If I had a dime for every time my son with ADHD said, “but I can do it later or tomorrow,” then truly I would have quite a bit more in my savings account. Everyone struggles with procrastination sometimes, but for our children with ADHD it can be worse. It may seem like a daily battle as your child puts off homework, school projects, chores and anything else they are asked to do. So how can you help your child with ADHD overcome procrastination?
Why does your child with ADHD have a harder time with procrastination?
Your child seeming to procrastinate too much isn’t in your head. Certain traits of ADHD can create a greater tendency for procrastination.
- People with ADHD tend to hyperfocus on things that interest them and put off things that don’t.
- Children with ADHD may have issues with paying attention to topics or tasks that don’t interest them, so they put them off until another time.
- Many people with ADHD have significant difficulty with time perception, including time processing and time reproduction. This can contribute to procrastination when tasks do not fit in the “now” of their thinking.
- Most children with ADHD struggle with a lack of executive function skills. These also can contribute to procrastination.
My son J struggles with so many of these, and it can be a daily battle to get him to stay on task when he would rather be doing something else. Yet, when he is motivated to do something, he can focus and get it done.
Ways to help your child with ADHD overcome procrastination
So how can you help your child with ADHD quit putting off so many activities and overcome procrastination? Try these tips.
1. Break down projects and tasks into manageable chunks
Sometimes, a homework assignment, project or chore is just too big. That can lead to procrastination. Help your child break it into smaller tasks and tackle those one at a time.
2. Use a timer
Because of their difficulty with time perception, tasks may seem daunting because they may seem to take too long. Using a timer can really help keep your child on task better and gives them a specific amount of time to work on it before they can take a break. We used this recently when my son J had to write a term paper for school. We broke everything into smaller tasks and then used a timer for each. He said it was so much easier for him!
3. Create a reward system
For many people with ADHD, they need external motivators. To help your child stop procrastinating, develop a reward system for them. A token system might work well for this if your child procrastinates a lot with homework, chores and other tasks.
4. Print tasks on a daily checklist
If your child is a visual learner, then printing out their daily tasks on a checklist may be a good way to keep them on track. They can mark off their tasks as they complete them, and it is easier for you as parent to know what’s been completed and what hasn’t.
5. Give your child choices
Encourage some ownership by allowing your child to make their own choices about which tasks to do when. For example, I will let my son J know about two or three things he needs to get done that day. Then he can tell me the order he wants to do them and at what time. Even though he has to do those tasks, he has some say in the when and how.
6. Schedule breaks
If the tasks are going to take a while, schedule breaks for your child or teen. It will help them stay on task better. For example, when my son was writing his term paper a couple of weeks ago, he worked on it for 50 minutes and then took 50 minutes for a break. It worked really well for him, and he got everything done.
7. Remind your child that it doesn’t have to be perfect
Sometimes, we procrastinate because we want everything to be perfect, and our children will do the same. They think everything has to be perfect to get started. They believe all of it has to be perfect before it is finished. While you want your child to do their task or homework well, striving for perfection can get in the way and cause a lot of stress.
8. Help them avoid multitasking
Multitasking actually takes longer overall instead of focusing on one task at time. Each task also is done better. Therefore, help your child focus on one thing at a time. It also is a lot less stressful!
9. Set up routines
People with autism and ADHD thrive on routine, so take advantage of it. Make the tasks part of a routine. For example, create an after-school routine that includes a snack, a bit of down time and a time when they start homework. Schedule chores for a specific day and time when they need to get done. This could really help your child!
Additional Resources
If you are looking for additional resources to help your child with procrastination, check out these.
Overcoming Procrastination for Teens: A CBT Guide for College-Bound Students (affiliate link)
Getting Past Procrastination: How to Get Your Kids Organized, Focused, and Motivated…Without Being the Bad Guy (affiliate link)
A Teen’s Guide to Getting Stuff Done: Discover Your Procrastination Type, Stop Putting Things Off, and Reach Your Goals (affiliate link)
ADHD Planner: The Undated Weekly Daily Schedule Organizer Tracker Journal For ADHD Disorganized People (affiliate link)
Ticktime Pomodoro Timer, Digital Cube Timer, Visual Magnetic Flip Timer, Silent & Alarm (affiliate link)
What tips do you have that have helped your child with ADHD overcome procrastination? Leave a comment so that we can share and encourage one another on this journey!
