Is My Child Too Young for ADHD Treatment?

If your child has debilitating inattention or hyperactivity, you might wonder if your child has ADHD. This leads to another question: “Is my child too young for ADHD treatment?”

No matter how old your child is, when symptoms of ADHD appear, treatment with either therapy or medication should be considered if a child is experiencing impairment, or lack of success, in either the home or the school environment. The goal of ADHD treatment is to help children be successful at both home and school — and prevent significant negative outcomes that often occur when ADHD is left untreated.

In this article, we’ll answer your questions including:

• Does your child demonstrate ADHD symptoms?
• What age is ADHD treated?
• Are there consequences of delaying treatment?

What Age Can a Child Be Diagnosed with ADHD?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children aged 4-18 can be diagnosed with ADHD. Earlier guidelines stipulated that only children 6+ could be diagnosed, but newer guidelines now include preschoolers. You can read more about the AAP’s guidelines here.

Behavior therapy is the first type of treatment the AAP recommends for 4-year-olds. Other lifestyle modifications for younger children may include:

• Eating a nutrient-dense meals
• Getting regular exercise
• Establishing and keeping a bedtime routine
• Establishing routines and schedules throughout the day

Does Your Child Have Symptoms of ADHD?

Younger children, especially preschoolers, tend to be more hyper. They also have shorter attention spans in general. However, if hyperactivity and inattention are preventing your child from thriving, it’s worth considering an ADHD evaluation.

Many children with ADHD start to demonstrate more symptoms during elementary school when sitting for prolonged periods makes things like inattention and fidgeting more noticeable.

Is your child living with ADHD? Take this quiz to learn more:

This quiz does not constitute medical advice or a diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through a clinical evaluation. Regardless of the questionnaire results, if you have concerns about diagnosis and treatment of Childhood ADHD, please discuss your concerns with your physician.

What Are the Consequences of Delaying ADHD Treatment?

Many people think ADHD is a condition that simply causes school children to have trouble paying attention or have difficulty staying in their classroom seats. But in reality, ADHD impacts every aspect of an ADHD child’s lives all the way into adulthood. Failure to assist children with developing skills to help them cope with ADHD can have a profoundly negative impact on their lives well beyond school.

Unfortunately, ADHD does not just impact children. When ADHD is left untreated many children grow into adults who still struggle to plan effectively, make impulsive decisions, fail to consider the consequences of their decisions, are more prone to accidental injury including motor vehicle accidents, and often fail to follow through on projects and reach goals.

Research has repeatedly demonstrated that after living with untreated ADHD, adolescents and adults are more likely to both abuse and become addicted to alcohol and drugs, more likely to have early (and often unprotected) sex, and more likely to be expelled from school. People with ADHD often struggle become productive members of society, often find it difficult to keep a job, stay married, parent consistently and some have difficulty staying out of jail.

 

Children with ADHD have many unsung strengths that are often unable to fully develop without treatment that helps them develop routines, adaptive skills, motivation and problem-solving skills. Their creativity, ingenuity and intellect is often stifled by the demands of today’s school system and lack of adequate one-on-one attention. With proper treatment, these children can reach their potential and become successful in any career they desire, from financial consultant to engineer to corporate executive.

We know that ADHD as well other psychiatric conditions are treated more easily in childhood. Through specialized treatment, children with ADHD can begin to develop life skills, learn to control their impulsive behavior, experience improved relationships with their peers, parents and siblings, and can become much more successful in life overall.

Many parents are very hopeful that no matter what experiences and issues children have that they will still be able to grow into successful adults and grow out of their behavior or ADHD “problems”. Many kids are able to have some degree of success without treatment and thankfully many kids are resilient enough, bright enough or just plain lucky enough to be able to avoid the more extreme negative consequences of inadequate treatment. But children can be much more successful how more successful if they are given tools at a very young age to be able to learn to harness the amazing potential within the ADHD brain.

Resources for Parents

The first step in any treatment program is education — learning as much as you can about ADHD. Below, we’ve curated a list of articles and courses to help you learn more about ADHD as well as strategies for helping your child thrive.

Other Articles 

• 5 Signs ADHD Is Impacting Your Child’s School
• 5 Art-Based Activities to Keep Hyperactive Kids Busy
• 7 Tips for Creating a Homework Station for Your Child with ADHD + Printable Homeschool Schedules
• Top 5 Calming Apps for Children (And What to Use as an Alternative)
• Five Ways to Improve Emotional Regulation
• 8 Tips to Help Your Child with ADHD Thrive with E-Learning
• 9 Parenting Tips to Survive and Maybe Even Enjoy Social Isolation With Your Children
• What Is Growth Mindset?

Courses

• [free] ADHD 101: Video Series for Parents
• Childhood ADHD e-Course: What Every Parent Needs To Know
• [free] 10 Strengths of ADHD

Take Your Next Steps

At Next Step 4 ADHD, we have board-certified physicians and doctorate-level psychologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating ADHD.

Call us at 502-907-5908 or use this form to book an appointment with one of our specialized physicians or therapists.

If you don’t get help from us, seek help from someone with significant experience and expertise in treating ADHD.

But children can be much more successful if they are given tools at a very young age to be able to learn to harness the amazing potential within the ADHD brain.

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20 Classical Tunes to Improve Focus

Many children and teens listen to “study music” when they work on homework or cram for a test. The music isn’t just background noise — it can even improve your child’s focus.

According to the experts at Johns Hopkins, music can reduce anxiety and lower your blood pressure. It can also stimulate and strengthen areas of the brain that tend to be weaker in those with ADHD. When it comes to music as a study aid, it can support the auditory, motor, and visual/spatial cortices of the brain. These cortices are areas of the brain linked to speech and language skills, math and reading comprehension, problem-solving, attention, and focus.

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ADHD & Music: 20 Songs to Learn By

Not all music improves focus the same way however. According to a Bulgarian psychiatrist, Dr. Georgi Lozanov, children and adults concentrate and focus better with the following classical songs. Twenty minutes of listening is all it takes, according to Dr. Lozanov, for the electromagnetic frequency of the brain to shift into study mode, which is better suited for learning.

Johann Sebastian Bach

1. Brandenburg Concertos

2. Fantasia for Organ in G Major

3. Fantasia in C Minor

4. Prelude and Fugue in G Major

Ludwig van Beethoven

5. “Emperor” Concerto for Piano, No. 5

Antonio Vivaldi

6. The Four Seasons

Johannes Brahms

7. Concerto for Violin, D Major, Op. 77

Arcangelo Corelli

8. Concerto Grossi, Op. 2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12

George Frideric Handel

9. Water Music
Concerto for Organ in B Flat Major, Op. 6, 7

Joseph Haydn

10. Concerto No. 1 for Violin

11. Concerto No. 2 for Violin

12. Symphony No. 101 (The Clock)

13. Symphony No. 94 in G Major

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

14. Concerto for Violin No. 5 in A Major

15. Symphony No. 29 in A Major

16. Symphony No. 40 in G Minor

17. Symphony No. 35 in D Major

18. A Little Night Music

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

19. Concerto for Violin, Op. 35

20. Concerto for Piano, No. 1

Still Need Help Focusing?

Even with the best music, you might still need help focusing — and that’s okay. That’s also where we come in. Our multidisciplinary team is skilled in diagnosing and treating ADHD in children, teens, and adults. So whether you’re struggling to focus on homework or work in the office, we can help.

To make an appointment or to learn more, call us at 502-907-5908. You can also request an appointment here.

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Planning Thanksgiving Dinner with ADHD? Tips for Success

Organizing and planning can be challenging tasks for adults with ADHD — and those are two skills necessary for planning a Thanksgiving dinner.

Thankfully, executive function skills — which include planning and organization — are teachable skills. And that means planning a successful Thanksgiving dinner is within your reach.

Here’s what you need to know:

Plan Your Menu in Advance

First things first: plan your menu!

Organizing your thoughts and goals for the day is important. You might benefit from using a journal to plan your menu. Be sure to plan for all components of your meal, including:

• The main dish (it’s okay if turkey isn’t your thing)
• Vegetables
• Starches, including mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes
• Side dishes, including cranberries or other sauces
• Appetizers
• Bread or rolls
• Desserts
• Beverages

Creating this master menu is step one in managing your time on Turkey Day. For example, you might choose to make some of these items the day before Thanksgiving Day. You might need to take out your turkey from the freezer. We’ll get to time management tips later in this article, but for now, know that your menu is the first step to a successful event.

Need inspiration? Here’s a list of 50 tasty Thanksgiving recipes.

Prepare for Your Grocery Trip

Planning for a big event like Thanksgiving can seem daunting especially when your ADHD symptoms ― poor time management, inattention, difficulty organizing —start infiltrating your grocery shopping trip. Another ADHD symptom ― impulsivity ― makes grocery trips particularly difficult.

The best way to combat these challenges is to prepare for your grocery trip. Trying to plan a meal for a large party is difficult without planning, whether you have ADHD or not.

Before you even head to the store, you’ll need:

• A grocery list (including any items you need for the party e.g., paper plates, candles, décor)
• A designated time to shop (trying to squeeze in a large shopping trip isn’t ideal… allot plenty of unrushed time to shop)
• A full belly (shopping on an empty stomach increases your risk of impulsive buys and deviations from your list)

Tips for Making Your Grocery List

• Always write your list down, either on paper or in a digital grocery app. This will help eliminate forgotten items.
• Include quantities of items e.g. two cans of pumpkin puree or one 32-ounce can
• Be specific e.g. bread flour versus cake flour
• List out ingredients for a recipe e.g., instead of writing “pumpkin pie stuff” write two cans of pumpkin puree, eggs, two boxes of pie crust mix, 1-ounce jar of pumpkin spice mix, 1 pint of heavy whipping cream… and so on

Use Your Calendar

There’s a lot going on in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, and a calendar can you keep track of everything you need to do.

If time management is especially difficult for you, a calendar is even more so important.

You might use your calendar to create a schedule for:

• Setting out the turkey — some turkeys need days to thaw. You can check here.
• Setting the table
• Preparing any side dishes prior to Thanksgiving
• When to start baking
• When to put beverages in the fridge
• When to start cleaning for guests (you might start your cleaning days before Turkey Day and focus more on baking closer to the big day)

A well-organized calendar can help prevent last minutes scrambling.

Delegate

Just because you’re hosting Thanksgiving, doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Delegating tasks, even small ones, can help the day run smoother.

Ideas include:

• Giving small (but well-defined) tasks to your children
• Be specific: instead of asking for “help” ask for specific help e.g., “sweep the dining room” or “write names on the place settings” 
• Ask for friends or family members to bring a side dish (but write this on your menu so you can keep track!)

Delegating doesn’t just mean friends or family helping you. You might delegate or receive help in other ways too. This might include hiring a cleaning service to clean your house the day before Thanksgiving, or you might order pies from a local bakery. Note that these all require pre-planning so if you think you’ll outsource help, start the preparations well in advance.

Don’t Overestimate the Power of Simple

If you feel overwhelmed, try to focus on simple things. If the thought of roasting a whole turkey overwhelms you, try a turkey breast instead. If the idea of juggling oven time between pies and rolls is too much, go for simple. Order rolls from a bakery to free up some space.

At the end of the day, Thanksgiving is about coming together as a family and celebrating love, joy, and things we are thankful for in life — and a simple meal can be part of that.

Tools to Help You Plan

Here are a few suggestions to make planning Thanksgiving even easier:

• Online or paper calendar
• Online or paper grocery list
• Online grocery delivery services (Some grocery stores offer delivery, but you can use other apps like Instacart too.)
• The number to the Turkey Hotline! If you have a cooking problem, the Butterball Turkey Hotline can help!

Enjoy the Day!

No matter how the day unfolds, remember to cherish the memories and celebrate those you love! If something goes wrong, or an ingredient goes missing, take a deep breath, center yourself, and carry on.

Need Extra Help with Planning and Organization?

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed with planning and organizing tasks, we can help. Here at Next Step 4 ADHD, we provide comprehensive, multimodal support, including:

• Medication management
• Therapy

To make an appointment or to learn more, call us at 502-907-5908. You can also request an appointment here.

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16 Positive Parenting Phrases to Empower Your Child

Children with ADHD often do not respond well to typical methods of discipline. Punishment, removal of privileges, and time-outs often worsen their problem behaviors. Children with ADHD need to feel capable and experience success before they will be motivated to do a task. Often they get so used to doing a task imperfectly and getting criticized, that they just stop being willing to do a task at all. Enter: Positive Parenting.

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6 Tips to Make Halloween More ADHD-Friendly

Halloween is an exciting holiday for children. Even with changes to the 2020 Halloween guidelines, kids look forward to the festivities, the fun, and of course, the candy. Halloween is also full of distractions and routine disruptions, which can be challenging for kids who struggle with ADHD. With a little planning, though, you can make Halloween both safe and fun for your child.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder and ADHD: 4 Tips to Fight Depression

Do shorter days and darker nights have you feeling a little blue? Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is common during the darker winter months, and unfortunately, SAD disproportionately affects individuals with ADHD.

If you’re experiencing any symptoms of SAD, we recommend that give us a call. Whether you’re struggling with SAD, depression, or ADHD, we can help you.

In the meantime, keep reading to explore what SAD is and how you can keep it at bay.

ADHD and SAD

Like depression, SAD is a mood disorder. It is associated with depression and related to seasonal changes in light. In countries where the sunlight hours are few (such as the Nordic countries), SAD impacts up to 20% of the population.

Even beyond the icy dark Nordic countries, SAD may disproportionately affect adults, teens, and children who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Researchers estimate that 27% of the individuals with ADHD also struggle with SAD — that’s 7% more than those already living in darker climates.

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is triggered by the change of seasons and the variations in hours of daylight each day.

Most people with SAD notice their symptoms begin in autumn and extend through the winter.

Symptoms of SAD (whether or not you have ADHD) include:

• Increased feelings of sadness
• Feeling depressed almost every day
• Loss of passion for your favorite activities
• Fatigue and low energy levels
• Difficulty sleeping
• Changes to your appetite
• Feeling agitated
• Trouble concentrating
• Experiencing feelings of hopelessness or guilt
• Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide

Why Do Variations in Light Affect Your Mood?

Why do the changing seasons affect your mood? Here are three contributing factors:

• Your circadian rhythm: Decreasing sunlight may disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm. If your internal clock is impacted, it can lead to feelings of depression.
• Serotonin levels: Reduced sunlight can also cause a drop in serotonin, and this decrease in serotonin may trigger depression.
• Melatonin levels: The change in sunlight doesn’t just affect your serotonin levels. It can also impact your level of melatonin. Changes in melatonin can alter your sleep patterns and even your mood.

4 Tips for Reducing the Impact of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Now that we’ve covered what SAD is, how to spot the signs of SAD, and how light affects your mood, what can you do about it?

Here are four strategies you can implement.

1. Schedule Regular Exercise

If you spend less time outside during the winter, you’re not alone. Most people naturally spend less time outside during the winter because #brrr.

And less time outside often equates with less physical activity, and that can definitely impact your mental health.

Most people spend only 7.6% of their time outside. Considering that Americans also spend 5% of their time simply driving in the care, 7.6% isn’t a whole lot!

The changing weather, the decreasing light, and the decrease in physical activity is a perfect storm. If you think you have SAD or depression, consider scheduling regular exercise into your day.

Moving your body promotes good brain chemistry, which can help you feel better.

The Norwegian have a wonderful proverb: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” Bundle up and try some cold-weather activities like skiing, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing. Even a leisurely stroll in the brisk air is good for you.

Prefer to say in? No worries! There are plenty of indoor activities to keep you active: running on a treadmill, yoga, Pilates, lifting weights, or following along on YouTube dance workout.

2. Soak Up Some Sunshine

Even if the sunlight diminishes, try to soak up a little sunshine each day. Research shows that low vitamin D levels can contribute to SAD. Experts suggest trying to get 30 minutes of morning sun — to start the day off right. If you go for a jog or walk at this time, you’ve crossed two items off of this list at once: regular exercise and time spent outside.

3. Stick with Your Schedule

Sleep disturbances are common with SAD. In order to prevent even more sleep interruptions, stick with a schedule.

• Go to sleep at the same time every night
• Avoid blue lights before bed
• Sleep in a cool, dark room

You can find more sleep tips in this article: What Is Sleep Hygiene?

4. Seek Treatment

Even if you’re exercising regularly and getting to bed on time, SAD can still take root.

If you are experiencing symptoms of SAD during the fall or winter months, contact one of our mental health professionals who can help you “weather the storm.”

Call our office at 502-907-5908 or request an appointment online.

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16 Books to Help Kids Understand ADHD

Is your child newly diagnosed with ADHD? Here are 16 books to help your child learn more about ADHD and how to manage the challenges and strengths.

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It’s ADHD Awareness Month: Common Questions, Reliable Answers

October is ADHD Awareness Month, and this year’s theme is “Common Questions, Reliable Answers.”

In this post, we’ll cover a common question and debunk the myths surrounding it: Is ADHD a real medical disorder?

“Is ADHD a Real Medical Disorder?”

Unfortunately, there is a myth perpetuating that ADHD isn’t real, but the truth is that ADHD is real — and it’s treatable. Let’s dive into this.

ADHD Is a Valid Diagnosis

ADHD is a neurobiological disorder that affects your ability to focus and control impulses. ADHD is not a lack of willpower to focus on the task at hand; instead, most experts believe the development of ADHD may be  influenced by a person’s genes, the presence of toxins in his or her environment, brain injuries, and subtle nuances in the hardwiring of his or her brain. 

Major medical, psychological, and education organizations recognize ADHD as a legitimate diagnosis. This includes:

• The National Institutes of Health 
• The U.S. Department of Education
• The American Psychiatric Association 

The American Psychiatric Association lists all of the medical disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders— the official book of mental health disorders used by both psychologists and psychiatrists. ADHD is included in this book.

Brain Scans Can Identify ADHD

Brains with ADHD show structural and chemical differences from non-ADHD brains.

According to a new study published in Radiology, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain can identify people with ADHD. The same study reveals that information from the MRIs can help to distinguish among the different types of ADHD.

An ADHD Diagnosis Is Reliable

When it comes to mental health diagnoses,  reliability shouldn’t be discounted. This is a psychological term that refers to the ability for two different mental health care providers to evaluate the same child (or adult) and independently come to the same diagnosis of ADHD.

What does this mean? It means that ADHD is a very reliable diagnosis. 

Debunking Other ADHD Myths

This isn’t the only ADHD myth. In the spirit of answering common questions with reliable answers, feel free to browse through our ADHD myth series:

• ADHD Medication Myths and Facts
• ADHD Myth Series: Is It Okay to Stop Taking ADHD Medications on School Breaks?
• Myth: ADHD Only Affects Kids

What Can You Do to Support ADHD Awareness Month?

Whether you, a spouse, or your child have ADHD, there are many ways for you to learn more about ADHD during the month of October.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Learn more about ADHD — consider taking a free course! 
• Learn about other ADHD myths (links listed above!)
• Read books on ADHD (there are several books in our shop)

If you or a child are demonstrating the signs of ADHD, what better time to get an assessment than ADHD Awareness Month!

You’re Not Alone on This Journey

At Next Step 4 ADHD, we offer complete support and comprehensive treatment for adults, teens, and children who struggle with ADHD. We strongly believe that simply medicating the problem doesn’t fully address the issue. There are skills you can learn and develop.

More importantly, our team of professionals offers an ongoing support system when you need it from coaching to therapy to online courses.

Dealing with ADHD on your own can be difficult, but with our innovative approach, you’re never alone. We are here to guide you with your next steps. If you’d like to learn more about us or set up a confidential discussion with one of our professionals, you can complete this form for a virtual appointment. Alternatively, call our Louisville, Kentucky office at (502) 907-5908.

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5 Strategies to Reduce Stress in Your Home

If your child’s school year looks different than what you anticipated, you’re not alone. Many parents are forging ahead in a “new normal” — a “normal” that’s not without its fair share of stress. This may leave you wondering, “How can I reduce stress in my home pronto?!”

Creating structure and routine is an incredibly effective way to prepare your children for distance learning. But the reality is that stress isn’t just limited to school time.

In this article, we’ll explore five strategies that you can implement to reduce stress in your home. After all, creating a warm, positive environment in your home plays a big role in supporting your entire family’s mental well-being.

5 Ways to Reduce Stress in Your Home

ADHD can create unique challenges in any home, but if you’re parenting a child with ADHD during a pandemic, you might experience even more challenges.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Acknowledge the Reality of Your Situation

We know that normalcy, routines, and structure are important tools for helping children with ADHD thrive. But “normalcy” doesn’t look like what it used to. Do what you can to create structures and routines — even they are different from what you expected. Focus on staying calm and setting an example of resiliency for your children.

“Humans have survived worse times and we will get through this latest trial. Let’s set the example for our children with calm preparedness.”

Dr. Alphonso Nichols

Remember: We are all doing the best we can.

2. Focus on the Simple Things

There are several simple ways to create normalcy at home, and once you identify those, you’ll notice some reduction in stress. Here are some simple things that make life less stressful:

• Establish simple (but efficient) bedtime routines (Click here to read: “Parenting a Child with ADHD: 5 Tips for Bedtime.)
• Start meal planning and establish easy weekday breakfasts
• Post a schedule on the wall where everyone can see it

While these seem like simple changes you can make, they go a long way in making your home less stressful. Your child will thrive on the structure and routines.

3. Focus on What’s in Your Control

Dr. Nichols reminds us, “Instead of feeling helpless, we should focus on what we can do.”

There are a lot of things outside of our control right now — but there’s also a lot of things within your control too. Focus on those.

Here’s what you can control:

• Your dedication to safety guidelines and hygiene recommendations
• How you create your space at home
• Your response to situations

Here’s why it matters: “Anxiety is contagious. The more anxious we parents are, the more anxious our children will be. It is important to teach our children resilience,” Dr. Nichols continues.

Instead of focusing on what we think should be, focus on what is. This sends an important message to children that we are resilient and can rise to the occasion to face challenges.

4. Prioritize Your Own Self-Care

You’ve probably heard the phrase: You can’t pour from an empty cup. Parenting without any fuel is stressful and potentially impossible. Your own self-care is the fuel you need. Self-care is essential for your physical and mental well-being. Studies show that self-care practices are linked to decreased stress levels.

The following self-care practices can help reduce stress:

• Regular exercise (aim for 30 minutes per day)
• Choosing nutrient-dense meals
• Getting 7-9 hours of sleep (for adults) (Click here to read “What Is Sleep Hygiene?”)
• Spending time doing an activity you love (even for just a few minutes)
• Attending to your physical health (including scheduling well-checks etc.)

When you practice good self-care, you model the importance of self-care to your children too.

Need to take your self-care to the next level? Enroll in our FREE self-care course: A Happier You Starts with Self-Care

5. Ask for Help When You Need It

Sometimes creating simple schedules, focusing on self-care, and adopting stress-busting practices (like yoga or meditation) just aren’t enough to reduce all stress.

If unmanaged ADHD in your child (or you) is adding to your stress load, don’t hesitate to ask for you. Asking for help is a sign of strength.

You can ask for help from:

• Your child’s school (ask how things are going, ask if there are any accommodations that can benefit your child, etc.)
• Other family members (let others know if your child is struggling and how they can help e.g., sticking with the schedule, implementing bedtime routines, etc. so everyone is on the same page)
• Mental health care professionals

Remember…

Many parents and children are experiencing some of the same feelings this year: typical school-year jitters along, concerns about overcoming challenges, etc. Remember to be kind to yourself. We’ll all navigating a new normal, and a little extra dash of kindness will make the journey easier for us all.

How We Can Help Reduce Stress

Here at NextStep, our friendly and compassionate team is here to support you and your family. If you or your child is struggling or experiencing increased anxiety, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Whether you need medication management, therapy, ADHD coaching, or parenting coaching, we can guide you with your next steps to help you and your family thrive.

To schedule an appointment, give us a call at 502-907-5908  or request an appointment online.

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Meal Planning & ADHD: 9 Tips to Make It Work

Planning meals for your family can be stressful — especially if ADHD leads to feeling disorganized and unprepared. Learning how to meal planning can eliminate some stress around mealtimes.

Why Is Meal Planning Hard If You Have ADHD?

Meal planning refers to taking the time to choose your meals for the week. It can also include making your grocery list for the week too. So why is this so difficult if you have ADHD? Meal planning requires decision-making, planning, prioritizing — all of which are executive function skills. Because ADHD can lead to struggles with executive function skills, the struggle makes sense.

In other words, meal planning can be overwhelming and incredibly ADHD-unfriendly. The good news is that meal planning is a skill – and skills can be learned. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of meal planning as well as 10 tips to make meal planning less overwhelming.

5 Benefits of Meal Planning for Your Family

Meal planning provides many benefits for you and your family. Exploring these benefits can be really motivating to stick with your plan. Think of this as your WHY as you embark on meal planning.

Meal planning can provide the following five benefits:

1. Reduces the feelings of overwhelm around planning for meals.
2. Helps you eat healthier. Planning ahead gives you a better chance of planning healthier meals.
3. Saves you time. Save time by avoiding the need to run to the store multiple times. You’ll also save time each night because you won’t have to think about what to make — you already know.
4. Saves you money. You can save money by reducing cutting out impulse buys and by avoiding duplicate purchases. Planning ahead also gives you an opportunity to take advantage of the weekly sales at your grocery store. Planning ahead also helps you stick with your budget.
5. Helps you cut back on fast food. We’ve all been there: it’s late and dinner isn’t made yet — so you order take-out. Planning ahead cuts out last minute fast-food choices.

In the next section, we’ll share tips for making meal planning less overwhelming.

9 Strategies for Making Meal Planning Easier

1. Make a Master List of 10 Recipes

A master list of recipes provides quick and easy references to some of your family’s favorite recipes.

Tips for making a master list:

• Include plenty of easy recipes for busy nights (think: Instapot or CrockPot recipes)
• Sort your recipes by category (beef-based, pasta dishes, chicken, side dishes, soups, etc)
• Keep them written down (in a blank journal, on a Word document, or on flashcards in a recipe box organizer)

When meal planning, you can refer to your master list to fill out your weekly meals. You can use as many recipes as you want. You might use meals only from your master list. Or, you can use some from your list and try 1-2 new recipes each week. Do what works for you.

Need inspiration? You get your free ADHD-friendly recipe book here.

2. Don’t Try to Memorize Your Meal Plan

Trying to memorize your meal plan will increase the risk that you deviate from the plan. You can write your meal plan:

• In a daily paper planner
• In an app
• On a dry erase board hanging in your kitchen

Tip: Using the dry erase board in the kitchen might be helpful to make sure your whole family is on the same page. This can limit the “What’s for dinner?” question.

3. Plan All of Your Meals

If you don’t make a plan for breakfast or lunch, you’ll more likely to either skip the meal or grab something quick from a drive-thru.

Include all of your meals when you meal plan. This doesn’t mean that breakfast or lunch has to be elaborate, time-consuming meals, either.

Examples include:

• Hard-boiled eggs and toast and a piece of fruit
• Overnight oats
• Brown bag lunch ideas such as leftover meat from dinner as a sandwich

Even if breakfast and lunch are quick meals, planning for them gives you time to get them ready. For example, if you know you want hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, you can make sure you allot time in the morning to get that done.

4. Check Your Daily Schedule

What if you have to work late on Tuesday? What if the kids have a dance recital on Thursday? Even on the busiest nights, you’ll still need dinner — but by taking your calendar into consideration, you ensure that you’ll have dinner ready.

Tip: You might designate busy nights as the slow-cooker night. You can also designate busy nights as leftover night — just reheat and go!

5. Check Your Pantry

When you’re meal planning, you don’t need to make 7 dinners each night from scratch with a pantry overhaul. You can use what you already have in your pantry to inspire your meals for the week.

For example, if you have a lot of canned tomatoes in your pantry, then plan a spaghetti night. Lots of chicken in your freezer? Try a pulled chicken recipe in your crockpot.

6. Choose In-Season Produce

Plan meals based on what’s in season. For example, planning a berry-based salad in the middle of winter might not lead to the best salad. Out-of-season produce tends to have less flavor and be more expensive.

Tip: If you want a fruit that is out-of-season, try the frozen version.

7. Don’t Forget to Plan for Leftovers

One of the most frustrating things is to end the week with a fridge full of leftovers. Instead, plan for your leftovers. Leftover night can be quite handy on busy nights.

Leftover nights cut down on wasted food, and it also gives you a night off of cooking.

How to make leftover nights not-so-boring:

• Get creative! If you don’t like having the same meal twice, you can repurpose your meals. For example, if you had steak on Monday, use the leftover steak to make steak tacos on Wednesday.
• Leftovers aren’t just for dinner. Make your lunches out of dinner leftovers. For example, if you have leftover roast chicken, you can slice it and top your salad with it.

8. Make Extra and Freeze It

Time-permitting, make a double batch of your favorite recipes. You can eat one batch for dinner, and then freeze the second batch for later. This can come in handy the following week if you need a quick dinner.

What can you freeze? Consider making double batches of meals such as:

• Soups (Lay flat in a Ziploc to freeze; once frozen, you can turn upright and stack soup easier.)
• Chili
• Bolognese sauce
• Waffles
• Meatloaf or salmon loaf

9. Schedule Your Meal Planning Time

The first step to meal planning is actually doing it. Set aside designated time to work on your meal plan in peace. It shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.

Need More Guidance?

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed with planning and organizing tasks, we can help. Here at Next Step 4 ADHD, we provide comprehensive, multimodal support, including:

• Medication management
• Therapy
• ADHD coaching
• Online courses, including our FREE self-care course which focuses on nutrition

To make an appointment or to learn more, call us at 502-907-5908. You can also request an appointment here.

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