Ep #130: This is not what I signed up for | When ADHD symptoms aren't textbook

When your child receives an ADHD diagnosis, you may think you understand what parenting them will look like. What happens when it doesn't? What do you do when your child doesn't have "typical" ADHD symptoms. How do you help them? There is no such thing as a "typical" child--every child is unique and needs something different, often making parenting challenging as you try to figure out what they need. While most people think of ADHD, they tend to associate hyperactivity as the primary behavior. ADHD behaviors involve more than just hyperactivity. A child with ADHD may be inattentive, have difficulty focusing, lack self-control, or have anger issues. When parenting your child, whether or not they have ADHD isn't what you were expecting, the parenting skills we teach at SmarterParenting.com are your solutions. Parenting skills allow you to address your child's behavior in positive ways that encourage growth and development instead of resorting to tactics that damage your child's relationship.  When you have proven parenting skills, you have the resources you need. Parenting skills help you separate your child from their negative behavior.  What do we mean by this? When a child is acting up, it can be easy to think, "They are terrible, They are mean, etc.," instead of understanding that they aren't the behavior. They aren't "bad"; they are just having difficulty processing what is happening. When we approach a situation with this mindset, we can use solutions that help our child do better in the future.  How does this work? Suppose your child is getting upset when talking to you. Instead of matching their voice tone, you can use Effective Communication to deescalate the situation as your helping your child see why they may be upset because they feel like they aren't being heard. If your child with ADHD has problems focusing, you can use the skill of Decision Making to give them options of things they can do when they're starting to lose focus that will help them refocus, showing them they have multiple ways to react to situations. We can't emphasize enough the confidence that parenting skills will give you. You will feel empowered and know that no matter what your ADHD child throws at you, you will be able to handle it. Parenting doesn't have to feel lonely and hard. Learn the tools you need today to better address your child's ADHD diagnosis!