What's helped at home and at school. The tips-based companion to my more personal
ADHD Parenting Files.
Visual routines are transformative. A laminated visual schedule of the morning or evening routine — with pictures for younger kids — removes so much friction. The child can check the schedule instead of asking you, and you stop being the nagging voice.
Transition warnings, every time. "Five more minutes" isn't a punishment — it's essential preparation. ADHD brains struggle with abrupt transitions. Give them time to begin wrapping up their current thing.
Physical activity before focused tasks. Exercise genuinely helps with focus and emotional regulation. Even ten minutes of running around outside before homework can make a real difference.
One instruction at a time. Multi-step instructions are hard to hold in working memory. Break them into one step at a time, and check in before giving the next.
Recognise the early signs of dysregulation. Every child has tells — the small signs that they're approaching their limit. Learn yours. Intervention at level 2 is infinitely easier than at level 8.
Repair is more important than perfection. You will get it wrong sometimes. We all do. Coming back, naming it, and repairing the relationship teaches your child something genuinely valuable about emotional intelligence.
Be your child's advocate at school. Request a meeting, ask specifically what support is in place, and follow up in writing. Schools are stretched and children fall through the gaps. You being involved matters.
Look after yourself too. You cannot pour from an empty cup. An exhausted, overwhelmed parent has much less capacity for the calm, regulated parenting that ADHD kids respond best to. Your wellbeing matters.
