A highly effective strategy that I've used with my ADHD son is to emphasize the positive and

downplay the negative as much as possible.



Because they are so boisterous, impulsive and more generally more difficult to manage than others, these kids hear ‘no’ many times a day. In fact if you're not careful most of your interaction with your ADD child could be negative in nature. This is totally destructive to his developing self-concept.



Perhaps the biggest challenge for… Continue

The New School Year is a time of change, stress and anxiety for kids. On the flip side, it also provides a brand new start toward making this year one of school success, parent support and an opportunity to "turn over a new leaf" from last year issues and conflicts.



One way to relieve the stress of a new school year is to be prepared. It might be tempting to leave everything to the last minute, but as kids transition from the flexible… Continue

When an invitation from the owners of a new restaurant arrived for the opening, we accepted. We were seated next to a family celebrating their little boys birthday. On top of the divided booths were floppy leaf plants. I sat on the end, noticed the leaves moving, then realized there were 2 little eyes peering at me.

I pretended not to see him, then waved, startling the child. A moment later the cute little face reappeared, bestowing a quick smile. He seemed taller which made me…

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The first time you laid eyes on the this beautiful stranger, you were entranced. You stared at the tiny perfect fingers, you sighed and felt all warm and inspired. You had entered another level of your life. You had become a parent. You wanted to be everything. You saw the future all laid out. This one was going to be the best child ever! You were going to be the ideal parent. The child will lack nothing! Promises, Dreams, the stuff that life is made of!

You know you did your…

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I write from my concern for children and teenagers - not from any criticism of any one in particular or parents in general. I know that there are many fantastic parents with responsible teenagers who work and play hard, care about others and make the choice to take neither drugs nor alcohol. I also know that there are parents who have tried their hardest and their children make choices that do not lead to health of happiness.

All make their own choices but my view is that no…

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For children with ADHD, it's better to praise the good

behavior (i.e. the one you want to see more of) and ignore the

bad behavior as much as you can. Negotiate rules with older

children so they'll have a say in what happens.



Remember to pick your battles. We can’t stress this part

seriously enough. Look at what’s really important – what will

matter five years down the road – and choose to address those

issues.



IGNORE THE REST!!!…



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Each class that graduates from our high school selects a "class flower". It shouldn't come as a great surprise that the rose is selected on a regular basis. After the graduates walk across the stage to shake hands and receive their diploma, they are given a single long-stemmed rose. There are always a few left over after commencement, and I carefully took one out of the pail after the ceremony once to give it a good sniff. I didn't really need to worry - all of the thorns had been…

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Teens Struggle With Finding Acceptance From Other Teens

Teens Struggle With Finding Acceptance From Other Teens

By Jordan Adams

As you might know, I work for the United States Army as a Youth Contractor. That means that my wife and I run youth groups for the military youth and provide a safe atmosphere where they can come and build relationships with staff and other peers while their…

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What steps can you take in behavior modification to

minimize the symptoms of ADHD? The answer is – SO MUCH!

The basic principles of treatment – for adults and children

both – are:



* Structure



* lifestyle changes



* finding and developing talent.



There is a lot of focus on the medication, but you build a life on

identifying your talent and pursuing it.



Start by helping children find and develop their talents.

That is… Continue

When asked if my family would like to go to the Circus, we adjusted our clown noses and "stepped right up". As I shared before (read more) I haven't been to a Ringling Brothers Circus since I was nine, now that Nick is nine the timimng couldn't be more perfect. Our day started early... (read more)

When I taught my son how to ride a bike, I think he got his first bike when he was three years old. Of course he rode with training wheels and we got the smallest bike we could find. You can go to Target or Wal-Mart, they probably have the cheapest bikes. It's not like you need something fancy or super durable.

I think my son went through two bikes in this period. The second bike we got him was a little nicer, more like a BMX bike. When we got this one we were planning that he…

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Ready?...Set!....GO! When kids go back to school, parents often heave a sigh of relief. But, the kids after summertime flexibility may have a hard time getting back into the swing of things. For some ideas to help smooth the transition from summer vacation to school routines, read on--



After a summer of freedom and lax rules (and occasional boredom), kids often have mixed feelings about going back to school. Younger students may be longing for the active busy-ness of… Continue

Once your child is diagnosed, not only do you have to cope with your child's feelings about this but yours as well.



What do parents feel once their child has been diagnosed with ADD /ADHD?





Surprisingly, the most prevalent feelings parents had after ADHD diagnosis was – RELIEF!

Do you find that hard to believe? That’s understandable, but

it’s true. Why?



The sense of relief came from knowing that there was a medical reason for

their child’s… Continue

The social implications that accompany attention deficit disorder are pretty scary.



Consider the following:

• 21 percent of teens with ADHD skip school repeatedly.

• 35 percent eventually drop out of school.

• ADD/ADHD children are much more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol.

• ADD/ADHD children are more likely to get into accidents.

• When ADD/ADHD kids don’t do well in school, their self-esteem drops and they are less likely to succeed as… Continue