Have a Child With ADHD? What To Expect if They Have To Be Home During Remodeling

Home renovations and improvements can be stressful. They can be even more challenging if you have a child diagnosed with ADHD whose ADHD symptoms make for impulsive and risky behaviors. If your child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and you have a home improvement project planned, read on for ways you can help make the project a success without serious intervention.

Asking the Professionals for a Plan

One of the easiest ways to help a child with ADHD through a home improvement project is to work with the professionals on a plan ahead of time. Maybe you Googled ‘therapy for ADHD child‘ years ago and now have a therapist you trust who knows your child well. Perhaps they’ve helped you with parent training, working on your child’s behaviors, using cognitive behavior therapy, and helping your child adjust to preschool in the past. This therapist could be an incredible resource when it comes to helping your child manage their attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during a home improvement project, too. Consider telling them about your upcoming appointments with the plumber and general contractor and ask for ways you can manage your child’s behavior during any remodeling transition. Most therapists will be able to give you tools for how to keep your child from messing around with new cabinets, touching tools that are dangerous, and destroying those new countertops.

Entertaining and Distracting your Child

All kids are curious. It’s perfectly natural for any child to want to poke around a construction zone. One way to keep your child out of trouble during this break of routine is to find ways to keep them distracted and entertained. All home improvement projects bring an added layer of stress to the home. Think about taking your child out of the house, on walks, and engaged in activities where they can get rid of some energy and extra impulsivity before returning home.

Start by thinking about activities your child is naturally drawn to. Maybe your adolescent has always shown an interest in swimming. A Google search for ‘how aquatic therapy helps calm anxiety‘ or ‘how water therapy helps with stress’ might put you in the right direction of giving your child something positive to look forward to during that bathroom remodel.

Getting your Child Involved

Find ways to make your child part of the project. By giving them a chance to participate in helpful ways, they’ll be busy and better able to control their hyperactivity. Maybe you’re doing a kitchen remodel in Tampa and aren’t sure what tiles to pick for a backsplash. Take your child to a Tampa hardware store and let them help you make your decision. Encouraging your adolescent to come with you to a showroom and be more invested in the project will help them with relaxation and managing irritants that come with the changes and natural stresses in the home.

Rewarding Positive Behavior and Behavior Management

If you’re comfortable with your general contractor, let them in on what’s going on. Have a conversation with them about your child’s needs and explain that your home remodeling project could aggravate or trigger your child’s ADHD. Let them in on a positive reward system for your child staying clear of construction materials. Ask them to bring home any dangerous tools instead of leaving them out.

Have another conversation with your child about appropriate behaviors when someone’s working in your home. Set up a positive reward system for good behavior. Here’s a great place you could use the help of a therapist who already has an established therapeutic alliance with your child.

At the end of the day, whether you use ADHD medications or cognitive behavior therapy, or a combination, to help manage problem behaviors in your child, you can get through a home improvement project just fine with a little planning. From curtailing your child’s impulsivity with distractions and rewards for positive behavior in young children to getting adolescents involved in the project, it’s in the best interest of your own mental health to have a plan. Talk to your contractor about ways they can help you and your child make it through your next home improvement project successfully.