No matter what our passions are, no matter what our talents are, no matter what we feel our purpose is in life, we have to do the chores. We have to pay the bills. We’ve got to get the laundry done. If we love to cook, we still have to do the dishes. We still have to make our beds (don’t argue, yes we do). As much as we adore our babies, we still have to change their diapers. We will always have projects or tasks that we hate to do, so we will always use the back burners whenever possible. We procrastinate. It’s what we do.
Many children with ADHD have greater difficulty beginning tasks they don’t want to do. They truly believe and intend they will get to it later; they don’t mean to get distracted with the fun stuff first. They are not deliberately disobedient, nor are they are lying just because they promised they would get a particular task done but ended up spending the time with something “more important.” They do not want to disappoint their parents. But they do struggle, and it hurts. It hurts because they feel they constantly make their parents or teachers angry, and they are aware they are not living up to expectations. Worst of all, they are disappointed in themselves, and they label themselves as “incapable.” Ouch.
As a team, it is important and more successful when the child, the parents, and a kids life coach work together to come up with strategies to get the disagreeable stuff done with fewer tears and more time for the family to enjoy each other. The task gets completed, the child is happy with a sense of accomplishment, and the parents are relieved. There are always hiccups along the way. But these are easier to manage when the child has a strategy that helps to put him or her in control and give a sense of success. Every child longs to achieve a goal and hear a hearty “well done!” If extra strategies and tips are needed to help the child get tasks done, then that’s worth a slight adjustment in daily routines to see a beautiful smile on a child’s face who can say “I did it!” When children are near-sighted, they get glasses. When they go out to play in the sun, they need to wear sunblock. When they have trouble learning to read, parents get a tutor. Crooked teeth? They get braces. Difficulty with Executive Functioning skills? Get a Kids Life Coach!
Learn from the Kids
Grace Notes 