It’s been a while... | ADHD Information
I don't know if this helps or not. My adhd boy is always off medicine at homework time. He comes home and has 1 hour to unwind and relax, eat a snack and do whatever he wants.
By the time we start, the medicine has most definitely gone out of his system, but he has also had his own agenda. It's time to unpack the planner at the kitchen table and no t.v. and no distractions. I send the dogs outside if he's rebounding, which he does do sometimes, but not every day.
He pulls out all his papers and we have pencils and markers nearby. I help him read the directions and he completes his "seat work" at the kitchen table. Sometimes he bops up and down for a water bottle, etc. and I remind him the sooner he gets done, the sooner he gets to do other things he wants to do. This is a great time to give them a piece of their favorite bubble gum - it takes away the anxiety of homework.
Next, if we need to start a current event, I lead him to the computer and we log onto National Geographic for Kids and I let him select his current event and I print it out and we take a look at the picture and I read the story.
I'm not above giving a couple of m&ms in between if he has more than one homework page to do, especially on the night when he has to sum up and handwrite two sentences about his current event - handwriting is hard for him on or off medicine. And I praise him verbally after he completes each assignment.
After we do our work in the kitchen and - if applicable - on the computer, it's time for us to read for 15 minutes. His teacher sends home word lists, reading match games and simple books.
For reading time, we go into his room and we pile up the pillows, beanbags - lie down or sit up, depending, but basically, get comfortable. If he tells me okay, but he's a little tired, I say, "Then I'll read to you first and all you have to do is listen." I sometimes I pick a book out for him, but sometimes he may want to read first because he is becoming a more confident reader - in just the last month or so!
Before long, he has relaxed and is enjoying our reading time. Sometimes, we go over 20 minutes. When we're at a stopping point, I tell him he's done a great job and he can play Sega, watch t.v., sit with the dogs or whatever he wants.
It works out great and since it is an established routine that allows movement - from room to room - he has made the adjustment and it all goes smoothly the majority of the time. Total homework time is often done in under 20 minutes. He usually finishes his math page (the usual seatwork) in about 2 minutes.
We also have a Ball Chair which was suggested by our OT last year (he's no longer receiving OT) and he may sit on it while handwriting or while I'm reading or while we're on the computer.
Our Ball Chair works wonders for our older son (non-adhd) when he has to write a book report or something lengthy. The reason why this helps is that the simple bouncing on the chair is CALMING and VERY ORGANIZING. I and my hubby have been caught sitting on it ourselves and my one girlfriend just loves to take a bounce on it when she's over.
I'm also open to five-minute breaks in between homework assignments, where my boys can play with a small toy for a few minutes to break up the monotony of it. They've already had a long day at school and so I really try to give them special attention and make homework more enjoyable - for all of us.
But starting this whole routine wasn't easy and I had to work out the kinks as I went along. I'd say a successful homework routine for an adhd kid should take place AFTER they've had some time to unwind from the school day.
It should involve some freedom of movement and frequent short breaks if possible, because after all, they need to move and they do have attention issues, so why not go with the flow?
If Justin is rebounding during this time, he knows he can do 10 jumping jacks or push-ups, etc. A little exercise thrown in will help, because it gets the oxygen flowing to the brain. :)
Good Luck!
Val
It's been a while since I've written. We've been busy. But we're still struggling...I find 'comfort' when I come here to see that we are not alone. ADHD is so hard, people definitely underestimate it. Our son, 6, is so sweet and fun and CREATIVE beyond compare. But he is also so very testing! I feel like we yell so much and that our other two boys (12,2) really get overwhelmed by all of it together.
My question, to move along, is how do you cope after school with homework? His medicine tends to wear off about the time he gets off the bus, so to do homework has been a super challenge for him and us. He is so self-defeated, it breaks my heart. We moved him on to first grade because his principal felt it was the wisest choice. We had a meeting with her in early August to hold him back in Kindergarden. And now here we are, watching him struggle. He's back in his special reading placement-which we are thankful for. She is so wonderful and energetic! But how do you deal? How do you do daily chores and supper, etc...and still give them what they need? I'm not supermom and our schedule is as consistent as we can get it, but it's just not enough. I don't want to pop another pill in his mouth when he gets home from school, that's not happening. He is currently on Aderall 10 mg...But is there a longer lasting medication that can get us at least 'til 6:00 in the evening? Or do you have other methods that seem to work??? Please help us help our boy. I'm sorry this is so long, but thank you for understanding...I know you do.
ilovemyboys39353.5373842593We are on FocalinXR which gets us through homework(4:30-5:00pm) barely. He does it as soon as he gets home. We also have a 504 plan that allows him some accomadations for homework. Different work (Sentences instead of stories, turning in late, Books at home ect.) This has helped. But I am disabled and it is very hard getting through homework, cooking dinner, taking shower getting ready for bed ect. My hubby works out of town and that makes it even harder as my folks will not help me and I have no other support. It is a daily fight to just keep it going. I am also having trouble with these issues and I only have 1, thank God. Our doc has given us the option of a booster for the afternoons but the only thing I have considered it for is his cub scout meetings. Everything else we just manage. I have not done it yet as he is now refusing to take his meds in the am at all for 2 weeks now. I don't know how long the adderall is supposed to work but everyone is different and you might ask your doc about something that lasts in the 12 hour range to get through the afternoon and evenings.Good Luck!Our son is in Cub Scouts, too (and my husband works out of town, as well).Our situations seem very similar. I may have to check about that medication..it is hard. I know what you're saying, it's all tough!!
Thank you for writing back to me!
Concerta is a 12 hour med and Vyvanse is 14 hour (I think). Vyvanse is in the same "family" as Adderall, so that may be something to think about. The only other suggestion I would have is the booster after school or Guanfacine for 24 hour, but that wont work if you dont want to use a second pill.
We use a timer for my daughter. So I break down homework into sections and she spends so much time on each thing. For us it's 20 minutes per subject (but she is in 7th grade). Her teachers allow me to sign off if she spends 20 minutes (working time) on ech subject and she wont be marked down for unanswered questions if I sign it off. If not signed by me she gets marked down. Then I have her do one thing and if she wants a small break (like 2 minutes for a drink) she can have it then back to the next subject. If the break is too long, you'll never reign them back in. Some kids do better being able to run around and burn off steam first, not mine, if she gets out of school mode we're in trouble, nothing gets done!
Good luck, homework and dinner time is the biggest challenge for everyone, it's 10x worse for all of us!
We just bought a timer, so this may be something we definitely try...I will have to check in to Vyvanese as well! I wish he could get over the self-defeated attitude, it would be a huge help for himself if he could do that. We do have some methods for that we're working on...
You're definitely right, I think it truly is 10x harder for us. Sounds like you're doing a successful job, though.
Good job! WE all need our encouragement, don't we.
We found a great OT who has us rolling DS up in blankets, giving him heavy work to do, jumping, hand exercises with putty, etc. It all helps.
OTOH, this is one of my favorite parts of homeschooling .... no homework meltdown! We can get so much done in a "school day" there's just no need ... the evenings are much more mellow around here!!
I have an ball that I use for working out, I wonder if that would have the same concept? At least maybe when I notice his meds wearing off. I have taken note all of the different methods you use and will take them to heart!! I feel like our son and us are about to get something really figured out. And with all the different answers, if one method isn't working I have several other to choose from. So glad that this seems to be something other parents were needing, too. And very glad for this website!
You guys are wonderful!! 
Thank you for taking time out of your schedules to help my family.
I have an ball that I use for working out, I wonder if that would have the same concept? Yes, it's absolutely the same concept. According to the OTs, bouncing on a ball, or mini trampoline is both calming and organizing.
Most kids love it, so I hope he will too.
Val
cool! Thanks for the idea of the ball. I think I will give it back to him. He does have a trampoline he uses regurlaly but I am going to try the ball in his room and see how it goes.[QUOTE=JO58]What is a ball chair?????????????? I'm sure it would be great for my dd.
I have 2 adhders doing homework, 1st and 4th grade. My 1st grader is doing pretty well with it so far. It's harder for my dd who is very hyper with obviously a lot more homework. It's like I have a window right when she gets home before the meds start to wear off but once they do it's almost easier to wait past the rebound period and do homework a little later. SHe tends to have calmed back down a little after dinner and shower.
Also, both of my kids get a good 10 hours from adderall XR. We tryed vyvanse which is supposed to work longer but for my dd it only worked about 7 hours and when it wore off, watch out, extreme movement. The adderall wore off much better for both of mine.
Thanks for all the great homework ideas! I will definitely be using them.
[/QUOTE]Sorry,
Here's another link on that ball chair.
https://www.schoolspecialtyonline.net/ECommerce
Ours actually has only 4 legs, but 6 should be fine.
Val
Ball chair:
https://www.schoolspecialtyonline.net/index.jsp
then hit Browse Products button,
then type "ball chair: and hit search
Sorry, don't know why the link is not cooperating today.
Val
[QUOTE=Diane V]yes 10 minutes per grade is the standard.
Remember this is 10 minutes WORKING time per grade. So for us it was always at least double actual time as she never gives solid working time 
. This is why I tend to do 10-15 minutes of working time then short break, then back to it. Of course now we're in middle school and life is about homework, so we have to do 20 minute stints or we'd be at the table until midnight!
I do not think this includes the recommended reading time, I believe that is in addition to the homework. Our district is 20 minutes reading time.
For us homework was always done best right after school while in "school mode" then the reading was done more leisurely at bedtime.
[/QUOTE]
Well if 45 minutes working time is correct my son has about 1 12/ hours of working time and that is at my speed. He is in the gifted program but the state standards still appy.
[QUOTE=momval]I don't know if this helps or not. My adhd boy is always off medicine at homework time. He comes home and has 1 hour to unwind and relax, eat a snack and do whatever he wants.
By the time we start, the medicine has most definitely gone out of his system, but he has also had his own agenda. It's time to unpack the planner at the kitchen table and no t.v. and no distractions. I send the dogs outside if he's rebounding, which he does do sometimes, but not every day.
He pulls out all his papers and we have pencils and markers nearby. I help him read the directions and he completes his "seat work" at the kitchen table. Sometimes he bops up and down for a water bottle, etc. and I remind him the sooner he gets done, the sooner he gets to do other things he wants to do. This is a great time to give them a piece of their favorite bubble gum - it takes away the anxiety of homework.
Next, if we need to start a current event, I lead him to the computer and we log onto National Geographic for Kids and I let him select his current event and I print it out and we take a look at the picture and I read the story.
I'm not above giving a couple of m&ms in between if he has more than one homework page to do, especially on the night when he has to sum up and handwrite two sentences about his current event - handwriting is hard for him on or off medicine. And I praise him verbally after he completes each assignment.
After we do our work in the kitchen and - if applicable - on the computer, it's time for us to read for 15 minutes. His teacher sends home word lists, reading match games and simple books.
For reading time, we go into his room and we pile up the pillows, beanbags - lie down or sit up, depending, but basically, get comfortable. If he tells me okay, but he's a little tired, I say, "Then I'll read to you first and all you have to do is listen." I sometimes I pick a book out for him, but sometimes he may want to read first because he is becoming a more confident reader - in just the last month or so!
Before long, he has relaxed and is enjoying our reading time. Sometimes, we go over 20 minutes. When we're at a stopping point, I tell him he's done a great job and he can play Sega, watch t.v., sit with the dogs or whatever he wants.
It works out great and since it is an established routine that allows movement - from room to room - he has made the adjustment and it all goes smoothly the majority of the time. Total homework time is often done in under 20 minutes. He usually finishes his math page (the usual seatwork) in about 2 minutes.
We also have a Ball Chair which was suggested by our OT last year (he's no longer receiving OT) and he may sit on it while handwriting or while I'm reading or while we're on the computer.
Our Ball Chair works wonders for our older son (non-adhd) when he has to write a book report or something lengthy. The reason why this helps is that the simple bouncing on the chair is CALMING and VERY ORGANIZING. I and my hubby have been caught sitting on it ourselves and my one girlfriend just loves to take a bounce on it when she's over.
I'm also open to five-minute breaks in between homework assignments, where my boys can play with a small toy for a few minutes to break up the monotony of it. They've already had a long day at school and so I really try to give them special attention and make homework more enjoyable - for all of us.
But starting this whole routine wasn't easy and I had to work out the kinks as I went along. I'd say a successful homework routine for an adhd kid should take place AFTER they've had some time to unwind from the school day.
It should involve some freedom of movement and frequent short breaks if possible, because after all, they need to move and they do have attention issues, so why not go with the flow?
If Justin is rebounding during this time, he knows he can do 10 jumping jacks or push-ups, etc. A little exercise thrown in will help, because it gets the oxygen flowing to the brain. :)
Good Luck!
Val
[/QUOTE]
Your boy soounds alot like mine. We do alot of the same things. I have a fitness ball (large) that he LOVES to sit on and bounce. I have always taken it away as it drives me crazy (I have sensory issues) Maybe it would be a good outlet for him. I might give it a try. We do our reading time in the evening and I cut out as much stilmuli as I can. I also let him take short breaks. It's just the entire afternoon, most of the evenings and weekends are taken up with homework. I feel we are in overload.
Spamula,
Those balls are also great. Instead of taking it away, how about setting up an allowed area for him to stay in while he bounces?
Mine have to stay on the wood floor or out-of-the-way in their rooms. No way is it allowed in the kitchen.
And by the way, all kids get a benefit from this - not just the adhd ones - ha!
Have fun!
Val
rebound is when they "crash" coming off their meds. Some kids it is fairly smooth and their ADHD symptoms return, but others get very, very silly or aggressive, very hyper.....different things. There are different ways to deal with this.
My daughter is on 7th grade, still on meds, still needs meds, but I dont feel she's been "failed", she is so much better than she was pre meds.
I love the idea of incorporating movement into the homework routine. I wish more teachers would also use it in the classroom. We also do jumping jacks and 'sprinting in place' to break up the time. My son also likes to do a little "Riverdance" to a Celtic tape that I have, much to his dad's chagrin!!
We also use candy as a reward for work completed. Really, why not? It makes life easier, and we all do stuff every day to get some kind of reward, so why not our adhd kids,too?
Hope things are getting better for you.
Well, one thing that does keep our (and I mean us, the parents and our adhd son) frustration down, is to have 'do-overs'. If he is acting out of control or we lose our composure, too, we'll just look at one another and say "Okay, that was pretty hard, let's have a do-over". It works pretty well. We love him so much and it's very trying to be a parent of an ADHD kiddo, but aren't they so fun, too? I just want to find answers to limit those days we need 'do-overs', he's worth that...so very worth it. I also reward with candy, he lOOves it. :)There are some really great ideas here; I might try some of them too!I'm wondering how much homework does your son have? I've heard that a guideline (I think it comes from the national PTO) is that kids should have about 10 minutes per grade level per night. So according to that, a first grader should only have about 10 minutes worth of homework.
It seems like with all the focus on passing standardized tests and "no child left behind" (here in the U.S.), homework is getting really out of control in a lot of schools. I know it has been a real struggle for my daughter for several years, and I can really sympathize with your situation. To me it doesn't seem right for a 6 year old to be struggling with homework in the evening and causing stress for the whole family.
I would meet with the teacher and principal, if necessary, to discuss my concern about the amount of homework if he is getting much more than 10 minutes worth (which may take a kid with ADHD longer, of course).
inspired...
Hey, you are absolutely right - 10 minutes per grade, but in our case, we are required to spend 15 min. every weeknight reading (approx. 5 min. for him to read to me), but if he's enjoying the story, we run over.
The math page takes all of two minutes, and once a week, he does a current event, which I split up between the nights, so by Thurs. nite, he has already found, selected and printed the current event and hopefully written one of two summary sentences. He writes the 2nd sentence on Thurs. nite.
Overall, I'd say it's closer to 20 minutes/night for my 1st grader - 10 min. being his actual total approx. Since I am a firm believer in reading to your children - even older ones - which is added into the total that's okay with me.
But if he was required to do 20 min./night not including my reading time, I'm in agreement with you, that it's too much.
Since you like music, did you know that's the best way to help a kid remember things: make up a song of whatever he's studying and sing it to The Monster's theme or any theme you like. Retention is greatly increased by that according to studies and you're a natural.
:)
Val
My 9 year old in 4th grade, has 2-2 1/2 hours of homework a night and some on weekends too. I find it ridiculous and am trying to have his 504 ammended. Now he gets 2 xtra days but the docs have suggested he get graded on what he turns in thing (within appropriate min) and not get knocked down in grade because of the time it takes him. He gets it. it just takes too long. This has been alot of the strain here at home for our family. I believe our state maximum is 45 minutes. None of the tachers abide by this and this does not include reading or other various reports. 4th grade.Whew!yes 10 minutes per grade is the standard.
Remember this is 10 minutes WORKING time per grade. So for us it was always at least double actual time as she never gives solid working time . This is why I tend to do 10-15 minutes of working time then short break, then back to it. Of course now we're in middle school and life is about homework, so we have to do 20 minute stints or we'd be at the table until midnight!
I do not think this includes the recommended reading time, I believe that is in addition to the homework. Our district is 20 minutes reading time.
For us homework was always done best right after school while in "school mode" then the reading was done more leisurely at bedtime.
My son will be 13 at the end of this month. Homework has always been a problem. Work that should take a few minutes winds up taking an hour, he forgets to turn it in, he forgets the book at school, he's coming off his meds and can't focus, etc.
We've tried numerous things but this year we're trying something new. I visited with a teacher (My son is not in any of her classes.) at his school who happens to work with the special ed program. We agreed to pay her a small fee to come to school early in the morning to tutor him.
So far it has been very helpful as he has just taken his meds, he is the only one in the room except for the teacher, it's quiet, she can help him organize his work and assignments, forgotten books or papers can be easily retrieved from his locker, and most importantly - it avoids a parent/child confrontation. He doesn't have to wake any earlier than normal as he would normally have a long bus ride. I drive from home, leaving at about the time the bus would arrive and still get to school a good 45 to 50 minutes before school starts.
He hasn't become the perfect student, but it has been very helpful. My son loves to ride the bus as he likes the social aspect so from time to time we reward him, when appropriate, by allowing him to ride the bus.
What is a ball chair?????????????? I'm sure it would be great for my dd.
I have 2 adhders doing homework, 1st and 4th grade. My 1st grader is doing pretty well with it so far. It's harder for my dd who is very hyper with obviously a lot more homework. It's like I have a window right when she gets home before the meds start to wear off but once they do it's almost easier to wait past the rebound period and do homework a little later. SHe tends to have calmed back down a little after dinner and shower.
Also, both of my kids get a good 10 hours from adderall XR. We tryed vyvanse which is supposed to work longer but for my dd it only worked about 7 hours and when it wore off, watch out, extreme movement. The adderall wore off much better for both of mine.
Thanks for all the great homework ideas! I will definitely be using them.
I do a set amount of time, 10-15 minutes per grade level. So DD has in 5th grade 65 minutes for homework, and whatever is not done gets turned in not done. I write a note to the teachers explaining that it was too much and they deal with it........DD teachers hate me btw.oh me too. I do the same, 10 minutes per grade level and a note, then I complain it's too much for her, they hate me too, but they modify it.That all sounds really wonderful, and that's kind of the schedule we've been working on but it just hasn't worked out. My husband travels a lot and so I try to go by his schedule, to ensure lots of family time, but it truly isn't working out for our middle guy! SO, over the weekend I've decided that he needs a schedule and when Daddy is home, he's going to have to go with our schedule instead of his (or the lack there of).
I do have a question. This ADHD terminology is still somewhat new to me. What is rebounding? I'm assuming this is when the medicine is leaving and they've got that burst of energy (which will cause our son to stand up and flail his arms around and make some horrificly annoying sound effects ha ha)? But it truly is just a guess...I'm wondering if he's not going through something at a point that I'm not understanding, this would be the explaination.
I'm also very worried about his current doctor. I truly have a lot of faith in his doctor. But he mentioned to me once Tristen got diagnosed, that if he was still on medication by 7th grade, then we have failed him. Is that true? It doesn't seem to be to me. It's like he thinks at 7th grade, there's this little switch that goes off and they're 'fixed'. His doctor has been with us since his birth and I've had so much confidence in him, up until now. He's very good about checking with us on his dosage and possible side effects, but I'm not sure how he truly feels about ADHD and long term.
With all of the help you guys have offered, it's possible that this could be getting a little easier a little sooner. You don't know how much this helps. I have been praying and I think God led me to this website!! 