What if you could “see” your time all laid out in front of you? Would it help you plan better and accomplish more? Yes, it would!
I’ve seen it work over and over and over again with teen clients and myself.
My goal when working with my teen clients is to help them rein in the abstract thinking of the teenage ADHD brain so that they can keep track of the factual portion of what they need to get done.
Having trouble finding ADHD resources geared to yours or your child’s stage of life?
Even though I work with teenagers, some of my favorite resources are geared toward children or adults.
That’s because the underlying and overlying symptoms of ADHD are the same whether you are a child, teen, or adult.
The only difference is how long you’ve lived with those symptoms.
Part of adulting and prioritizing is understanding that there are things you can change about your life and things that are out of your control. This is even more important that we convey this to teenagers — they need to know the steps of managing internal and external factors of ADHD.
It’s June! It’s finally June!
I’m looking forward to a few things over the summer and I have some exciting changes happening that I want to share with you about LovingGradditude.
2020-2021 was a year of so much learning—for our teens, yes, but also for us parents. When parenting teens with ADHD, it’s important we as parents take time to relax, reflect and recharge.
Most of the time, our teens are living in an abstract world. That’s just the way the teenage ADHD brain works.
They have a bunch of vague ideas floating around in their heads, and it causes them a huge amount of anxiety because they aren’t sure what needs to be done, how long it’s going to take, and how to get real clear on what they’re going to do.
And as parents, we may not be the best of help, and we also question how to help….
Too often, we expect our ADHD teen to act like an adult.
The problem is… they’re just not.
They’re not fully independent yet. They don’t get to make a lot of decisions for themselves or have much space to call their own. Their brains are wired differently, and they haven’t fully developed yet. They have to answer to teachers, parents, and coaches, and sometimes they’re lacking the internal motivation to take ownership of it.
As a parent of a teen with ADHD, I’ve learned to just let the irony roll over me. It’s inevitable. You think you have something figured out about life and then your teenager presses the big, red ADHD button and flips your understanding of the world upside down.
It never made sense to me why my son had to study on the front porch with his loose papers flapping in the wind. Or why he could read his English homework better from upside-down on the couch. Or in what universe it made sense to blast his music while seemingly concentrating on Algebra.
How do I focus? Give me a nice quiet room with a tidy desk and a locked door. I have to eliminate all distractions to do my best work. But for ADHD: the distraction is the reward.
So helpful! I always dread telling my son about a change in plans. Excellent approach.
More Resources
Click below to find me on YouTube, and to listen to The Gradditude Show podcast.
