Every parent hopes that their child’s transition into the new school year is seamless. This is especially true if your child has ADD (attention deficit disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit hypersensitive disorder). A proactive approach can be what helps make the difference in your child’s school year. From better grades to a higher self-esteem, you can help your child’s journey to success with the right tools at your disposition.
- Put a routine in place
For kids or adolescents with concentration disorders, it can be hard to get organized and structured in their daily tasks and schoolwork. Setting up a homework routine can help both you and your child and minimize any bumps in the road. Minimizing distractions and having a quiet place to do assignments is the first step. However, don’t be too stringent when homework time comes around. Allow for breaks and snacks to get the blood flowing and focus up again.
- Time is of the essence
Don’t you sometimes just wish there were more hours in a day? For all of us, time management has always been a struggle. For kids with ADD or ADHD, managing their time is key. A way to help them do that is by setting up timer so they can judge how much time is left for their task. It can also help them learn how to prioritize responsibilities. Kids and adolescents with ADD or ADHD sometimes have a hard time with this and something as easy as color-coding can be an aid. For example, by coding tasks that are a high priority in red vs. coding tasks that are less of a priority in blue. This can help them visualize their tasks and remember them more easily.
- Keep things moving
Exercise has been shown to help not only the body stay healthy but also the mind. When a child suffers from ADD or ADHD, it can be advantageous to include extra-curricular into their routine like soccer, dance, or basketball. Exercise not only has them learn social skills, but also gets them active, healthy, and helps them focus.
- Food for thought
Proper nutrition is key for the entire body, starting with the brain. It is important to incorporate foods that help support brain and cognitive health in your child’s lunchbox. It has been proven that foods rich in essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6 help in a child’s brain development. Foods such as fish and nuts are high in fatty acids. If your child or adolescents suffers from ADD or ADHD, it can help to incorporate those elements into their diet. Although this might be easier said than done! Kids with attention deficits can be fussy little eaters. An alternative is to supplement their diet with fish oils that have been proven to help their cognitive health and concentration levels. EQUAZEN has been clinically proven to improve concentration levels in children and adolescents with ADHD and support cognitive health. With a unique ratio of essential fatty acids derived from fish oil and primrose oil, it has been shown in reading and writing tasks that this natural health supplement is effective for improving concentration levels in school kids with ADHD.
These strategies and tools are aimed to help your child feel grounded and nourished. ADD and ADHD don’t have to consume every part of your life. Stay creative in the ways you help your child focus, stay positive, and ultimately be successful.
By Jennifer Soueida, B.Sc.
