As a parent, there is nothing more that you want than for your adolescent and teen children to grow into confident, healthy, capable, knowledgeable Jewish adults. But for kids with ADHD, the “system” often doesn’t work. They may be limping through a day school or yeshiva. Family life can be a war zone. The Jewish experience for your kid can be extremely alienating.
By providing tools and insights, Kosher ADHD can help you, your kid, and your family experience a 180° turnaround.
An adolescent with ADHD affects the family dynamic.
Key points
- Teens with ADHD tend to find the Jewish experience, at home and at school, increasingly challenging.
- Don’t accept a binary choice between Jewish education for your kid or greater emotional balance.
- Parents can gain skills to support their pre-teens and teens with ADHD.
- You can enable your kids to grow into adulthood with confidence and a strong Jewish identity.
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What are your Shabbat meals like? How is your child doing socially?
Are family meals like a battle zone? Does your child with ADHD have outbursts or impulsive behavior that disrupt family time and take all the fun out of what should be precious family time?
Many teens and adolescents have a hard time learning to build friendships and navigate social norms. For a child who has ADHD, those challenges can be magnified by impulse-control issues, difficulty with turn-taking, trouble respecting boundaries, and extra sensitivity to criticism.
Ideally, family and friends should be “safe zones” — areas away from academic pressures that should allow your child to build confidence. When these areas become problematic, your child loses a haven where he or she should have been able to recharge and build self-esteem.
How is the school experience going for your teen or pre-teen?
Is your kid having trouble keeping up at school? Is there frequent conflict at home around homework and studying? Has the school administration suggested that you should “look into other options”, or “your child is not a good fit for this school”, or your child cannot continue in the school next year? Is your child frequently disruptive or disciplined at school?
If the school day is packed with negative experiences, your child will suffer. Each experience of conflict or failure is another brick building a wall between your child and his or her future.
How is your adolescent or teenager doing Jewishly?
Middle and high school students who struggle with ADHD are more likely to have a difficult relationship with their Jewish life. You are not alone if your kids rarely or never go to shul. We often meet families where their teens say, “I hate davening, shabbos, and being Jewish”.
The challenges that accompany ADHD even affect some teens in social and Jewish extracurricular activities. When kids feel that every part of the Jewish experience is negative, the long-term effects are profound.
Kosher ADHD can help you reset and break the negative spiral
Without intervention, you and your child can spiral down into increasing frustration, more extreme acting out, diminished self-esteem, and risky behaviors.
Our program empowers parents to understand and support their child. You can change the family dynamics.
With expert guidance sensitive to the unique needs of our community, Kosher ADHD can help you develop the skills you need to support your teen or adolescent.
In the Kosher ADHD parenting workshop, you can:
- Become an attentive, developmentally attuned parent. (ADAPT Program: Attentive, Developmentally Attuned Parenting program).
- Better understand and connect with your teen or pre-teen.
- Respond more effectively to problematic behaviors. You will learn empowered rule-giving and other proven behavior management strategies.
- Model strategies for dealing with frustration in healthy and appropriate ways
- Help your child love and enjoy being Jewish
- Improve your overall relationship. You like your child (not just love them).
- Be an advocate for your child.
Your child really needs YOU. They need a deep connection with YOU. You are their biggest cheerleader.
Learn to actually like your child — not just love them!
What you and your family can gain
The Kosher ADHD program is for parents, empowering you with skills, understanding, compassion, tactics, and strategies to reset the trajectory of your teen and your family. Our goal is simple: restoring your home and family to the nurturing sanctuary that it should be.
Learn how to better deal with schools and help your child flourish in his or her own way. Your teen can do better at home, at school, and with friends. Life should become better and calmer for your teen who is struggling and your other children.
The program offers ongoing community support available for parents. As alumni of the workshop, you never need to feel alone again!
To sign up or learn more about our virtual parent workshops reach out today!