Eileen Bailey has a good post on how to talk to your children about ADHD at Healthcentral
Young children view the world in terms of them. They may blame themselves for the ADHD, thinking they have done something wrong. Make sure you let your child know ADHD is not their fault. If you, your spouse, or another family member has also been diagnosed, let your child know.
It’s also good to mention the positives of having ADHD as well so they don’t think it’s only pathology, and they’re more motivated to deal with the negatives so they can spend more time focusing on developing the strengths of ADHD. How you frame ADHD is very important because that’s how they will likely internalize that frame.
You should also go to some local ADHD support group meetings to talk with other parents of kids with ADHD. Might want to also get Dr. Ed Hallowells book Superparenting for ADHD and check out the US National Resource Center for ADHD website, lots of good information there. I also have a lot of information on teaching students with ADHD on my website.
Parents of children with ADHD are 24 times more likely to have ADHD themselves. In my experience the men generally tend to spend more time in denial than the women. If you ADHD child notices that you have ADHD and you don’t take it seriously and learn how to manage it, they’re going to be wondering, why should they?
Blog post: Talking to Your Children About #ADHD http://bit.ly/1C66P
RT @lizditz: RT @petequily: Blog post: Talking to Your Children About #ADHD http://bit.ly/1C66P
I think it’s important to talk about it. Have fun with the really fun creative non-linear reason we are who we are, and celebrate it. Even if ADHD isn’t part of who you are. Engage with Ideas, brain-storming, conversations, theatre, and allow free movement around, within, from and for giving it a place that isn’t always labelled as a disorder, but merely a facet of a person whom you love and respect.
Very good point, the same applies to mental illness as a child can be going through depression, have anxiety.
More importantly, education our young about ADHD, and mental illness will make them knowledgeable adults, and slowly eliminate long-standing stigmas and discrimination.