Parenting is never easy and it only gets tougher as the kid grows older.
Indeed, following your child’s first steps and ensuring it doesn’t fall over is one thing, but for all their cuteness and joie de vivre they’ll display for the first couple of years, the things will grow more complex as they themselves grow up.
And these matters are just around the corner, kids grow fast!
So, parenting can get pretty rough at times, but it’s sort of a good problem to have.
The annoyance you feel when your child begins producing one trouble after another is the immediate result of how much you love them, so it’s all alright in a way. That said, if your child displays a particularly strong affinity towards rebelling and starts becoming secluded and shunning social interaction, it might not be entirely its fault.
In fact, in recent years, an increasing number of kids is getting diagnosed with ADHD – a mental disorder characterized by the inability to focus, hyperactivity and some other behavioral patterns typically considered antisocial.
In this article, we’ll talk about fostering a positive relationship with your child from an early age, so that you can anticipate and handle more easily such behaviors, should your child start displaying some adhd behavior down the road.
Right then, without further ado, let’s see what we’ve got here.
What is ADHD?
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder in children. Typically, it starts in childhood, but can last through teens and more rarely even into adulthood. It more commonly affects boys than girls and it encompasses some of the following behavioral patterns:
- Being easily distracted
- Trouble finishing up tasks
- Seems disinterested in the activity at hand
- Daydreaming tendency
- Losing personal belongings
- Can’t sit still
Usually, a child will get diagnosed with ADHD when it starts school because the inability to pay attention can lead to troubles with following the curriculum and bad grades.
The thing is, even though your first impulse as a parent, upon seeing bad grades and concerned teachers, would be to sanction your child, their behavior may not be entirely in their control.
Therefore, it’s important to foster a good relationship with your child, so that you can understand how they feel and if they are experiencing something that demands special attention.
How to Maintain a Good Relationship with Your Child?
Understand that Your Kid is Going to Make Mistakes
No child is perfect, and your kid is no exception.
Whether it’s failing to pay attention in the class in a way that might come across as disrespectful, putting some super glue on the physics teacher’s chair, or otherwise not socializing enough with the rest of the class, your child can make a mistake every now and again.
So, there’s really no need to berate your child if they dozed off in class and talk about how disappointed you are. Instead, investigate a little bit further to see if this behavior has turned into a trend of sorts and if there’s perhaps an underlying cause behind it.
If your child does display signs of ADHD, consulting a pediatrician would be the recommendable course of action, though you should be wary of taking medicine too lightly. Medicine, in general, should be considered the last resort.
Encourage Good Behaviour
Children can sense when someone’s just being a negative Nancy for the sake of it.
If you’re the sort of parent who lurks in the corner waiting to wail at their kid’s every mistake, you’re quickly alienate it away from you. The thing is, prescribing a certain set of rules is alright and desirable, but constantly criticizing your child can make it feel hopeless and afraid of you.
Discipline is still important, though, so the appropriate course of action would be to strike a fine balance of policing and rewarding a good citizen. If your child does something good and commendable, for example, be sure to greet that with approval.
Allocate Some Time for Your Kids
Of course, you’re busy and have don’t have much time left during the day when all the work and chores have been taken care of, but kids should still be a priority.
Whether it’s playing a quick game of football in your backyard or watching an episode of Sponge Bob, spending some time with your kid can give you an insight into their world and more importantly – make you bond.
Encourage Their Strengths and Talents
When it comes to self-awareness and confidence, children with ADHD typically display shyness and overall lower self-confidence.
This is why ADHD usually translates into low self-esteem, trouble in relationships, and problems with addiction later on in their teens and adulthood.
The best way to counter this as a parent is to encourage your child to engage in activities they’re talented for and that they enjoy. It can be drawing, singing, playing the piano, sports, you name it- if your kid’s got an affinity for something, you should fully support them to pursue it as well as they can.
This will not only make them happier on a day-to-day basis but also make them more confident in their abilities.
Coordinate With Your Kid’s School
Battling a mental disorder such as ADHD can be challenging if you aren’t in cahoots with your kid’s school.
In such a situation, the teachers, caretakers, and other members of the school staff can be your best friends, as working together to help your kid learn and integrate with the other kids is probably the best course of action to pursue.
If your child lags behind other children academically or otherwise, make sure you’re always in touch with their teachers because they can help you understand the problem better and perhaps recommend some sort of solution for helping them study more efficiently at home.
All things considered, children with ADHD can be tough to manage at times, but understanding that they cannot fully control their behavior all the time is essential in helping them. Spending time together and fostering a good relationship with your child is the basis from which you can work to help your child further.
