I’ve written about traveling with an ADHD kid, but what do you do once you reach your destination? When you have a child with ADHD, impulsivity and hyperactivity can interfere with your plans of chillin’ on a beach reading a book. Here are some lessons we learned on the road to family vacations.
Plan Ahead
Any mom is always thinking 3 steps ahead on vacation. When you are the mom of an ADHD kid you try to plan 5 or 10 steps ahead. I constantly think about how he slept the night before? How active he has been? Is his medication the right dose for what he is doing that day and when it will wear off? When going out, I think of what will overstimulate him, who will sit him by, which parent will be close to keep an eye on him. And I also try to think of what will be best for him. What activities he will like to do and his attention can handle, which is not always easy when traveling with a large group.
Safety First
Traveling to crowded areas like airports and theme parks causes stress for all parents. For ADHD kids, set out clear rules about what they can or cannot do. Some rules for my son are no running off by yourself, use your indoor voice and I offer suggestions of what he can do if he gets anxious or mad at his sister, like coming to talk to mommy rather than knocking her backwards over a strangers suitcases in line and making her and the next few suitcases (and passengers) go tumbling.
Let them Run Free
My son seems to respond best on vacations where there is open spaces like the beach or cottages. Anywhere that he can freely run or be loud without others being bothered is what he likes best.
For ADHD the lack of routine, new experiences and stimuli can sometimes be overwhelming and result in behavior problems. I always try to keep some part of our home routine going while on vacation even if it’s modified. Part of that routine is consequences to support his cognitive behavior awareness (making him aware of his behavior and seeing the bigger picture to enable him to take a step back and self-calm). It’s not fun when Mommy has to go sit in the room with him during a nice sunny day, but sometimes it’s necessary.
Help them be Quiet
Plan activities they can do in a quiet atmosphere. When my kids were smaller I would take them to our room in the afternoon for a nap or to watch TV, so they had some time away from activities. Now they are older I plan quiet time before supper so they can wind down with legos, books, card games or figurines (trashies and shopkins rule our house). This quiet time lets them re-charge and relax. It also helps mommy recharge too.
Daily Updates
Every morning on vacation we talk about what will happen that day. We make a list or schedule and when we can, we try to do this for the entire length of the trip. The kids get to give input on activities or meals they like and they love feeling some control. This is also a great time to go over any rules and behaviors expected for the day.
Sleep
Vacations are full of jam-packed days and late nights. This is not the best for ADHD. Although sometimes it’s fun to stay up late, remember ADHD kids still need the same amount of sleep to function and behave. Also, it will likely take them longer to wind down at the end of an exciting day. You as the parent also need your sleep so that you can handle and guide your child through each day.
I hope this article helps. I have been there and can honestly say that I not only survived, I love traveling with my kids. To see the joy and excitement every time we go somewhere new and have new experiences, makes it all worthwhile.
Deep breaths. You can do this! Create togetherness and memories they will have with them always.
