Parenting Tips for Managing ADHD in the Summer

The challenges and trials of raising a child with severe behavioural disorders are themes I often explore in my writing. The idea of spending two sweltering summer months at home with our children, dealing with their unique behavioural issues, can create a wave of anxiety for parents in similar situations.

The intensified heat, disrupted schedules, non-routine food consumption, and the summer break from school are often a source of great worry. Our exceptional children with attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), sensory processing disorder (SPD), amongst others, need structure, predictability and strict monitorization of their diet and screen time.

By day three, many of us cave in and settle for a few moments of peace and quiet, courtesy of kid-friendly YouTube videos and the iPad. Indeed, there seems to be no amount of coffee or wine that can stave off the inevitable meltdowns during this time, both from my ADHD child and from me.

Despite there being no foolproof solutions, here are five methods that have been tested and successful in keeping the peace in our home, within the hectic buzz of the summer season.

A structured schedule is essential for our kids, even if it involves informing them of three tasks lined up for the day. This could be in the form of specific timings or references to meals. This system of preparation helps ease them back into the rigid schedule once school reopens in August, possibly reducing anxiety. In our home, schedules are indispensable. Previously, we used a Melissa and Doug Calendar with pockets for our planned activities and time displays on a clock. Having another kid meant simplification of this process using a Dollar Store dry-erase board listing the day's activities.

Many parents with kids benefitting from screen time have often maintained this privilege more than our household. For our son, screen time equates to potential tantrums such as iPad throwing during losses or protest when time is up. If screen time is essential, I would recommend reducing the duration gradually a week prior to resuming school, easing the back-to-reality transition on the first day of school.

Regular meal times with balanced meals, rather than meals inspired by Elf, are crucial. It is tempting to count poolside popsicles as breakfast or some M&Ms as lunch during summer vacation. However, scientific research has shown many ingredients in such foods trigger or aggravate destructive behaviours like aggression, tantrums, hyperactivity and inattention in our kids. Transitioning from summer treats to more wholesome options will be beneficial.

Take advantage of whatever works for your child – be it specific clothing, a gravity blanket, or a sensory body sock for calming. Dealing with sensory processing disorder has led us to such solutions through constant research and learning.

Vacations can often become sensory nightmares. A typical day may involve sugar-loaded cookies, singing, flashings lights, tactile experiences, forced interactions with distant visiting relatives, and encounters with strangers in costume. These activities can be overwhelming for our kids.

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how many things we try, how many strategies we put into place, or how much we pray or cry, it is just a bad day. So, at our house, we rely on pacing and breathing to calm ourselves (that includes this mama, too). If that doesn’t work, we go somewhere alone. This may just be to another room in the house, outside, on a walk, or (in the case of myself or my husband) a drive. Sometimes we just need some distance to have our emotions and move forward. The last thing we need to do is intentionally choose peace.

On more days than not, our house is a war zone. Vacations and summer break are no exceptions; in fact, they are usually worse. So, sometimes we deal with whatever it is and choose to move forward as a family, regardless of the name calling, the things that were thrown, or the public meltdown that made my stomach hurt. At the end of the day, we will still be a family. No one at Target comes home with me after shopping (even though I am pretty sure, Karen, at the customer service desk, is my secret BFF). So let’s just take a tip from that snow witch, Elsa, and let it go.

Parenting is a messy gig. Parenting our kiddos is next-level CIA-operative-style adulting. Know that your brand of crazy might look different from ours, but we are in this together!

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