How a Child’s ADD Affects the Entire Family

ADD is an older term that means attention-deficit disorder. Now, this term is more formally known as ADHD, adding in “hyperactivity” to the description. The symptoms show up in three categories, including:

• Inattentive: struggle with focus
• Hyperactive-impulsive: can’t sit still or act quickly
• Combined: displays characteristics of both

If you have a child with ADHD, your concerns might go beyond worrying about the effects it has on your child. This disorder can actually affect your entire household.

Our team at Northeast Pediatric Associates PA understands the many challenges that come with ADHD. It can lead to increased conflict and relationship problems. Research even shows that it can lead to higher rates of divorce and depression when compared to families who don’t have a child with ADHD.

We’re here to help. Let’s first look at how a child with ADHD can cause issues for everyone in the family. 

The most common arguments

When you have a child with ADD, typical conflicts that can happen in your family involve:

Time management issues

A symptom of ADD includes poor time management. Your child most likely has their own continual struggle with time, which can cause frustration not only for themselves, but also for others that have expectations. 

The rest of the family might interpret the child as being rude or not caring about other people’s time, which can cause the child to feel hurt because of a lack of understanding. As this cycle continues, frustrations can get worse without any resolve.

Lack of follow-through on household chores

When an ADD child doesn’t help with the chores because of their inability to focus or follow through, a parent can be left with the additional task of cleaning up, which can cause them to have disgruntled feelings. 

One spouse might pick up the slack while feeling alone and over-burdened while the other feels bad about themselves for not doing enough. This contention can continue to escalate when not addressed.

Getting homework completed

Homework is one of those things that hangs over everyone after school. It leaves little time for play and spending time together as a family. As the parent tries to help their ADD child accomplish their homework, other siblings can feel left out and ignored. This can lead to a parent feeling overwhelmed and stressed.

Other mishaps that can affect the family involve miscommunication issues, in addition to normal financial pressures in life. Many times, it’s the combination of many small things that build into big problems that can cause families to split up. 

It’s important for families to seek out counsel on how to manage the household when you have an ADD child in the home. A family effort can pave a clear path for how to identify and address particular struggles and overcome them.

Suggestions for improving your situation

We have several ideas on how to manage your household effectively while thriving as a family.

Here are a few:

Have family meetings once a week

Coming together for an hour a week can help everyone reflect on your “wins” and talk about areas that might need improvement.

Carve out time for homework and chores

Setting windows of time for specific activities can bring structure to your child and the family unit.

Make family time essential

Make designated, planned fun time a priority for the whole family. This gives everyone something to look forward to and creates a sense of belonging with all family members.

Don’t let your child’s ADD pull you down or tear your family apart. With the right support, you can overcome your challenges and stay together while thriving as a cohesive unit. 

To learn more about how to manage your child with ADD and the surrounding circumstances involving your household, reach out to the office nearest you in San Antonio, Northcentral San Antonio, Schertz, or Castroville, Texas. Call or book a consultation online today.