In episode 91 of the Parenting in Real Life Podcast, we interviewed Dr. Norrine Russell from Russell Coaching. She specializes in coaching kids with ADHD. Even though this episode is a lot about ADHD, we feel like it benefits all parents who have children who struggle with focusing. This episode talks about what ADHD usually looks like and things parents can do to help kids with ADHD.
Listen to this podcast interview with Dr. Russell on the Parenting in Real Life Podcast.
What Does ADHD Look Like?
We find that people in American culture overuse the word ADHD when describing children so it can be hard to know what it actually looks like. Dr. Russell said there are three main things to look for:
- Hyperfocus or easily distracted
- Impulsivity
- Hyperactivity or verbal hyperactivity
If you child is displaying any of these symptoms, then you can take them to their pediatrician so they can be assessed.
What can parents do?
Many parents can get overwhelmed by a diagnosis like ADHD. Dr. Russell share some great tips to help set your child up for success and help kids with ADHD. These are also great suggestions for children who don’t have an official diagnosis and just need some extra help focusing.
1. Find ways to get your child’s attention – this might include using your hands more when you speak, keeping eye contact, or fluctuating your voice in order to keep their attention.
2. Teach your child to recognize when they’re having impulses – when your child begins to recognize these impulses, they can start to learn to control them.
3. Teach executive functioning skills – these are skills like planning, time management skills, organizing, self-monitoring, and self-control. These are also things that can be taught by a coach or other professional.
4. Get support from school, books, and/or coaching – when kids have an official diagnosis, they can get resources from the school. When a student has an IEP, it allows the teachers and parents to come up with a plan that best helps your student learn at school. There are also great books for parents and coaches that can support and teach you and your child.
5. Create a supportive environment around that child – when you create an environment and home at school that support your child, they are more likely to be success. Put things in place to help your child succeed. An example Dr. Russell gave in the podcast episode was when a girl with ADHD would go between to homes and would often forget things. So Dr. Russell suggested that each parent have a laminated list and a box near the door so their daughter could make sure she always had all her things when she would switch homes.
6. Have patience – you won’t be able to solve things over night and it will be a long road of learning, trial, and error, but as you have patience and learn what’s best for your child, you will be a much happier parent.
They Just Want to Be Loved
One of my favorite quotes from the episode was, “In the end, it’s the same as it is with all of our kids. They want to be loved and they want to be connected to you.”
For more resources, you can go to Russell Coaching. Whether you want coaching or not, they have excellent free resources for parents to help kids with ADHD. I especially loved the article on Self-Awareness . I think we can all learn how to be more self-aware!