Child ADHD

Imagine spending seven hours a day being corrected for things your brain struggles to control.

With kids heading back to school, it’s a good time to remember that the school day can look very different through the eyes of a child with ADHD. It can feel like a constant effort to sit still, stay quiet, pay attention, remember directions, stay organized, control impulses and learn for hours at a time.

Think about what that demands from a child, especially when many of those expectations involve the exact areas they may struggle with most.

They know the answer but call it out before it’s their turn.

They understand the lesson but miss part of the directions.

They may constantly move, fidget or get out of their seat.

They may finish the homework and still forget to turn it in.

And after hearing “sit down,” “pay attention,” “stop talking,” or “try harder” enough times, it can start to affect how a child sees themselves.

Then they go home after holding it together (or trying to hold it together) all day. The effort of managing their attention, impulses and emotions can leave them exhausted, overwhelmed and with very little mental energy left for the rest of the day. What may look like irritability, defiance, emotional outbursts or difficulty settling down at home may actually be the result of a child finally releasing the stress they’ve been carrying since morning.

So what can help when they first get home?

Before jumping straight into homework, chores and more demands, consider giving them a predictable transition after school, a snack, some time to move their body and a little breathing room before asking their brain to focus again.

ADHD isn’t a lack of intelligence or effort. Sometimes a child is working incredibly hard just to function in an environment that requires them to regulate their attention and behavior for most of the day.

Recognizing what’s behind the behavior can make a big difference.