Parenting the 11-12 Year Old Child With ADHD

Eleven and twelve year-old children are on thea little more trial and error before they connect
brink of becoming teenagers and parents oftentheir actions to consequences. This can be aided
wonder how they should handle their growing child.by a parent giving consistent feedback on what
This stage of parenting requires some finesse asthe child should have done in any given situation.
the child is not quite old enough to have a greatThis includes praising good behaviors.
deal of responsibility but old enough to take onTheir desire for more social freedom will become
more than they did a couple of years ago. Somemore apparent. It is important a parent sets
children in this age group may also be on theboundaries on what freedoms they are being
verge of puberty, which means hormonegiven. Consequences to violating those boundaries
fluctuations are likely. This fluctuation can lead toneed to be enforced. Parents of children with
moodiness.ADHD will need to be diligent in their efforts to
At this stage, the typical eleven year-old will beeducate their child about behaviors that are
able to predict consequences to their actions.socially acceptable. Children with ADHD tend to
However, they will still be somewhat impulsive.have a difficult time remembering to take turns,
Children with ADHD are even more likely to beinterrupting others and saying or doing
impulsive. They are still learning to think beforeinappropriate things.
acting, but it will still take some time and guidanceDo you want to learn exactly how to eliminate
before it is consistently used.your child's out-of-control and defiant behavior
Fortunately, the child begins to learn from theirwithout using Punishments, Time-Outs, Behavioral
mistakes quicker than when they were youngPlans, or Rewards?
toddlers. Those with behavioral disorders will need