Parenting a child with ADHD can be challenging, and when frustration mounts, parents usually apply more pressure to their child in hopes that it will motivate them. However, this usually backfires because, according to Cindy Goldrich in her book 8 Keys to Parenting Children with ADHD, stress and pressure can shut down the prefrontal cortex—a part of the brain that is already delayed in children with ADHD. The more stress and pressure kids with ADHD experience, the less able they are to pay attention and manage their emotions. Thus, according to Goldrich the first key to parenting kids with ADHD is creating calm both within the parents and children. Some calming strategies that Goldrich recommends are to model self-regulation by speaking slowly and softly to your child and when correcting or encouraging your child use language that is empathic and supportive. Further, Goldrich shows how parents can teach their children to calm themselves. For more information on calming strategies as well as insights from Goldrich’s book click here.
