Cope with a Child Who Has ADHD

As a teenager who was diagnosed with ADHD and lives with three other ADHD family members, I can tell you that ADHD isn't as difficult as it seems if you follow these steps. As an initial warning: if you wait too long to do anything, you're life will be much, much more difficult, trust me. Even if you decide after step two that your child really does not have ADHD, these steps can be very helpful to parents.

Steps

 * 1) Be educated.  AD/HD stands for Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder.  The usual symptoms are difficulty concentrating and lots of energy, as well as other symptoms that vary from person to person.  In my own experience, people with AD/HD seem to have a very fiery temper.
 * 2) Determine if your child really has AD/HD.  Now that you should be educated, you need to determine if your child is really suffering from AD/HD.  Chances are, he or she is not.  The symptoms for AD/HD are nearly identical to that of normal children.  In fact, I was diagnosed in second grade because I had lots of energy and liked to play.  Now, nobody is saying I have it.  Again, chances are, your child is just being a child.  In any case, you should still follow these steps.
 * 3) Be calm.  No matter what kind of child you have, always be calm.  Children are very sensitive to shouting.  Being calm will increase their confidence and strengthen your bond, which will make your discipline much more effective.  Again, don't ever, under any circumstances, yell at your child.
 * 4) Spend time with them.  Spending time with your child will make them very happy, and will allow them to grow up less reserved and anti-social.  Play games with them, their favorite sports, take them out to eat, anything, just spend quality time with them.  Also, help them make friends with kids their own age.  This will help their social skills later on in life, such as when they enter high school.
 * 5) Do NOT, under any circumstances, medicate them.  In my opinion, medication is the easy way out and just lazy.  There are consequences to having a child, and that's being a real parent.  Do not allow medication to do the parenting for you.  It does nothing but turn them into quiet zombies.  Yes, it will make your life easier.  But do you want them to depend on medication their whole lives because you made them believe they can't be good people on their own?
 * 6) Listen to them.  No matter what they tell you, always listen to them.  This will build their confidence and trust.  This is especially important, because it can indicate other mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders or depression, especially when they're teens.  I am speaking from first-hand experience, this step is extremely important.
 * 7) Be a parent.  It may be tempting to give them whatever they want and to always listen to them.  DON'T.  It will make your life so, so much more difficult when you can't say "No" to them.  It will lead to fights, yelling, and in the end, your child will still win.  If you do not do this, if you let your child win every time, there will come a time when they will stop listening to you altogether.  Don't let this happen.

Warnings

 * I take all of this from my own personal experiences, and what I'm seeing in my own family. Believe me, the consequences are horrible, and there's a good chance your child isn't strong enough to handle it if you don't listen.

Sources and Citations

 * Personal experience