Life can be a balancing act for any adult, but if you find yourself constantly late, disorganized, forgetful, and overwhelmed by your responsibilities, you may have Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Attention deficit disorder affects many adults, and its wide variety of frustrating symptoms can hinder everything from your relationships to your career. But help is available—and learning about ADHD is the first step. Once you understand the challenges, you can learn to compensate for areas of weakness and start taking advantage of your strengths.

Alternately, you may have been able to compensate for the symptoms of ADHD when you were young, only to run into problems as your responsibilities increase. The more balls you’re trying to keep in the air—pursuing a career, raising a family, running a household—the greater the demand on your abilities to organize, focus, and remain calm. This can be challenging for anyone, but if you have ADHD, it can feel downright impossible.

The good news is that, no matter how it feels, the challenges of attention deficit disorder are beatable. With education, support, and a little creativity, you can learn to manage the symptoms of adult ADHD—even turning some of your weaknesses into strengths.

It’s never too late to turn the difficulties of adult ADHD around and start succeeding on your own terms.

In adults, the rate is much lower (about 4 percent), but experts caution that since adults who were not diagnosed in childhood are more likely to remain undiagnosed, the true prevalence of adult ADHD may be significantly higher than reported.

What can be done to Manage ADHD:

• Exercise vigorously and, if seated, get up regularly
• Get enough restful sleep of 7 to 9 hours every night
• Reach out and connect face-to-face with supportive family and friends
• Set deadlines and reminders for tasks, chores, and work assignments
• Create a supportive, organized work environment

Motivation is something that makes us to do an effort, to take steps to reach our goal. Without motivation we are unable to do any task or achieve our goals. Motivated people have a positive outlook, they’re excited about what they’re doing, and they know that they’re investing their time in something that’s truly worthwhile.

There are some people who are capable of motivating themselves – they have inner motivation towards their work while some others need it from others. There are few people who get motivated from external factors like a word of appreciation, good environment, support from a closed one etc.

Motivation is about moving people to act in a way that achieves a specific and immediate goal. When you’re motivating people to do something they may not necessarily want to do, you have to offer them something they want in return.

You can always keep motivating people around you be it your friends, colleague, employees, or family members. Here are few ways to motivate others…

Trust people. When you’re motivating people, you’re not telling them exactly what to do or giving them precise directions. You’re empowering them to be their best, trusting that they will then do the right thing. Only with a firm trust in others you will able to motivate them.

Treat People Kindly: You might not know it, but it’s a big motivation booster when people are treated right. People enjoy knowing when they’re doing a good job and enjoy working with people that treat others with kindness.

Be a Good Listener. No one likes to feel like they don’t matter. People enjoy feeling like they’re making a difference. Always listen to what others have to say or share about their goals. This will make them think more about their goals and try finding ways to achieve it.

Give rewards: Rewards are always motivating. You can give rewards in form of a gift, money or few words of praise. Sometimes people feel like completing tasks so that they can have reward at the end hence, reward is one of the strong motivating forces.

Tell them what they are up to: Letting people know how much they have done and how they have done would motivate them to do further. From time to time give feedback about their work.

Challenge them. People aren’t inspired by doing the ordinary or by meeting expectations. They’re inspired by the exertion, creativity, and sacrifice needed to exceed what they themselves thought possible. So ask them to do which they have never done or they find it difficult to do.

Tell about strengths: Let them know what their strengths are. Sometimes we ourselves fail to notice our strengths but when others tell it to us we realise and start making use of them. Knowing their strengths will inspire them from within when they are stuck at something and unable to take steps ahead.

Motivating others isn’t an easy task but you can surely do it if you follow certain things. Also until and unless you yourself are motivated you cannot motivate others. First motivate yourself in order to motivate others.

M

Meltdown in children

A meltdown is a reaction to feeling overwhelmed.

For some kids, it happens when there’s too much sensory information to process. The commotion of an amusement park might set them off, for instance. For other kids, it can be a reaction to having too many things to think about.

An example of too much sensory input could be filling a small water pitcher. Most of the time, you can control the flow of water and fill the pitcher a little at a time. But sometimes the water flow is too strong and the pitcher overflows before you can turn the water off.

That’s how a sensory meltdown works. The noise at the amusement park is sensory input that floods your child’s brain.

When your child is experiencing an emotional meltdown, try one of these responses:

Be Present – remain in the room. Gently place your arm on their shoulder or hug them. Whatever they need. But be there. Don’t leave. You are their safety net.

Be Stretchy – your child may resist your help, physically or verbally. That’s okay. When your child tells you to go away he/she doesn’t really mean it. He/she means ‘I need to see if you love me enough to stay.’

Be Verbal – give your child the words to name their feelings, while simultaneously acknowledging them: “I can see you are UPSET right now. “You are SAD because our doggy has died. It HURTS inside and makes you want to cry”; “It’s FRUSTRATING when you can’t have the pen to draw on the wall, I can see that makes you MAD”.

Be Physical: Meltdown moments are your opportunity to establish physical boundaries for your child. This can be done in following way;

– Hold firmly.

– “Stop”.


– “This is not okay”.

– Repeat as necessary – this may take some time. Persevere. It works.

Be Alternative – telling your child to stop physically is one thing. But they need to do something with that emotion. So provide alternatives for them like asking them to draw what they feel like, play with clay.

In the life of every child can be a time when you start using profanity. As parents often do not, many of them are shocked and react desperate, not knowing how to handle the situation. Here are some tips for prevent children say bad words.

VOCABULARY IN CHILDREN:

One very important thing that parents obviated when their children start insult and say profanity is that children are not born with that vocabulary, or with none.

This means:

• first, that they must have heard those words in any context, but not exactly the home or direct talks with them. Needless to diagnose that frequents places, so that we know what the origin of repetition.
• Second, observe when and why he uses little. Children often use bad words as a reason of grace, knowing that it is forbidden provokes a hilarious and repeated pleasure to see the faces of their parents’ astonishment. They are acts of mischief, basically not unhealthy. In these cases, it is best to explain what the meaning and connotation of these words. Generally, losing that sense of mystery, children stop using them.
• Sometimes the children are using that vocabulary rude because they need to express anxieties, frustrations, fears, anger who have been trapped in them and do not know how to communicate.
• Here is worth the same, a good conversation with the child, offering the possibility of using other alternatives. There are words or phrases in our language that have the same expressive load and are not rude (gee, gosh, wow, etc.). Eye: the most important thing here is to know what is happening to the child. It is not enough to express better if left behind discontent and aggression, which is then expressed otherwise.

How to handle the Abusive language:

TODDLERS

• Young children the best solution is to ignore them. If you do not react, probably will not use the bad word again.
• Another variation is to transform the word that told a similar normal usually emphasize this.

SCHOOL CHILDREN

• In this age school children already know what they mean and what bad words provoke reaction. Often try to test the limits.
• Very importantly, stay calm and serenity.
• What more awaits your child is that you skids and alarm reactions. Instead, explain why you can not use those words, that some people do but that children should not use them.
• Use the advice you have offered and, above all, stay calm and be consistent. If you handle the situation well the problem will disappear gradually.

How to prevent children insult

It’s a rather embarrassing situation when we are with our children and children insult someone, Either from another child or an adult. It is important not to let ignore this situation and we talk to our children about it, otherwise it could become a habit very difficult to change.

Let’s know more:

Educating by example is the most important advice we give.

What children learn at home then repeated everywhere, and it is crucial not to listen at home profanity or insult others, even jokingly.

CURIOUS KIDS

• Children often do not really know that they are somehow attacking someone, like when they say: “Look mom that gentleman nose! In these situations they are not intentionally insulting, but are expressing and sharing their curiosity.
• In these cases, if we find that the person has listened, we quickly offer an apology and tell our son who will talk about this later.
• When we get home we calmly explain that we all have different appearances and that while the look of someone can get our attention, we should not point this out because it can be offensive.

INSULTING MAY SEEM FUNNY

• Sometimes children have learned on TV or any other children and perhaps offensive insult seems he’s saying something funny. In these cases we must tell you that what you just said is an insult and should not to repeat these words in any field.
• The way to deal with the situation will be different depending on the age of your child. If your child is 4 or 5 years and is able to understand when you say that was rude, which has hurt the other person, and not to use such expressions.
• For older children, generally they already knew the words that could be offensive and therefore should not say them to anyone.
• If your child has insulted someone ask first why you have, then explain that his attitude was not appropriate and that made you angry, finally reversed the situation and ask how you would feel if someone insulted.

TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT

• No matter the age of the child, the dialogue is always the best way to address such problems, it is the only way you will understand why children should not have this kind of attitude.
• If you yell or punish them without giving any explanation, will not understand that their behavior was not appropriate.
• Punishing a good disciplinary action Should such occurrences, but remember always give an explanation, but the punishment will not be useless because they will not learn anything from it.

EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF WORDS

• In as few words as possible, explain the meaning of the words the child has used and let him face the meaning. It will make you uneasy, but the step is important.
• It is usually an eye-opener for the child. Innocent as they are, they usually have no clue as to what the words imply.
• It is certainly not their intention to say words to that effect. They may simply be using it as an unconscious exclamation, and without the precise comprehension.
• Sometimes, children use such language even to simply gain the attention of their parents.
• (Remember, you will need to adapt this step depending upon the maturity level of your child.)

Whatever you expect from your child, you must give it to him first. Use respectful language at home – be polite to the spouse, to the child and to everyone who enters your home. Build your child’s self-esteem. Also, take him to gatherings where he can see how refined people interact. It will surely bring about a great deal of positive change in your child.

Language is our way of communicating what we want and who we are. By using bad language, we diminish the divine spark within us that defines our humanity.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger

Children are supposed to break the rules and test the limits sometimes. That’s how they learn about which behaviors are acceptable and which behaviors are inappropriate. 

Preschoolers come in all shapes and sizes, but preschooler development at 4-5 years typically has a few things in common. Many times we fail to understand the behavior of our child, 

• “is my child is behaving normal/abnormal”,
• “he/she is not able to cope with the academics”, 
• “he/she asks many questions”,
• “Throwing temper tantrums”,
• “he/she is very aggressive, beats other at home and school”

However, if the child behaves more or less, any of the given above, it’s hard to know whether your child’ behaviour falls into real of “normal” or “abnormal” behaviour problem.

Here’s what your preschooler might be doing, how you can help and when to see a child health professional.

Preschoolers (4 to 5 Year Olds)

At this age, your child is exploring and learning to express his/her Emotions. 

• By talking
• Using gestures and noises
• Painting and making things
• Likes to be around people
• Want to please and be like her preschool-age friends.

Imaginary friends could be important to her too. As part of getting along with others, you might hear her saying sorry, agreeing to rules and being pleased when good things happen to other people.

When it comes to Cooperating, your child is likely to be more helpful but sometimes he might still be demanding, by that time, the child probably have more control over his behaviour and have fewer temper tantrums.

Initially child might feel anxious about starting school, talking to her about this and even visiting the school together can help her feel less worried.

Many parents have complaints that their child hide the truth about things sometimes, or even start telling lies. For example, ‘I didn’t do it’ even when he/she has done. This is a normal part of your preschooler’s development.

Playing and learning 

Play is important because it’s still how your child learns and explores feelings and it also helps to in their physical as well as mental growth.

When it comes to play, your child likes to:

• Sing
• Dance
• Act

A child also loves make-believe play and is learning the difference between fantasy and reality. They more aware of her gender and might want to play gender-based games– for examples, girls might want to play at being ‘Mum’. Your child might also try different roles and behaviour, like being a doctor or getting married.

Your preschooler might be very curious about bodies – his own and other people’s. For example, you might find your child looking at his own and other children’s genitals. A combination of natural curiosity and role-playing is usually a normal part of childhood sexual behaviour.

Motor Development

Preschooler loves moving and being active

• Walking down steps (maybe using the rail) with alternating feet,
• Throwing
• Catching and kicking a ball
• Running
• Climbing
• Jumping
• Hopping
• Balancing on one foot.

Child might also develop some new gross motor skills – for example, skipping, jumping backwards or jumping while running.

Fine motor skills are improving too. 

For instance: 

• Putting a paper clip on paper
• Cut with child-safe scissors
• Write his first name and some letters
• Draw a triangle or a person with 8-10 body parts.

Others:

• say her own name, address and telephone number
• know her left from her right
• explain how some objects work – for example, how to close the lid on a jar
• work out which object is heavier
• name four colours
• talk about events in the past, present and future – for example, know the difference between things she has done, is doing and will do.

Here are some simple things you can do to help your child’s development at this age:

• Give your child lots of Playtime: play helps preschoolers express feelings like joy, excitement, anger or fear. Your child might like messy play – in sand or mud or with paints – play with puppets or toys, or outdoor play with plenty of running, tumbling and rolling.
• Make time for creative and artistic play: painting, drawing or dress-up games. Musical play is another idea – your child might like to dance, jump around or make music with simple instruments.
• Read with your preschooler: reading together, telling stories, singing songs and reciting nursery rhymes all encourage your child’s talking, thinking and imagination.
• Do some cooking with your child: this helps your preschooler to get interested in healthy food, learn new words and understand maths concepts like ‘half’, ‘1 teaspoon’ or ‘30 minutes’. You can give him simple things to do, like tossing a salad or putting together sandwiches.
• Play games with your child that involve learning to share and taking turns. When you play, say things like, ‘Now it’s my turn to build the tower, then it’s your turn’, or ‘You share the red blocks with me, and I’ll share the green blocks with you’. Sharing is still hard for children at this age, so give your child lots of praise when she shares.

As a parent, you’re always learning. Every parent makes mistakes and learns through experience. It’s OK to feel confident about what you know. And it’s also OK to admit you don’t know and ask questions – often the ‘dumb’ questions are the best kind!

Your own physical and mental health is an important part of being a parent. But with all the focus on looking after a child, lots of parents forget or run out of time to look after themselves. Looking after yourself will help you with the understanding, patience, imagination and energy you need to be a parent.

Never shake a young child.

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of expression and communication. Within this context, art is not used as diagnostic tool but as a medium to address emotional issues which may be confusing and distressing.

Art therapists work with:

• Children
• Young people
• Adults 
• Elderly

Clients may have a wide range of Difficulties, Disabilities or Diagnoses. These include

• Emotional
• Behavioral or mental health problems
• Learning or physical disabilities
• Life-limiting conditions
• Neurological conditions 
• Physical illnesses.

Art therapy is provided in groups or individually, depending on clients’ needs. It is not a recreational activity or an art lesson, although the sessions can be enjoyable. Clients do not need to have any previous experience or expertise in art.

Although influenced by Psychoanalysis, Art therapists have been inspired by theories such as attachment-based psychotherapy and have developed a broad range of client-centred approaches such as psycho-educational, mindfulness and mentalization-based treatments, compassion-focussed and cognitive analytic therapies, and socially engaged practice. Importantly, art therapy practice has evolved to reflect the cultural and social diversity of the people who engage in it.

“Art as therapy” embodies the idea that art making is, in and of itself, therapeutic and that the creative process is a growth-producing experience. However, art as therapy is a pretty close match to many other non-therapy approaches, mainly in the realm of art teaching. 

For example:

• Art education with children with disabilities
• Community art programs for groups
• Shelters or neighborhoods with economic or social challenges
• Art studios for people with mental illness seem to have similar goals and objectives and are pretty difficult to differentiate from art as therapy in many cases. 

These programs and their practitioners are effective change-agents in their own right and often produce the same outcomes as those programs defined as art as therapy.

“Art psychotherapy” embraces the idea that art is a means of symbolic communication and expresses personality, emotions and other aspects of human experience. 

In essence, art expressions are used to enhance verbal exchanges between the therapist and the client in this approach. As it turns out, providing art psychotherapy also often involves an additional credential such as a mental health counselling, social work, psychologist or marriage and family therapy license; this is because most states regulate the use of the term “psychotherapy” via licensure.

Art therapy is the application of the visual arts and the creative process within a therapeutic relationship, to support, maintain, and improve the psychosocial, physical, cognitive and spiritual health of individuals of all ages.

 It is based on current and emerging research that art making is a health-enhancing practice that positively impacts the quality of life. 

Art therapists are credentialed professionals who purposively use specific art-based approaches with children, adults, groups and families to support, maintain, and improve overall health, physical, emotional and cognitive functioning, interpersonal skills, personal development, and quality of life.

Art therapy is clearly demonstrating that it successfully addresses many somatically-based conditions including trauma reactions, post-traumatic stress and depression as well as many neurological and cognitive disorders. More importantly, art therapy is proving itself to be an effective intervention in improving overall quality of life and perceptions of wellness. Perhaps these will be the defining factors that capture the imagination of new generations of art therapists and finally provide a unified vision and definition for the field that will validate its essential role in the health and well-being of all individuals.