Company Manners

Much of the world is celebrating some sort of holiday this month, and with that comes social occasions with family and friends.

Behavior is often a problem with kids who have Attention Deficit Disorder and during the holidays, things can often get worse.

Their schedule has been changed, their routine disrupted, and there is less structure in place. Holiday sweets and rich foods are everywhere and there is just so much to do and see! Your child might be awaiting the holidays with excitement and anticipation – and it’s hard to wait when you have ADHD.

So much about the holidays – the excitement, the socializing, the changes all around – can really aggravate ADHD symptoms.

Naturally you want to child to make a good impression on family and friends and good behavior makes it easier on you, too. Here are a few ideas to help your child through this stressful time:

Try to keep as much structure and routine in the day as you can.

Make sure your child is getting enough sleep.

Parents often use school breaks as medication breaks too. If you’ve got a big party or event to go to with your child, you may want to consider giving them their medication then.

Balance holiday diets with good nutrition and lots of water when you can. A little protein and a bottle of water before an event can do wonders.

Give your child a chance to get outside and play whenever you can. It’s good for them in so many ways.

Take some time – maybe after things have calmed down and before they go back to school – to do something creative with them.

If you’re attending a large gathering, you might want to arrange some quiet time or a quiet space for your child to escape to when things become too overwhelming. Make sure your child understands that this is a place to help them calm down and relax a little, not a punishment for bad behavior.

Be sure to talk over company manners and what they mean before any outing. Let them know what to expect and how to behave as well.

Finally, remember that with all of the excitement and activity going on, safety needs to be a concern. Kids with ADHD are risk takers and thrill seekers who act before they think. Keep an extra eye on them when the excitement level gets high to make sure they aren’t doing anything dangerous.