The very first day of a brand new school year can be both exciting and nerve wracking. Parents want to do everything they can in order to help their child have a successful first day back at school. If your child has ADHD, then you will need do some extra preparation in order to make that happen.
Some of the most commonly recognized symptoms of ADHD include an inability to focus, difficulty staying still, impulsiveness, and a tendency to get completely distracted from whatever task the child is supposed to be working on. These types of behaviors can make it really hard for a kid who has ADHD to get ready for school, (and for him to get there on time).
Fortunately, there are some things that parents can do that will make mornings a little bit less frantic and stressful. This will require parents to do some extra planning. In the long run, however, these tips will help make mornings less stressful for your child (and yourself).
Start with the night before a school day. After your child has finished with his or her homework, parents need to assist the child to put that homework into the proper folder, and then actually put the folder into their backpack. Now is the time to round up stay textbooks, pencils, and gym uniforms, and make sure they go into the backpack, too.
This will prevent you from rushing around trying to find something at the last minute in the morning. It also increases the chance that the finished homework will, in fact, make it into the school building.
Place the backpack right by the door. Ideally, your child’s shoes and jacket will be placed there as well. This removes the need to go find where something got left after school yesterday, (which can take time, and make your child late for school).
What will your child wear to school tomorrow? Select a specific place in your child’s room where you can lay out all of the clothing that he or she will be wearing to school the next day. All your child will need to do is get up, do the usual amount of proper hygiene, and get dressed. Doing this removes a whole bunch of little decisions that can really slow down progress in the morning.
If your kid likes to pick out what he or she will wear to school each day, and is not satisfied with mom or dad selecting clothing on their behalf, this can still be done. Instead of making those decisions in the morning, your child can take some time to make those choices the night before school starts. A parent can check to make sure nothing is missing (like socks, or underwear). The entire outfit can still be laid out so it will be easy to grab in the morning.
Kids who have ADHD who are very young, and still require assistance from a parent in order to bathe, should take a bath at night, rather than in the morning before school. You now have one less thing to accomplish before heading out the door. Older kids can be sent into the bathroom with a timer that is set by a parent. Parents need to remember to go knock on the door when the timer goes off, in order to keep the morning running smoothly.
Its always good to have a “Back Up Plan”. Be ready to drive your child to school, instead of making them walk, on mornings that just aren’t going very well. Purchase breakfast food that is easy to eat “on the go”, just in case.
Image by cherrypatter on Flickr