Hi! I'm newbie here. I stumbled upon this site as I decided to browse around and look for other people facing the same thing as I do. My mother died and she cant take care of my baby for me, so even if my daughter is already 6 years old, her ADHD is still very new to me. Can anyone give me tips on how to deal with my little girls issue?

Quote

At times raising and ADHD child feels like and incredibly overwhelming task but it is a truly worthwhile task. It sounds like this kid has not had an easy time of life and he sounds lucky to have someone like you who has opened your home and your heart to him.

Scouts might be a problem. I have ADHD as well and could never handle a situation like that, all the activities can become too overwhelming. It might be better to find a sport that is extremely active like swimming, gymnastics or martial arts. Unless he is busy and moving all the time he will get bored and cause trouble.

Quote

My son has ADHD, as do I, and he's in Scouts - I'm his den leader. It's important to remember that the leaders in Scouts are volunteers, not trained in child psychology or educational techniques. That being said, Scouts is supposed to be a very inclusive organization. The leaders manual has tips on how to handle several common medical conditions, including ADHD. The advice they give on ADHD really applies to all boys this age: keep the activities short, active, and fun.

Talk to the leaders in his pack and den - see if they're open to working with your son. You'll want a leader that's understanding of the situation without allowing your son to run wild - the whole point of putting him in Scouts is to get him used to an organized group, so he should be a part of the group. I've found that a child's success in Scouts (with or without ADHD) really depends on the individual leaders and the involvement of the parents.

Just be sure to avoid talking about ADHD like it's a disability or puts your son in a "special needs" category. He's not damaged or broken...he just thinks differently. Talk openly with the leaders about the situation and offer suggestions to keep your son on track with the activities without singling him out - the same advice applies to school and sports. Let them know that you're willing to help out wherever you can.

As a leader, I can say that I really appreciate it when parents stay for the meetings and activities. Scouts is meant to be a family organization, especially for Cub Scouts. Plus, I feel really uncomfortable telling someone else's kid to behave themselves, especially if I don't know the boy very well. I'd recommend staying for the first few meetings (at least) to help the leader if your son needs some guidance on behavior or discipline.

let us know how it goes!

Quote