547- A Parenting Toolkit for Moms and Dads with ADHD
Mar 25, 2025
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Christina Danko, a clinical psychologist and associate professor, enlightens listeners on the unique challenges parents with ADHD face. She shares neurodivergent-specific tools tailored for both moms and dads, highlighting personalized strategies that can ease parenting stress. Learn how to foster positive relationships with children, manage forgetfulness, and prioritize self-care. Christina also emphasizes the importance of emotional coaching and structured routines, ensuring that families thrive together in their ADHD journey.
Parents with ADHD face unique challenges in daily responsibilities, yet can utilize empathy as a strength in their parenting approach.
Implementing effective behavioral strategies like structured routines and special time can significantly enhance both parental effectiveness and child development for those with ADHD.
Deep dives
Challenges of Parenting with ADHD
Parenting with ADHD can intensify the struggles of managing daily responsibilities due to symptoms like forgetfulness and impulsivity. Parents may find it difficult to keep track of important tasks such as school appointments or medication schedules, which can lead to increased stress. The hyperactive nature of ADHD can also affect patience levels, making parenting more challenging as children often require consistent guidance and structure. Nevertheless, having ADHD may also foster empathy and understanding towards a child's experiences, providing strengths that can be harnessed in parenting.
Behavioral Parenting Strategies
Effective behavioral parenting strategies are essential for children with ADHD, including special time, structure, and routines. Special time involves dedicated one-on-one play with a child, allowing parents to provide undivided attention while ignoring minor misbehaviors, which strengthens their relationship. Additionally, employing structured routines can help children understand expectations and improve their organization skills, providing a sense of stability. It is crucial for parents with ADHD to consistently apply these strategies, as they also report facing challenges in maintaining organization and emotional regulation during difficult moments.
Self-Care for Parents with ADHD
Self-care is vital for parents with ADHD to remain effective caregivers, even as they often prioritize their children's needs. This can include monitoring their mood, engaging in enjoyable activities, and using organizational tools to reduce stress. Parents reported that participating in regular pleasant activities significantly boosted their mood and energy, positively impacting the family dynamic. Time management skills, such as prioritizing tasks and using a singular calendar system, also emerged as essential techniques that help parents juggle their responsibilities more effectively.
Recognizing Effective Commands and House Rules
Setting effective commands and house rules is essential for helping children with ADHD navigate their behaviors successfully. Effective commands should be clear, direct, and accompanied by specific praise when followed, and should be kept simple and age-appropriate to facilitate compliance. House rules provide clear expectations around behaviors that are unacceptable, making it easier for children to understand boundaries. By incorporating consistent consequences and incentives, parents can nurture better behavioral patterns while ensuring that children feel secure in their environment.
Christina Danko, Ph.D., discusses why parenting can be more challenging when parents have ADHD and shares neurodivergent-specific parenting skills — including the specific strategies that mothers vs. fathers with ADHD have reported as being the most helpful.
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