Parenting an ADHD Teenager - Overcoming the Hurdles

Parenting an ADHD teenager can be challenging time. All teenagers can suffer from mood swings and defiant outbursts, but with ADHD teenagers these can be more frequent and leave parents wondering how to cope. So, if you are a parent with an ADHD teen, how can you manage when difficult situations arise?

Before we shed some light on how to answer this question, what are the common difficulties facing ADHD teens and their parents?

The difficulties involve the usual mental, emotional, and physical changes of adolescence. These years are a time of fluctuating emotion and the quest for more independence.

Establishing ground rules is really important. These will no doubt be similar to the ones you established around behavior when your child was younger. However, you need to bear in mind that as teenager your child is growing up and so the rules should take this into account.

The ground rules should be established with input from your teen and also be clear on what the punishment and rewards are for breaking or meeting the rules. One very important note – these rules must be strictly adhered to. Consistency is key to ensure that your child respects these rules and stays within them. Everything else can be negotiated.

It can be hard to know when to ‘let go’ as a parent, especially if you have concerns over whether your child is capable of coping with any newfound independence.

To get over this hurdle rather than putting your foot down and stopping them from doing things with their friends or trying a new activity, whatever it may be, it pays to allow more freedom in return for a demonstration of responsibility that shows they can cope.

Talk this through with your teen and establish what your expectations are for whatever it is they want to do. Work out a schedule and if they meet your expectations you will allow them more independence. If they slip up and forget to come home at an allotted time for example, you just need to go back to the previous agreed step.

One important point to note though, and this goes for any parent, it is important to understand who your teen is with, where they are, what they are doing and when they are expected to be home.

It has been shown that ADHD teenagers are more likely to be influenced by their peers, drift into drinking, drug taking, and anti-social behavior and are also more likely to be in accidents like car crashes.

By knowing the answers to the questions above you will be removing some of the risks involved for your child. Also by knowing the answers you’ll be more likely to be communicating with your teen. This is really important as it establishes lines of communication between you. It’s important for your teen to be able to talk to you about any issues they may have. Anxiety and depression are not uncommon for ADHD teens as they struggle to fit in with their peers at school.

Staying positive is vital for parents. They need to believe in their child and find ways to support and reward their child. Individuals with ADHD can struggle with self-esteem and often need the unconditional support of family and friends to motivate them on.

Parenting an ADHD teenager is not an easy task. The above tips have given an overview of the steps parents can take to make the role a smoother one. For more information about ADHD sign up for the newsletter below.