As soon as you began parenting an ADHD child, you always knew something was different in your family. From the time your child was an infant, he seemed a bit restless and impatient. When the terrible twos came, you thought things would calm down in a couple years, but they didn’t. Going to school only made things worse—now the outside world had to deal with your child’s behavior … and some people were not especially happy about it. Teachers called you with, “Guess what your son did today?” and the other parents were concerned. This is what led you to seek a diagnosis, and the doctor concluded that your child has attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

Well, now you know the cause of your child’s behavior, so it’s time to build a bright future for yourself, your child, and your family. Many parents of an ADHD child have found the following coping strategies to be helpful:

• Don’t be disappointed with the ADHD diagnosis of your child. Now you have a name for his or her condition, and this name gives you a way to solve problems and make things better in the future.
• Don’t blame yourself. ADHD is not caused by bad parenting. However, now that you know you have an ADHD child, you can try some new parenting strategies that might improve your child’s behavior.
• Focus on the future and what you and your child can do to make things better.
• Tell everyone about your child’s condition: teachers, babysitters, family members, coaches, etc. It will help them to understand your child more, especially while these adults help your child handle ADHD in school.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself or on your child. Change will take time, and you may have times when you think things will never get better, but your situation will get better if you keep trying.
• Get as much support as you can. Join support groups, visit ADHD parenting chat rooms, and speak to other parents with an ADHD child. Make at least one or two friends who are going through experiences similar to yours.
• Think about ways that your ADHD child is a positive experience in your life. Focus on your child’s gifts—his or her charisma, creativity, sense of humor, intelligence, enthusiasm, etc.
• Consider family behavior therapy for ADHD. Now that you are aware of your child’s diagnosis, there are ways the entire family can contribute to a better future.
• Read books and attend classes for parenting skills. There are many programs offering creative and effective discipline for challenging children.
• Make your family routine as predictable as possible. Do everything the same way, at the same time, every day.
• Learn to ignore inconsequential ADHD behaviors like fidgeting and interrupting. In other words, don’t sweat the small stuff.

Most importantly, remember your own needs and the needs of your loved ones, too. Being out of balance in your life won’t help you in the long run. Get enough rest, eat a healthy diet, and give yourself a break once in a while. Now that you have a way to make things better, they will get better, one day at a time.