Building your ADD /ADHD Child's Self-esteem Through Sports and Hobbies

 Sports and hobbies: joining a club or having a hobby can

build self-esteem. Depending on your child's interests, the
activity could be swimming, dancing, martial arts, crafts
or cooking.

 No matter what the hobby, your child will gain
new skills to be proud of - and for you to praise.

Sometimes children with ADHD will go off their activity, so
be prepared to come up with new ideas.

For more ideas to help you to cope with your ADD child please take a look at 

The Calm Kids Program

Giving your ADD Child Constructive Criticism

There are times when criticism is necessary, but children
with low self-esteem aren't good at accepting criticism - or
giving it nicely. Most children with ADD /ADHD have had more than their fair share of criticism, most of it fairly destructive. Therefore you are going to have to exercise extreme caution with this child.


How you give criticism is important. Sarcastic, negative
comments can undo all your hard work to be encouraging. So is
there such a thing as good criticism?

If you want to teach your child how to accept criticism, you
need to give it in a constructive way.

Rather criticize the behavior you want to change instead of criticizing the person.


It also helps if you can find positive things to say to balance the
criticism. Using 'I' tends to be less aggressive than 'you'.

So if your child is struggling with a piece of school work,
rather than say 'you're stupid', say 'I loved the way you read the first
page. It's only a couple of words you're stumbling on.'

For more positive ways to love and live with the ADD or ADHD Child, please visit www.maximindpower.com today and claim your 2 free reports.

Focus on the positives instead of the negatives. Your child will be better
for it.

All these things apply when your child gives criticism as
well. For example, 'I like playing with you, but it's too cold to
play outside today.'

The idea is to learn techniques to cope with criticism, give
confidence and generally make your child feel better about
himself/herself.

For more practical examples and guidelines on giving constructive criticism to your child sign up for the Make Your ADD Child A Winner e-Course.

Could Your parenting style be making your child more prone to OCD - Oppositional Conduct Disorder

Dealing with the tough behaviors that children with ADHD can exhibit can push parenting and
teaching skills to the limit. 

This means children with ADHD
often receive a lot of negative feedback and critical comments.

It's thought that these negative parenting and relating
styles increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior that, if
unchecked, can lead to oppositional disorder or the more
severe conduct disorder.

 Children with ADHD are more likely to
have oppositional or conduct disorder than other children.

For the best parenting advice for your ADD Child see The Calm Kids Program 

Why punishment fails with the ADD /ADHD Child and what to do instead.

Bad behavior often decreases when it costs your child
something. 

The three main costs are:

•  time, 
• money 
• and undesirable consequences such as briefly removing your child from an activity he/she enjoys.

The main reasons a punishment fails are:

•  because it’s too severe, 
• it’s given too late,
•  or it’s inconsistent.

What Is Short Term Memory & Why Is It So Important To Your ADD / ADHD Child.

I would often get annoyed and frustrated with my ADHD son because I would tell him to finish his snack and get started on his homework only to find him playing outside or watching TV.
When I asked him why, his usual response was that he forgot. He was also very forgetful in general, as most children with ADD are.

ADD kids have trouble with both long-term and short-term memory. The problem these children experience with Short-term memory is that they cannot keep something in the forefront of their memory to use immediately. This leads to all sorts of problems both in the home and at school.

This short-term memory loss makes him forget simple instructions that either you or his teacher have given him, making it very difficult for your child to follow simple instructions, simply because he cannot remember what those instructions were, or he may have forgotten that you gave them in the first place.

Short term memory loss also leads to other school problems for children with Attention Deficit Disorder. Short term memory is also called working memory and your child needs it in order to remember the question that the teacher has asked, as well as to remember new information learned in class and apply it to her work.

Whilst reading, short-term memory helps us to understand what we are reading. When writing, short-term memory helps us to get our thoughts down on paper and keeping the main idea in mind simultaneously.

In math, short-term memory helps us to keep track of the numbers and calculations throughout the steps of a more complex problem, such as long-division.

A strong short –term memory is the first step to a strong long-term memory.
Your ADD child may be having trouble with his long-term memory if he forgets information that he once knew well. He may have trouble retrieving the information that is filed away in his long-term memory.

In order to understand and remember something, we need to be able to build on previous material learned. Good examples of this type of material include vocabulary words, math facts, history facts and so on.

Without this ability to build on previous facts, learning can be painful and slow, simply because we have to start from scratch and re-learn all that has been forgotten over and over again.

Attention Deficit Disorder (with or without hyperactivity) and other Learning Disabilities affect both the short-term and long-term memory causing your child to have endless problems at home, school and in other social settings.

For tips on how to help your ADD child boost his memoryand succeed at school ,click the link below.

Memory Boosting Tips For The ADD Child

http://www.maximindpower.com/add/succeed-at-school.html

Keeping Your Cool With Your ADD Child

Above all, try your very best to stay calm when dealing
with an ADHD child. It’s easy to lose your cool when the child
is out of control.

Speak slowly and precisely. Show them that
even though you are frustrated, you are still able to stay in
control.

Try to talk to them about your feelings and how you
are trying to cope with your own frustration.

Often, children learn by watching. When you talk to them
and bring them into your mindset, you could very well be
teaching them the tools they need to control their own
frustration.

And by all means, give yourself a break when you need
one. It takes a lot of energy to live and work with kids who
have ADHD, so try to give yourself some space occasionally –
either by using a sitter or by relaxing your demands for a
particular time period – so that you can have some time off.


If you want to know more about parenting the ADD Child, get a free trial of the only parenting e-course on the internet by going to http://www.maximindpower.com/add/winner.html

Parenting Your ADD Child: Trusting Your Instincts and labelling.

With an ADD Child, you are surrounded by 'experts' that are telling you what is best for your child. Real experts , and those 'self-appointed know-it-all's' who are only too eager to pass on their 'pearls' of parenting wisdom.

Remember that you are the expert on your child. ADHD is
just one of those controversial subjects that everybody and his
brother has an opinion on. Tune out those that are uninformed.

Trusting your instincts and keeping open communication
with your child about how he’s doing and really being
observant is invaluable because you’re really a case manager.


Stay away from labeling. Remember that you have to
look at the whole child – he’s got his own temperament, his
own talents and interests. It’s easy to let the label overshadow
everything.

4 Ways to Help Your Child With ADD

No matter what treatment option you choose, here are some tips that will benefit ALL kids with ADD:

1. A regular daily routine- bath time, mealtimes, bedtimes, homework time and so on happening at the same time each day. This repetition and familiarity helps a child remember what needs to be done when.

2."A Place for everything and everything in it's place" is a good motto for someone with ADD. Help your child get organized and stay organized.

3. Having a homework diary helps the child with ADD to remember what homework needs to be done as well as what assignments and other school events he may need to prepare for.

4. In the classroom, a teacher who invites interaction with the ADD pupil will find that he understands and retains the material far better than if she had just delivered a lecture.

And most of all, don't loose hope. Educate yourself about ADD and learn all you can about managing it as well as possible, then teach these coping skills to your child, and he is sure to thrive.

Is Attention Deficit Disorder A Learning Disability?

If your child has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD you may be wondering if that means that he is learning disabled as well?

Well, not exactly. When we talk of the term 'learning disability' then what we generally mean is that it is a perceptual disability -like autism or visual processing disorder.

Attention Deficit Disorder (With or without hyperactivity) shouldn't be treated as a learning disability, because it isn't.

A child with Attention Deficit Disorder is perfectly capable of understanding and using the information presented to him.

Attention Deficit Disorder doesn't really obstruct the learning process although it can sure feel like it at times, both for you and your child.

Attention Deficit Disorder is often mistakenly lumped together with other learning disabilities into one category. A person who is suffering from ADD can absorb the information he sees, process it and even store it in his memory - just like any other person.

"Then what's the problem"?, you may ask.

The problem with a person with ADD is attracting and holding his attention for long enough so that he can absorb the information to begin with.

This leads to all kinds of problems, at school, at home and for adult ADD sufferers, in the workplace as well.

Once he is able to focus and concentrate, his performance in school, at home and in the workplace dramatically improve.

But sometimes ADD or ADHD can co-exist or be mistaken for a learning disability or some other processing disorder. Dyslexia, auditory, vision and speech problems could all be mistaken for ADD, or a child might have ADD might co-exist with one of these problems.

A thorough check-up by a pediatrician will help immensely.These problems must first be rules out before treatment for ADD is sought.

Once you are sure that your child is indeed suffering from ADD, then you need to consider all the various treatment options, such as medication, supplementation, brainwave entrainment, behavior modification or a complete holistic treatment option that combines many of the methods above.

Using Christmas Season to tach your child Important Values & Life-skills - Part 1

Helping your A.D.D Child enjoy the holiday season.... and learn valuable social skills at the same time.

The holiday season presents a unique set of challenges for all family members, but more so for those who suffer from A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. The absence of familiar routines throws the child off balance. Add guests, shopping, the hustle and bustle of the season, parents who are stressed out and kids may suddenly become disruptive and uncooperative.

But if approached in a careful and well-planned manner this season can be a wonderful time of bonding for parent and child, as well as a time to pass on the values and belies that you hold dear. And you can help your child to develop those all important social skills.

Teaching Empathy

Impulsive, hyperactive kids are often self-absorbed and self-focused. Use this season to help your child to shift the focus from himself to others.

One family found a fun way to get their 8 year old son,Mark, actively involved in the Christmas planning and shift his focus at the same time.Mark acted as a gift consultant to his mother. His job was to interview each family member about their hobbies etc. and then using that knowledge help his mother pick out appropriate gifts. This kept him involved, gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment -both of which are vital for building a healthy self-esteem. And he was thrilled when family members loved the gifts he helped to choose.

Teaching Teamwork and Co-operation.

A.D.D./A.D.H.D. kids tend to be very disorganized bunch and are notoriously poor planners as well.Getting your child involved in planning a party is a terrific way to build her self-confidence and improve her planning skills. Help the child make a list of the things you need to purchase and how the evening will proceed, for example snacks and drinks followed by dinner and then everyone gathers around the piano to sing Christmas Carols. Work together to make the evening a success.Let your child do as many tasks as she is capable of, and let go of the need to have everything 'perfect'. After all building your child's confidence and improving her planning skills are far more important than having everything 'just so.'

What should an ADD Child's Diet Consist of?

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) can be battled from many directions. Drugs, behavior modification, nutrition, and exercise are among the various means with which professionals combat ADD in children. Good nutrition is a vital part of children's health, whether they have ADD or not. But in a child with ADD, proper nutrition is critical. In the initial stages of ADD, taking nutritional supplements is an alternative to treatment.

A low blood sugar level (glucose level) is one of the main causes of ADD in children. This condition makes children drowsy in class and restless when they are bored. Children with glucose deficiencies suffer a shorter inattentive phase. You can maintain your child's blood sugar level by making glucose part of his breakfast, the most important meal of the day as far as children are concerned.

For an ADD child, vitamin B is important as it helps to free the energy in glucose. A deficiency of vitamin B in the diet makes a child aggressive and depressed. A child may not get all varieties of vitamin B (there are 12 essential parts to vitamin B) from his normal diet. A good multivitamin capsule can be used to supplement normal food. Cereal is also a good source of vitamin B. Iron is an essential mineral as it helps in transporting oxygen to the cells (primarily, brain cells) through the blood system. Iron deficiency leads to anemia. Folic acid is essential for the formation of red and white blood cells. Without the proper amount of folic acid in the body, a child feels tired, irritable, and forgetful. Folic acid is obtained from vegetables and fruits. Zinc deficiencies also cause ADD symptoms. A lack of a sufficient amount of zinc makes a child feel dizzy and depressed. Cereals and peanuts are good sources of zinc.

Attention Deficit Disorder provides detailed information on Attention Deficit Disorder, Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder Tests and more. Attention Deficit Disorder is affiliated with Children with ADHD.

Attention Deficit Disorder Diet

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is Not Related to I.Q.

It's important to know that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Intelligence, as measured by I.Q., are two different things.

Some parents are convinced that if their child has ADD it means that they are retarded. On the other hand, other parents say, "I've heard that ADD kids are really very, very bright. I think my child must have ADD," as if they wanted to wear a button that said, "My child is smarter than your child because he has ADD." Both of these points of view are unfortunate, and are based on bad information.

Intelligence falls into a Bell Curve, even for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Some Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder kids are below average I.Q., and some are even retarded. Other ADD ADHD kids are above average I.Q., and some are even quite brilliant. But the awful truth for a parent to hear is that MOST children (about 2 out of 3) are AVERAGE I.Q. That's why they call it "average." And most Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder kids have average I.Q. as well.

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder just have a very tough time in the classroom setting. We tend to see lower academic achievement than we would predict based on the child's I.Q. If they are really smart and they ought to be A students, we are disappointed when they're getting C's instead. If they ought to be B students, they're getting D's instead. Their school performance is disappointing, but it may not be due to a lack of intelligence.

The ADHD Information Library has six web sites with information to help children and teens with Attention Deficit Disorder be more successful in school, at home, and in life. At our site dedicated to helping children and teens succeed in the classroom you will find over 500 classroom interventions for teachers and parents to use. Visit ADDinSchool.com and look around for four or five suggestions to help your child succeed.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.