People familiar with the disorder have probably heard the saying that for young people with ADHD, there are two times—now and not now. People unfamiliar with ADHD may think those children or teens are just lazy or unmotivated. This assumption could not be more wrong.
Procrastination does seem to go hand-in-hand with ADHD. While most young people, at some time, will focus more on activities they find interesting and put off those they wish to avoid, young people with ADHD may seem to do so more often. This is true to a point, but it is only part of the problem. Children and teens with ADHD often simply lose track of time and may be quite surprised when they run out of time to do their homework. These young people typically want to stay on track and become frustrated when they cannot do so.
Instead of losing patience with them, parents and teachers can teach children and teens with ADHD simple strategies to help them conquer time. In “Managing ADHD Symptoms – Five Tips for Time Management for Children and Teens,” Eileen Bailey shares five tips to help children and teens stay on track.
- First, Bailey suggests that young people with ADHD “make a list of everything you do during the week.” Then, every activity on the list goes into two groups: what “you have to do” and what “you want to do.”
- Second, parents can help their children create a schedule for the week.
- Third, since people with ADHD are prone to procrastination, children and teens need to be aware of when they put off those unpleasant tasks.
- Fourth, a daily to-do list is important to help young people remember what they need to accomplish, those “have to do” tasks.
- Finally, Bailey suggests that young people find ways to make boring tasks more fun. See more at HealthCentral.
Parents and children can work together to implement these five simple strategies—NOW!