I can’t believe back to school is already here! It seems to get earlier every year. Summer has been a whirlwind of activity this year, and I don’t feel even a little bit prepared to start our homeschool year. I haven’t even purchased all of our curriculum. But wether you are preparing to go back to a school building, or homeschool, setting the stage for learning at home is important. Here are some ways I have learned how to have success with back to homeschool with ADHD.
Tools to calm the senses for back to homeschool with ADHD
As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to the reader.
Our entire family now sleeps with a weighted blanket most nights. Check out my post here on sleep with ADHD. But weighted blankets can be useful for more than sleep. They can be a great tool to help calm the mind to focus on things like school. Check out these new galaxy weighted blankets I got for the girls as they exceeded the weight recommendations for their old ones. Less ”little kid”, but comfy and cool. Read about how weighted blankets can be beneficial for ADHD here.
We still love using these exercise balls for school ”chairs”. The allowance for a little wiggle, and using the core seem to go a long way to encourage focus.
These fidget bracelets are a favorite in our house. It is quieter than some other fidget toys, but still keeps fingers busy. I love the progress that has been made in understanding that fidgeting actually can help some kids/adults pay better attention! Read about that here.
Physical activity to refocus
With or without ADHD, exercise is good for the body and mind. However, with ADHD, it is a highly effective strategy to manage symptoms. Read an article about it here. Sustained focus for homework or homeschooling can be almost impossible with ADHD if the subject isn’t of great interest. Having a plan for physical activity when a break is needed can reduce the frustration and increase success.
For our Little Bit, read about why gymnastics is so beneficial for her ADHD. We have gymnastics equipment at home, which makes for great active study breaks. However, even for non-gymnasts, something simple like this mini trampoline can be great to get the body moving and help refocus. What kid doesn’t like to bounce on a trampoline? And it offers simple joint friendly workouts for adults too.
Fuel the brain with good food
Check out the ADHD friendly diet goals here that we try to aim for in our family. As a busy, working, homeschooling mom, I cannot achieve the quality of diet I would like to. However, small choices add up, and make a difference in ADHD management, and overall health. Wether heading off to school, or getting ready for school at home, fueling the brain is important. If you have a little time in the morning, check out these fun breakfasts for home.
If you are setting up for homework after school, a snack may improve success. No one functions at their best when they reach the ”hangry” stage. With our busy on the go lifestyle, I like to have a lot of low prep snacks available to grab. Some of my favorites are these chia squeeze packets, or these chia bars. I look for snacks that are low sugar, with some protein and fiber.
Essential oils to match the moment
Essential oils are part of daily life in our household. We use them for lots of little natural remedies. Check out how we use essential oils for emotions here. When we are needing to focus on studies, I make sure this diffuser is running. Some of most common scents during study time are Adaptiv, Balance, or Wild Orange. Check out additional uses for essential oils with ADHD here.
Positive reinforcement for success with back to homeschool with ADHD
Check out this responsibility chart that finally worked for our family! Read about the importance of positive reinforcement with ADHD here. Setting your child up with positive reinforcements for small achievable goals is vital. Success is motivating for anyone. Especially with ADHD, feeling successful is vital. Poor emotional regulation, combined with likely frequent failures that come with impulsivity, poor working memory, etc. can leave kids feeling like they can’t do anything right. That is why positive reinforcement is critical. Find a system that works to regularly award progress.
Plan for successful sleep
Check out my post here for sleep success with ADHD. We all learn better with sufficient, quality sleep. Extra attention may need to be taken to achieve this with ADHD, especially if normal routines were lacking during summer days.
Follow me on Facebook or Pinterest, or subscribe below for more tips and tricks for thriving within an ADHD household, our gymnastics adventure, and my love of essential oils.
As an Amazon affiliate I make a small commission for purchases through my links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I use and love, and appreciate the support to search out additional resources for my readers.
The content in this post is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is merely opinion based on personal research and experience.