ADD Parent: What Will Make Your Eleven-Year-Old Do Their Math?

By Tellman Knudson

If you're the parent of an ADD child, you probably have issues with getting your son or daughter to do their homework, and often the biggest issue is getting them to do math.

If you don't have ADD, you need to realize that when someone with ADD needs to focus on something that's interesting to them, it's not usually a problem. But focusing on something that's not interesting to ADD kids if very difficult. You need to find things that will keep your child interested and will immediately help them to focus. These things will get them very excited and make them ready to do math or whatever else it is that just doesn't intrigue them.

Parents of ADD kids often think, my child is very smart, but I can't understand why they can't study like they should. It may evolve into issues with temper and anger. Other times, there's no animosity, only the wretched inability to stay focused. But it comes down just a few simple things. First, understand that if you try to get an ADD child, or adult for that matter, to do just one thing, their brain just shuts down, literally just shuts down. It's not your fault, and it's not their fault, either. You need to realize that. But if you try to get your ADD child to focus on only one thing, you're just wasting your time and causing lots of frustration for you and your child, too.

First, realize it's not your fault. Second, there are some techniques you can use to solve the problem. Don't try to do it when you're trying to get your son or daughter to do their homework. You really have to do this at a different time. Maybe you're reading this just after a "freak out" with your son or daughter, or they acted like they didn't hear you, or they just sat down and spaced out. Whatever. The reason it happened is because they don't like the experience of having their brain shut off and of not being about think. So, we'd like to teach you one quick trick to make homework a past concern.

So, tomorrow, or in a day or two, go to your child and say, "Homework is the pits. I know that, and I know that you know that. But the thing is that no matter how much it sucks, you still have to do it. I really don't like it when we fight about it. Let's try to figure out how we can make this easier for you because you have a long way to go before you never have to do homework again. Right?"

Here's what you do: You make it more fun. Your child needs more than one thing to do, so pull in their other senses. Let them listen to their favorite music while they're doing homework, or let them stand up and do it at the breakfast bar. But just ask them, "What will make doing homework easier for you. If you can take a break and go out and run around the block really fast and then, come back in and do some more, would that work? Or, maybe you should just stay inside and do some jumping jacks so that you aren't distracted outside and forget to come back in. What will work for you? Let's try it!" Your kid will probably think that your ideas are pretty smart. I mean anything is better than being chained to a desk for an hour, when nothing is working in the brain. It's just boring! So, make it unboring. Kids with ADD really can do more than one thing at a time.

You have to help your child. They won't come up with these ideas on their own, no doubt. They have school all day, which is very structured and very linear. They don't want to have structure and be linear all evening, too. They need more stimulation than that. Let them run around to expect some of their energy, give them something to listen to, something to smell, something healthy they can snack on while doing their math. Bringing in the other senses and engagin them will be much more entertaining for them and actually engage their brains the way they should.

In fact, they make standup desks, which might make the whole standing up and doing homework idea easier.

So, there you go. We've just giving you the easiest ways to get a child interested in their homework again. Try these ideas and see if they don't work for you.

Tellman Knudson is CEO of OvercomeEverything, Inc. and a certified hypnotherapist. Stephanie Frank is the author of The Accidental Millionaire and an internationally know coach and speaker. Visit their popular website with great ADD - ADHD support at Instant ADD Success.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tellman_Knudson
http://EzineArticles.com/?ADD-Parent:-What-Will-Make-Your-Eleven-Year-Old-Do-Their-Math?&id=474519