Parenting With ADD
Parenting is one of the most demanding responsibilities a person can take on. At the best of times organization, focus and commitment require a well thought out effort. Whether you have adult ADD or your children have ADD, you need a plan to ensure success as a parent and most importantly, a healthy and educational environment for your children.
A tool I have found to be very successful, is the creation of a checklist for my kids regarding their weekly responsibilities. The checklist is beneficial in many ways. It allows me to focus on teaching my kids specific life skills such as responsibility, commitment and organization. Another benefit I derive, it allows me to organize ahead of time in one week increments all the little things that help me out around the house. I have the kids focused on tasks such as making their beds, sweeping the kitchen floor, setting the table, clearing the table, using their manners and other little extra jobs. I’ve implemented a system where I reward the kids with a checkmark on a grid I made in Excel. Each day as a task is accomplished, the kids check off the achievement. However, I also have the ability to place an “X” in the grid if a responsibility is missed. On occasion, I also reward the kids at the end of a week with a special treat like a toy or book. This is however an occasional treat, as I did not want to create the expectation that there is always a special treat as a reward.
I’ve seen my kids grow tremendously with this routine. They display wonderful responsibility, charming manners and make me proud every time they accomplish something. Hey, kids will never be perfect and please don’t expect that. As a parent, I’m sure I face challenging days with my kids like anyone else does. However, my system is delivering the organizational results that I require and that helps me and my kids every day. It may be right for you too!