind that you are not a bad parent in any way shape or form just because your child has ADHD. As we've said before, some people feel that ADHD is just a myth that doesn't truly exist. This simply isn't true.