Here’s advice on parenting a child with ADHD. We’re going to talk about how being a conscious parent can go a long way in helping you care for your child, and provide a nurturing environment that will allow him to grow up to his fullest potential.
When your child is hyperactive, has a short attention span, and doesn’t really think about the consequences of his actions, it is natural to be concerned.
As a parent, you may be worried about your child and his future. Perhaps you do not know how to get him to calm down and listen to you. That your instructions sometimes fall flat on the face, and he does what he does, can make you feel disempowered, and even make you feel like you are not being a good parent.
While your concerns are valid, we’re going to pivot from focusing on your child for now, and talk about you.
How about taking a deep breath and relaxing for a moment here? We’re going to have an insightful conversation that could change the trajectory of how you approach the idea of parenting a child with ADHD.
An Effective Way of Consciously Parenting a Child with ADHD
So, coming back to the point I mentioned earlier, the idea of being a conscious parent. What does it really mean, and why does it even matter?
Here’s the gist.
Being conscious means being aware. It is that simple. So when we talk about conscious parenting, we’re talking about almost every aspect of parenting, especially managing our expectations from the child, and how we communicate with them. Which brings us to the first point.
What will make you happy?
I know the question sounds strange about a topic on parenting, but I just want you to take a moment and think about it. What would make you happy? Now it is my guess that a majority of the parents reading this post would think that they would be happy if their child was free of ADHD.
Right? I know, it just makes sense. Because that is at the top of your mind right now, and is bothering you.
But I want you to know that you can be happy, in spite of the fact that your child is in a certain situation.
That’s exactly what I mean when I say that you can be a conscious parent. Being a conscious parent means you are taking responsibility for how you feel, and just because your child is behaving a certain way, you don’t allow that to make you feel stressed.
This is a shift in consciousness that we’re talking about. Because there is power in being conscious. A power so contagious that it will transfer to your child.
You see how amazing this is? I just revealed a secret to you, that if you keep yourself in a state of pleasantness, that state of consciousness will influence your child. It might not happen instantly, but as your energy changes, he will notice it, and he will shift his own consciousness into a more healthy and balanced state.
This is why the first change that I highly encourage you to make is to learn to be an architect of your inner life.
Being responsible for your inner state of being is certainly a good place to start on your conscious parenting journey.
Here are a few quick things to keep in mind, to get yourself to shift in the state of joyfulness.
- Aim to be conscious, not perfect: You don’t have to become a perfect mother, or a perfect parent, because there is no such thing. All you need to do each moment is conduct your life consciously.
- Your feelings and your thoughts are not who you are: Yes, no matter what type of thoughts occupy your mind, and what feelings they generate, you are not them. You are only a witness to them. So don’t judge yourself because of these thoughts and feelings.
- The best thing you can give your child is your state of joyfulness: As a parent, you are a provider; you provide nourishment, and see to your child’s well-being. But the greatest nourishment that you can give him is your state of joyfulness. It doesn’t mean you’re laughing or smiling all the time. But just being internally relaxed, and having no fear for your child, will help him sense that, and inspire him to shift and become more receptive to your nurturing words and instructions.
So there it is. Just three simple things to keep in mind, to help you maintain the right state of consciousness and enable you to be more effective as a parent.
Being conscious is going to require practice. It will not happen in a day, but what is necessary is that you remain persistent. You are doing it for your child. So that is a strong enough reason for you to make this change happen.
The next thing I’d encourage you to consider is the dropping of labels.
ADHD is just a label
This might come across as a hard one to digest. But ADHD is just a label. And it doesn’t serve your child to be stamped this way, perhaps for the rest of his life.
It is one thing to identify the problem that he may have, and totally another to make an identity out of it.
ADHD may be a behavioral situation, but it is not an identity. And it is important to be aware of the difference.
How to help a child with ADHD without medication
With the right mindfulness techniques and conscious parenting care, he can certainly shift into being at his best and live up to his fullest potential. He just needs the right care and nurturing.
Medication with its obvious side effects is best avoided, and a healthy diet and some breathing exercises can replace it.
By accepting your child as he is right now, without trying to change him, and giving him a loving environment, you can allow transformation to occur naturally.
To conclude, I hope you can see the value of being a conscious parent, and giving the gift of joyfulness to your child, attaching no labels to him. By just being present with him, moment to moment, you will witness the transformation take place. It is love that is the strongest medicine. It can heal everything.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you need more help in parenting a child with ADHD, feel free to reach out for a free consult.