Ideas for how to help your ADHD child organized/follow the schedule

[bis123]

Any one has any ideas for how to help them organize and follow the schedule?

[Redpanda5]

How old is your child?

[bis123 in reply to Redpanda5]

12

[Redpanda5 in reply to bis123]

Thank you for sharing the age because knowing the age certainly helps! A reward chart with stickers isn’t going to be so motivational for a pre-teen who is learning the art of eye rolls. 😜

I have found the key to be “consistent routine” and “leading by example.”

Waking up:

What works for us (and everyone is different) is to keep my 15 yo daughter on basically the same schedule every day. She wakes up and I give her her ADHD meds in bed so that it’s easier for her to get up when she needs to. When it is time for her to get up I usually bring a cat in with me. She can’t resist a little cute fuzzy thing. I also will often engage her in conversation about a topic she loves to talk about.

Organizing Homework:

My daughter has an IEP and a modified assignment schedule that she follows. I sit down with her at the beginning of the week at a predetermined time and we come up with a plan of when she will work on things and preview what assignments look like without starting them. This takes away a lot of the dread when she has to start working on them.

Doing Homework:

I find that I need to sit next to her at the kitchen table because she is not a self-starter and gets off track very easily. We have designated “homework time” during distance learning and this has helped her get work turned in. Also, on days her first period homeroom class doesn’t meet I still get her up at that time and she and I sit together while she works. If work isn’t done by the weekend then I let her sleep in a little and we get up and do homework before anything else.

House chores:

Again, doing things at the same time and finding what the best rhythm is works best.

Going to bed at a decent hour:

I take all her electronics at the same time every night. There are no surprises. This usually prods her to get ready for bed.

See what rhythm of a routine would fall into place nicely and then execute it consistently. Also, I don’t hound her when it’s time to do something. I just start doing it and she joins in. I find that she is much more willing to start something if she isn’t hounded.

Anyway, this is what has worked for us!

[bis123 in reply to Redpanda5]

Thank you for the suggestions. I am planning to try it. My issue is I am not home with her in the mornings. But I can work with her after school hours to help with home work etc.

[Redpanda5 in reply to bis123]

Every family is different but there is a solution that you can find that works with your schedule. Be creative and think outside the box. 👍🏻

[MomOfSuperheroes]

My child is 7yo, and he loves a good checklist. I have a laminated chart for the am routine, and he can check each task he completes. If (when) he gets lost/distracted, all I have to do is ask him to look at his chart and wonder, "What do you have left?" He also seems to enjoy the independence he gets from following his routine on his own. If necessary you can incentivize completing the chart. It's not perfect, but it helps. Great for adults, too.

[bis123 in reply to MomOfSuperheroes]

Thanks. That sounds great.