How to Stay Sane This Holiday Season With Your ADHD Kids
The holiday season can be particularly hard on neurodiverse families, and ADHD kids in particular can struggle with the lack of structure and changes in routine. So what can you do to not only stay sane but experience more peace & joy through the season? Here are a few tips:
#1: Provide Structure for ADHD Kids
The ADHD brain thrives with external structure to provide order to the chaos they’re dealing with. While school breaks are wonderful times to have fun and connect, many ADHD kids can spiral during the break, experiencing more meltdowns, tantrums, low motivation, and other concerns.
Do what you can to provide a sense of structure through the holidays so that they have anchor points throughout the day. This could look like:
- Waking up and going to bed an regular times
- Establishing a routine for reading, quiet play, rest, or other mindful activities throughout the day
- Building in planned physical activity to get them moving and enhance brain function
As much as possible, it’s helpful to ADHD kids to know what’s coming next to limit transition stress and keep them motivated and engaged.
#2: Build in Predictability
Along with having structure, ADHD kids need to know what’s coming. Because of the way ADHD brains work, knowing the plan, being able to visualize what’s going to happen when, and having the opportunity to prepare are critical. You can help your kids in this area by:
- Posting a visual schedule or calendar so they know what’s happening when
- Breaking down larger tasks or events into smaller chunks (i.e., instead of “dinner at grandma’s house,” get specific: outside play, family photos, sitting down at the table, and a movie afterwards)
- Be specific in your expectations about how transitions will go. Because the ADHD brain often struggles to pivot when it needs to, give plenty of warning and help your child have tools to transition more effectively
Read More: Why Positive Reinforcement is so Important for the ADHD Brain >>
#3: Prepare ADHD Kids for Success
Just like you set them up for success for a school day, put that same consideration into what they need in order to be successful at each holiday outing or event your family is going to participate in. You send them to school with snacks, lunch, school supplies, etc. So consider: what does he or she need in order to be successful at the Christmas tree farm, or at grandpa’s house, etc.?
This can look like:
- Building in time for them to rest and retreat so they don’t get overstimulated
- Making sure there’s plenty of time for movement and physical activity
- Packing healthy snacks to balance out the sugar and other inflammatory foods they’re sure to eat
- Prioritizing sleep so they can fully reset before the next adventure.
The holidays are a fantastic time to connect as a family and live life at a different pace. With the right preparation and awareness, you can help your family not just survive the holiday season with ADHD kids but thrive!
