Using Christmas Season to Teach Your Child Values & Life-Skills - Part 2

Using Christmas Season to Teach Your Child Values & Life-Skills - Part 2

Building Confidence and a positive self-image.

A.D.D. kids are often known best amongst extended family for their unruly and disruptive behavior.

Although it's easier to label and pigeon-hole a child like this it's both unfair and destructive.

All children have talents and accomplishments of which to be proud of, and the A.D.D/A.D.H.D child is no exception.

Your responsibility as a parent to make sure that he gets the opportunity to share these talents and accomplishments with grandparents,uncles, cousins and friends.

Things like showing/displaying art projects, showing everyone the Scout Merit Badge that he earned or reciting a poem that he learned are just a few of the ways to do so.

Coach your child in the art of displaying his accomplishments without coming across as a show-off.

In addition, be sure to tell positive stories about your child and encourage him to chime in as well. This helps others to see him in a more positive light as well.

Teaching Sharing, giving and altruism.

Children, especially those with special needs
(like A.D.D.)are used to being on the receiving end. They often receive special accommodations at school, special attention and extra help at home etc.

Christmas is the perfect time to reverse this and to give the child the experience of giving.

Volunteer work provides the perfect opportunity to help those that are less fortunate. Through the experience of doing this the child realizes that there are others with problems far more serious than his own.

In addition it also gives the child the confidence that he can make a difference in the lives of those around him.

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.'

Tips to help your hyperactive A.D.D. Child Enjoy The Festive Season.

Christmas is a very stressful time of the year for children with A.D.D. A lack of structure combined with a complete change in the daily routine and add in guests and you have a recipie for trouble. Children often act up and behave worse at times like this.

But you can help your child to enjoy the Christmas season if you take the proper steps to prepare him in advance.

Here are some tips to help your child to cope with and truly enjoy this Christmas Season:

1. Teach your child Coping Skills Ahead Of Time.- What are the areas your child has problems with? Is it sharing toys with other kids? Then sit down together and decide which toys he woukd be willing to share and which ones he wants to put away until the guests are gone. Does he throw tantrums or yell when he's angry? Then teach him to breathe deeply and count to 10 to prevent him from exploding.

2. Rehearse correct behavior ahead of time so that by the holiday rolls around your child is famaliar with it. Does he have a problem with proper dinner-table ettiquette? Then practice having a formal dinner once a week so that by the time Christmas rolls around he is an expert.

3. A.D.D. children are more easily over-stimulated. Too many events one after the other make it exhausting for the child and this leads to poor behavior, tantrums etc. Build in enough down time into both yours and your child's days during this hectic season.

Take a walk alone together, lie down for a nap together or give your child some headphones and let him listen to some soothing brainwave entrainment soundtracks. The Calm Kids A.D.D. Brainwave Entrainment Program has 2 different soundtracks. One soundtrack is set to soothing and calming music and the other to ocean waves.

Just 20 minutes listening to these soundtracks helps to calm and soothe a child and reduces hyperactivity dramatically. To get your copy of the Calm Kids Program (Which includes the 2 soundtracks as well as several other information products designed to help you take immediate control of your child's A.D.D. & start reducing symptoms now) go to Calm Kids

4. Take one-on-one time with your child. Play a game together, read him a story or get him to run some errands with you.

5. Encourage your child's strengths.

6.Include your child in tasks.

Let him help you to cook the meal, wrap presents, etc. It may seem to require more effort and the tasks may take a bit longer with your child helping, but it will save you time in the long run because you won't have to take time to deal with misbehavior.