Power Moms Unite

Summer with an ADHD child can be wrought with the symptoms of boredom: whining, teasing, and  irritability.  Turn your summer into a teaching opportunity.  Pre-script your summer with a list of boredom- breakers in the form of a summer contract between you and your child, and in so doing teach them how to make and attain goals for themselves, which will in turn build self-confidence, a positive self- image, improved self-esteem, and a greater sense of self.  To help your child develop a summer contract follow the steps below:

Conference with your child’s teacher to discuss skills your child will need to reinforce for the coming school year.  Before the end of the school year, compile a list of topics to be covered in the coming school year, as well as skills that need to be maintained over the summer, to prevent summer slide.

Collect reading list recommendations from teachers, the school district, and/or the local library.  Other great resources for summer reading include Jim Trelease’s Read Aloud Handbook, the American Library Association Booklist Awards, and the Newbery Award list.

With your child, make a list of activities that interest them.   Where would they like to visit locally.  Consider family field trips that could fuel their passions- like a trip to an aviation museum, a pretzel factory, a pottery studio, a local farm- the possibilities are endless.  Consider a trip to a local museum that relates to information coming in the next school year, collect souvenirs to help recall information later in the year.

Honestly assess what skills you see your child has and is lacking.   Use the 6-Sided Survey (286) to get you started at looking what you need to address with your child.  Compile a list of activities that can help your child build weaker skills.  Consider activities like volunteering at a soup kitchen to help build empathy or regularly presenting information to your family in an effort to build confidence and reduce anxiety when speaking publicly.  Make a goal for giving 2 daily compliments to a sibling for improved sibling relations.  Be sure to make goals for both academics and passions, but also for friendship building and spiritual development.  Use the Six-Sided Survey to consider your whole child.

After you have collected these lists of areas to develop, activities and interests to pursue, work with your child to set goals for their summer.  Remember that goals need to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.  Consider providing a sign-on bonus for agreeing to pursue the contract and providing an attainment bonus for kids who accomplish all of their goals or an agreed upon portion of their goals, by a prescribed due date.  Encourage your child to make a goal for building skills in a weak area.  Offer support and encouragement, as you help your child set specific but realistic goals for developing themselves.

Included is a Summer Contract Example (250).  This contract is based on a monetary reward system, for a 7 year old child who is responsible for buying his own play clothes.  Rewards for completing goals can be monetary or simply other activities you promise to do with your child if they complete their individual goals.  Up the reward for goals that may be particularly difficult to attain.  The idea behind making the summer contract is to help children build a positive self-image through identifying and developing their talents, and identifying and overcoming their weaknesses.  Be sure to celebrate success!