Foundations that Support Positive Behavior Tips

Focus on Strengths

Focus on your child's strengths. A non-structured environment is overwhelming to AD/HD children. Environments that call for independent, self-managed tasks
exploit the AD/HD individuals' natural weaknesses. The child is not lazy,
unreachable, or stubborn. The brain simply works differently. Play to the
strengths of this child.

Good Enough

Good Enough is Just Right: Set realistic expectations for your child. They will excel in some areas and struggle in others. By demanding that your children excel in every single subject is not realistic. It does, however, increase anxiety. Keep it real.

Simon Says

Listening to Directions Made Easy: Younger children love games that require attending to what they hear by following the rules precisely. "Simon Says" is one of the better skills-building listening games you can play with younger children. They compete against themselves as they practice listening skills. It's a win-win
for everyone.

Chore Lottery

Write out chores on slips of paper and fold them in half. Put them into small containers. Divide the containers into "Indoor" and "Outdoor" categories. The chores that take the least amount of time go into a color-coded container and those chores that take a lot of time go into a different container. During the week each child draws two chores to complete in addition to making the bed and picking up clothes. On weekends, choose from the container that has the time-consuming chores. Set a timer for 15-minute intervals and work steadily until the chore is done for either category.

The Magic Jars

The Magic Jars are very powerful for younger children in managing
behavior. Here is how they work:
Get two identical jars. Mayonnaise jars work perfectly. Fill one jar
to the top with pennies. Leave the other jar empty. Place them side by side on
a shelf that is within easy reach of the adult. Each day is for the
child to maintain good control and thereby keep all the money in the full
money jar. When rules are broken, you may either choose to administer a
consequence or reach into the magic money jar and remove a handful of pennies.
Deposit the pennies into the empty jar. At a glance, the child can see how
much they have lost by making the wrong choices.

Stay The Course

When 'shifting gears' from a laid back routine into a more highly structured one, expect that the AD/HD behavior will worsen before it gets better. This is a normal response to change. Within 30 days, if you have remained consistent, you should begin to notice marked improvement.

Collaborative Efforts Pay Off

Collaboration brings cooperation. Sit down with your child or children and agree on a set of rules for everyone to follow. When children have input into the process they are more willing to adhere to the rules. Post the rules in the kitchen or family room. Every day check off the successes for each child that follows the rules. Visual references are immensely important to AD/HD individuals.

Managerial Styles

The place for parents to begin managing the challenging behavior of children is with a review of their management style. Review how you, the parent, manage crises and defiance.
Do you repeat yourself over and over?
Are you disorganized and make up rules as you go?
Do you tend to 'give in' in public places to a child's demands to spare yourself a scene?

Write a set of realistic, measurable goals and set an intention to stick with them. Review your goals often to remind you of where you are how far you've come, and what you've go left to conquer.