Needless to say, the ongoing lockdown and social distancing procedures have had a marked effect on children with ADHD and their parents.

Esmé says that, in general, ADHD places a lot of stress on parents, but even more so in Covid-19 times.

 

“It is difficult to manage a child with ADHD because they cannot regulate their own behaviour, which often causes conflict in the family,” says Esmé.

“These children are often sensitive to underlying signals, so if the parents become stressed due to Covid, job demands, financial strains, etc, the children pick it up and become more demanding.”

 

Routine is essential, especially during the pandemic

 

She says children with ADHD need strict structure and consistency.

“With Covid and working from home, all our schedules are upside down.  Homes tend to be even more disorganised because suddenly the dining room now become the ‘office’,” she says.

 

Consequences of stresses include marital difficulties, learning problems that place extra stress on parents emotionally and financially, and conflict with siblings and peers.

 

“I cannot emphasise enough the importance of routine.

 

“I know it is more difficult and challenging during this stressful time, but we now need even more structure and routine. It is important for the child’s mental health and psychological well-being to have specific bath times and bed times, for instance, and this is even more so in the case of ADHD children.”

 

How to keep children occupied

 

Esmé says the biggest mistake parents can make is to use the TV or screen time as a babysitter or entertainer. This is once again applicable to all children, and in particular children with ADHD.

 

“Some parents have told me that when they refuse to put the television on, the children were upset for a day or two or three and then became bored.  Then they started to amuse themselves by playing or reading.”

 

She says parents believe they are being good parents when they entertain their children. “This is not so. Children need to entertain themselves as well.”

 

That said, spending at least half an hour together every day is essential for families, whether they go for a walk, ride bicycles or play with a ball, play board games, paint or do crafts or use Lego and blocks. “Play – even with bigger children – is the biggest buffer against stress,” she says.