Youth at Heart Development

Diet is not a direct cause of ADHD, but food can and does affect your child's mental state, which in turn seems to affect behavior. Monitoring and modifying what, when, and how much your child eats can help decrease the symptoms of ADD/ADHD.

All children benefit from fresh foods, regular meal times, and staying away from junk food. These tenets are especially true for children with ADD/ADHD, whose impulsiveness and distractedness can lead to missed meals, disordered eating, and overeating.

Eating small meals more often may help your child’s ADD/ADHD

Children with ADD/ADHD are notorious for not eating regularly. Without parental guidance, these children might not eat for hours and then binge on whatever is around. The result of this pattern can be devastating to the child’s physical and emotional health. Prevent this pattern by scheduling regular healthy meals or snacks for your child no more than three hours apart. Physically, the child with ADD/ADHD needs a regular intake of healthy food; mentally, meal times are a necessary break and a scheduled rhythm to the day.

• Get rid of the junk foods in your home.

• Put fatty and sugary foods off-limits when eating out. 

• Turn off television shows riddled with junk-food ads.

• Give your child a daily vitamin-and-mineral supplement.

Nutrition Basics for Kids

Whether or not your child has ADD/ADHD, he or she will benefit from eating a nutritious diet. Most children eat far too many unhealthy foods—from burgers and fries to ice cream and soft drinks. Few get the vitamins, minerals, and fiber, they need. It is important to your child’s current and future health to eat a healthful diet, and that may mean that you need to improve your own diet to set a good example.

Read: Nutrition for Children and Teens: Helping Your Kids Develop Healthy Eating Habits
 

{mospagebreak title=Teach your child how to make friends}

Children with attention deficit disorder often have difficulty with simple social interactions. They may struggle with reading social cues, talk too much, interrupt frequently, or come off as aggressive or “too intense.” Their relative emotional immaturity can make them stand out among children their own age, and make them targets for unfriendly teasing.

Keep in mind that many kids with ADHD are exceptionally intelligent and creative and will eventually figure out for themselves how to get along with others and spot people who aren’t appropriate as friends. Moreover, personality traits that might exasperate parents and teachers may come across to some people as quirky and charming.

Helping a child with attention deficit disorder improve social skills

It's hard for children with ADHD to learn social skills and social rules. You can help your child with ADD/ADHD become a better listener, learn to read people’s faces and body language, and interact more smoothly in groups.

• Speak gently but honestly with your child about his or her challenges and how to make changes.

• Role-play various social scenarios with your child. Trade roles often and try to make it fun. 

• Be careful to select playmates for your child with similar language and physical skills. 

• Invite only one or two friends at a time at first. Watch them closely while they play. 

• Have a zero tolerance policy for hitting, pushing and yelling in your house or yard. 

• Make time and space for your child to play, and reward good play behaviors often.