As more and older children and teens feel compelled to follow in their parents footsteps in making New Year resolutions, it’s particularly important that parents realize there is a big difference in goal setting for kids and teens as compared to adults.
This is especially true when it comes to children with ADHD and other behavior disorders, as these kids often feel insecure as the New Year approaches because of uncertainties they overhear parents and other adults discuss. Sometimes, children and teens are pushed into making New Year commitments and promises that have potential for damage to their self-esteem and can create feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.
Why does this happen more in kids than in adults? It’s because kids usually lack the emotional-social skills-mindset maturity needed to effectively deal with outright failure and marginal success. They often deal more in things that are black and white and are less comfortable with those that fall in the gray zones. ADHDers are usually inflexible in their routines and develop skills that allow them to cope only in controlled situations. So, when faced with the sudden changes required for keeping resolutions, they will sometimes lose that control and show worsened behavior.
Today’s post is meant to help you avoid those meltdowns, yet at the same time allow your child the opportunity to participate in one of America’s favorite past-times-Making New Year Resolutions.
It’s a lengthy post, so instead of putting it on www.mistakenforADHD.com, the blog; Matt has archived it at www.ADHDbehavior.com to make it easier to access. Here’s the link http://adhdbehavior.com/index/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=91.
Hope this information is of great value to you and your family as the New Year approaches.
As always, please provide your comments, as they help other parents, teachers and healthcare professionals in our common quest to prevent ADHD misdiagnosis and properly diagnose and treat ADHD kids so they will grow to be happy, productive adults at their greatest potential in life.
Dr. Frank
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Helping ADHD Kids Make New Years Resolutions
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College Student Abuse of ADHD Drugs Causes ADHD
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Related posts:
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- Alcohol Use during Pregnancy may Cause ADHD Misdiagnosis in Young Kids
- College Student Abuse of ADHD Drugs Causes ADHD Misdiagnosis
- Do You Suspect Your Five Year Old Is ADHD?
- Behavioral Therapy and the Medications used to treat Teenage Depression
