As a parent of an ADHD child, I know how heartbreaking it can be to send your child to school not knowing how each day will turn out. Will he be able to focus? How will he do on his test we studied for all week? Will he know his spelling words today? Will I be getting a call from the teacher?
ADHD children can be unpredictable. For instance, my son may know how to spell his spelling words on Monday and Wednesday, but not on Tuesday and Thursday. Sounds crazy to us that tend to think if you know it, then you know it, right?
ADHD makes life harder in ways we couldn’t imagine unless we have it ourselves, and even then, it is hard to explain. The good news is that, by doing small things one at a time, you can help your ADHD child at school and at home. I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping the household as stress free as possible. It is a bit harder to keep the school day stress free because you aren’t there to manage it, but with a few organizing tips, your child will have fewer things to stress about at school – thank goodness.
Organizing Tips for ADHD Children
School can be overwhelming. One organizing tip I have for parents of an ADHD child is to help him keep his school desk or locker organized. While we may be able to plow through a big pile of stuff to find what we need, they can’t. And if they can, it will add stress, which causes emotional outbursts later.
For children who have several classes, try putting their things into different colored bags. For instance, put everything your child will need for math class in one bag (maybe red) including pencils, paper, ruler, calculator, and so on. For science (maybe a blue bag) and other classes (green, yellow, or other colored bags), do the same. Make sure that every bag has everything your child will need for that class. Put pencils, paper, index cards, highlighters, and so on in every bag that it’s needed.
It may cost a bit more to buy extra school supplies for every colored bag, but it will be worth it in the long run. Your child will not have to stress over finding all the items needed for each class because they will be inside each bag. When he is done with one class, make sure he puts everything back inside the bag and puts it away before getting the next class’s bag.
I hope this organizing tip helps your child at school. If you’re not sure what type of colored bag to use, we had several canvas backpack bags with the strings pull tops. These work great because he can just throw it over his shoulder and go.
About Our ADHD Family
We chose not to medicate our son. Instead, we focus on alternative remedies and an ADHD diet. I’m sure you’re wondering what that diet is. If you’ve never tried to change your ADHD child’s diet, then you should give it a try. Every single thing he or she puts into their mouth effects their ADHD. I learned this the hard way, one bite at a time.
First, add protein. Protein helps to counteract (at least that is what I call it) any sugars your child may eat. Now, I am not saying he should eat sugar because he should NOT! I mean the sugars that are found in carbs. For instance, if your child eats white bread, he should also have protein like peanut butter or cheese to go along with it. If your child has spaghetti, make sure he has meatballs or cheese, too. Think like a diabetic, except no sugar or sugar substitutes at all. Fruits and 100% fruit juices are fine, so work them into the day for added sweetness.