ADD Student

Archive for the ‘Life Skills’ Category

All kids and most parents look forward to summer vacation. When my kids were in school, I looked forward to it as much as they did. It was a chance to take a break and get away from the stress that school could cause for all of us.

But with all the free time that summertime brings, it can also bring it’s own brand of stress and troubles.

The nature of summer vacation for most kids is one of almost complete freedom: no more getting up at a certain time, no school or homework, and for many, no extra activities. Just endless free time.

That kind of freedom can mean trouble for kids with ADHD.

ADHD kids thrive in a structured, organized environment, and for many kids, summer break is just the opposite.

Now all kids are different, as are families. Maybe yours does well in the summer when things are more relaxed.

But if you’re the kind of family or if your kid is the kind of kid who could use some structure, it’s easy to build it in. You don’t have to take it to the extent that the school year does - you can be more loose on when it’s time to get up or go to bed, but still add some purpose to their days.

You could establish a set reading time, for instance. Maybe the hour after lunch or mid-afternoon when it’s hottest can be designated as reading time. You could read to each other, or read silently. And if you could create a cool, inviting spot somewhere ideal for curling up with a book, well, that would be ideal.

One of the ideas I used to do with my kids each summer was to create a theme for the summer months. For instance, international summer. Each week we would pick a country and learn about it. We would cook a meal that was typical for that country and make some crafts that tied in with that culture.

Summer is great for letting kids experiment with crafts. A picnic table outdoors on the grass is great for letting kids use all the paints and glitter and glue that you’re cautious about using indoors. Use newspapers if you want to protect the table.

For more ideas for summer, check your local library for books or local events. And don’t forget sources like Boy Scout and Girl Scout handbooks. There are a lot of good ideas there.

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June is here, and for most kids in North America, that means the end of school. For those of you in other parts of the world who may still be in school, keep these tips in mind for when school is out in your area.

My 5 tips for a better summer:

1. Encourage reading for pleasure. Most kids, even those without ADHD, lose a good portion of their reading skills during the summer break. And believe it or not, that reduced ability come fall means teachers have to back track a little to get them up to speed. Poor reading skills can also affect other subject areas such as math or science.

2. Improve their diet by taking advantage of all the fresh fruits and vegetables summer has to offer. Rely less on packaged or processed foods, and take the words “drive through” out of your vocabulary. Concentrate on good proteins, fruits and veggies and less on grains.

3. Let them live by their own rhythm for a while. Let them stay up later and sleep in if they choose (within reason, of course). You can’t save up or bank sleep, but the extra rest and relaxation will do them good.

4. Encourage time spent outdoors. Time spent in nature seems to soothe the ADHD soul, so take advantage of the weather and go outside. Put up a basketball hoop, or a pool. Join the community pool if you have one, or start riding bikes or roller blading. Camping is an excellent idea that most kids enjoy. Plan your vacation around an outdoor setting or spend more time in the park.

5. Find activities they enjoy and use them to teach them skills they need. For instance, if focus or paying attention is a problem, look for times when they do focus well. Perhaps they love to play baseball or tennis and are good at concentrating on the game. Talk to them about that, ask questions, figure out how you can use that in other situations. And remember, the most important thing to do is to approach this in a casual, friendly let’s-get-together-and-figure-this-out way instead of a you’re-going-to-spend-all-summer-learning-to-do-better-in-school way.

Above all, spend time with all of your kids and enjoy every moment you can.

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Now that warmer weather is here and summer vacation is right around the corner, I thought I would share a few tips for traveling with ADHD kids.

Sitting on a plane or in a car for hours, not being able to move a lot, and just generally being confined is a slow form of torture for most ADDers. Give a few of these tips a try and see if they help.

Of course, a lot depends on how old your kids are, but I think in general these tips can be applied to almost everyone.

My mother in law gets credit for one of the best pieces of advice she ever gave me. She told me that when we took long car trips with the kids, to pack a lunch (or if we had to, buy some food on the way) and then go to a rest area to eat. This gives the kids a chance to really get out of the car and move. They can run around in the grass rather than moving from sitting in the car to sitting in a restaurant. It gives them a good chance to work out some of that pent up energy.

Bring along snacks and drinks, as well as wet towels or wipes.

If you’ve got the ability to view DVDs, bring along some old favorites and some new ones, too.

The tried and true tip of keeping some games or toys just for the car is a good one. Again, even older kids play handheld games; maybe you can find something to keep them entertained for a while.

Books and magazines are good if car sickness isn’t a problem.

Be prepared to make frequent stops. When I was a little girl, my dad would get in the car and not want to stop until we got where we were going. The goal was to get there and start the vacation as quickly as possible. Instead, make the drive part of the vacation. Are there interesting places along the way? Stop and take a look. The few extra hours it takes you to get where you’re going will be worth it. Seriously - you have to try this.

Finally, let Mother Nature help you out. Start your drive at some ghastly hour like 4:00 am, or leave when it’s getting dark. The traffic will be lighter, and you’ll have sleepy heads in the back seat.

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