Having your children perform their daily household tasks can be a challenge at the best of times, but when your son or daughter has ADHD, things can be a little rough. You might get your kids focusing on a task for a few minutes, only to have the one with ADHD lose attention and begin doing something else. His or her sibling might quickly follow, and in just a short amount of time, both children will be doing something other than the requested task at hand. Sessions with an ADHD therapist can help, but there are some specific ways that you can structure household task time to make it easier.

Plan Tasks Together

While some parents have success with making the rules and then asking their children to follow them, another approach may be better when you have a child with ADHD. It can be advantageous to get him or her excited about the task at hand, and one way to achieve this goal is to plan the tasks together. Get a calendar and decide what tasks need to be completed each day. When your child helps to plan these tasks, he or she may feel more invested in them — and thus show more focus.

Use A Timer

Assigning a time frame for each task can also be an effective way to oversee them when one of your children has ADHD. If the child knows that he or she only has a specific amount of time to perform a task, he or she may work extra hard to stay focused. It can be worthwhile to choose shorter time frames, rather than those that are longer. For example, in a 60-minute window of cleaning his or her room, there's a good chance that your child will get distracted. However, if you ask the child to spend just 10 minutes on this job, distractions are less likely.

Consider The Value Of Solo Tasks

It's often useful to have your children perform tasks together, but this can be a challenge when one of the kids has ADHD. If he or she gets distracted and starts doing something else, it can be tempting for your other child to do the same. To avoid such an issue, give your children solo tasks. This way, if the child with ADHD gets off task, at least his or her sibling should theoretically remain on task because he or she is doing something in a different room.

For more helpful tips, contact a therapist who offers ADHD help.