Wunderlich

When you're the linear-thinking parent of an ADD child, it's difficult to relate to your child's behaviors. You undoubtedly feel every pain of attention deficit, but maybe you aren't quite sure how to deal with it, especially when you child is very young. If you're an ADD parent of an ADD child, at least you can remember what being a kid with attention deficit was like, and maybe you've learned some ADD-friendly ways to cope with attention deficit that you can pass along. But then again, maybe you don't even realize that you have attention deficit yourself. Well, whatever situation you find you belong in, here are a few tips to help:

1) Make things simple: Don't send your kids into another room to get a pen, a piece of paper, and an envelope. They'll forget at least one of the three and have to go back to get what they forgot. To save frustration, send them for one thing at a time. Because they can manage to come back with that one item, when they do, they'll feel happy if you tell them what a great job they did. Rather than deflating their self-esteem, you'll be pumping it up.

2) Get a game going: Try involving the whole family in this strategy. Make sure that people get extra points for positive behaviors, and that points are deducted when someone breaks a rule or doesn't take their turn in the proper order.

3) Know your child's teacher: Be sure to get all the pertinent information about your child's classes at school. Ask for due dates of specific assignments, quizzes, and anything else that you child needs to remember.

4) Provide sanctuary: Your children suffer frustration every day, and it stems from within themselves, from their peers, and perhaps from their teachers. Allow them some downtime to unwind when they get home. Make sure that they have a room of their own or a special place they can go to be alone for a while to help them feel less stressed.

5) Make them feel successful: First, find out what your child is good at. It may take a while to decide what it is, but maybe they're artists, musicians, or good with technology. Whatever that is, support them in that area and lavish praise on them when they do something well to boost their self-esteem.

You can use these 5 tips to help make your child's life better, as well as your own. But it won't happen overnight. You'll have to be consistent in applying these techniques, and through a slow process will your child begin to improve. Some kids will be lucky enough to control the symptoms of attention deficit as they're older. Some of them turn into ADD adults. Learn more coping mechanisms for parents and adults at Instant ADD Success.com

Tellman Knudson is CEO of OvercomeEverything, Inc. and a certified hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner who has helped many clients--young and old--achieve ADD Success. Sign up for Tellmans Free Weekly Success Tips when you visit InstantADDSuccess.com at http://www.instantaddsuccess.com