When Mom Has ADHD: Tips for Parenting and Homeschooling

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Parenting a child with ADHD is difficult. For a mom with ADHD, though, it can feel nearly overwhelming.

There are the typical symptoms of ADHD, which often pose a challenge to a person’s ability to think clearly on demand. But, since parents with ADHD are more likely to have children who also have the disorder, these moms may struggle to manage both their own symptoms and those of their child.

How can moms with ADHD cope with the stresses of their own lives while parenting and homeschooling successfully? These tips for the ADHD mom can help. (Really! I use them!)

Tips for Living as a Mom with ADHD

  • Do one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is almost impossible for moms with ADHD. Giving each task full attention reduces the likelihood of mistakes and becoming overwhelmed.

  • Delegate. Moms already have a lot of responsibilities, so it’s easy to become burdened with things to do. Teaching kids to help out around the house can make this load easier to bear.

  • Be realistic. No mother should have to be a superhero. Being reasonable about the amount of things that can be done each day will help to avoid frustration.

When Mom Has ADHD: Tips for Parenting and HomeschoolingParenting as a Mom with ADHD

  • Slow down. Moms with ADHD may experience racing thoughts that can make it difficult to parent with patience. To avoid a meltdown, try to slow down and approach each situation calmly.

  • Develop a routine. A predictable routine can make it easier to structure the day ahead. Keep things simple by developing a natural rhythm that can be followed by everyone in the family.

  • Expect the unexpected. Parenting is full of unexpected moments. While a routine is helpful, it cannot predict the events that will arise each day. Ease stress by giving yourself time to manage last-minute needs that kids may have.

Homeschooling as a Mom with ADHD

  • Focus on the essentials. Some mothers who have ADHD may tend toward hyper-intensive planning. Since homeschooling already requires a fair amount of planning, these mothers may overwhelm themselves with lesson plans, activities, and state objectives. Instead, concentrate on the most important subjects and approach the others with a more relaxed method.

  • Use a block schedule. Unlike timed schedules, which require that each lesson be completed by a certain time, block schedules consist of time slots for each subject. This routine can be easier for moms with ADHD to follow because it allows for structure without adding the stress of a timed deadline.

  • Be flexible. No matter how well in advance a lesson is planned, homeschooling parents will always need to make adjustments. If a child dislikes a curriculum or if the lesson doesn’t get completed, learn to be flexible enough to move a lesson to another date or remove it from the plan completely. As long as the objectives are covered each year, the actual method doesn’t really matter.

  • Get help. Some homeschooling moms put pressure on themselves to teach every subject. Instead, enlist the help of family members or friends to help kids with some subjects. This frees up the parent to focus on the material that she can enjoy learning with the kids.

Living with ADHD will never be easy. Using these tips, though, can make some of the most difficult aspects of life with this disorder manageable for moms. In fact, even moms without ADHD will probably benefit from applying these same survival skills.

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SelenaAbout the Author

Selena is a homeschooling graduate and a veteran homeschooling mother of four, including three with ADHD. She and her husband, Jay, use an eclectic homeschooling approach to encourage their children to learn throughout their lives. Selena blogs about her family's homeschooling adventures every week at Look! We're Learning! 

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