As a parent of a child with ADHD, you are always on the go too, but not always by choice. You are constantly surveying the environment and trying to accommodate your child so that he can perform at his best. This applies to school, home, birthday parties, family gatherings or wherever and whenever. At the end of the day, you may feel overwhelmed and exhausted, and yet, you still haven’t handled all of the items for the rest of the family, your house, or your job. Instead of focusing on your child with ADHD, I would like to take a moment to focus on you, the parent.
Perhaps you are an adult with ADHD, and perhaps you are not. If you are, you are trying to get through your day while being distracted by children, co-workers, your spouse, and your own thoughts. On top of trying to manage yourself, you are also trying to create a structured home environment to help your child with ADHD function day to day. You most likely understand what a day in your child’s world feels like, but you may be having a hard time getting through the same kinds of tasks and responsibilities yourself.
If you are not a parent with ADHD, your child’s world feels foreign, frustrating, and constantly moving. You may be having a hard time understanding why your child cannot walk in a straight line, pick up his shoes and put them on without picking up a random toy on the way, or going back upstairs to get his favorite socks. His actions feel random, and draining on your time and energy.
Here are a few strategies to help you, as a parent of a child with ADHD, to prevent burn out from caring for, coaching, and managing your child: