Family
Bedtime Advice for Children with ADHD
Parents of children with ADHD may know all too well the struggle of putting their restless child to bed at night. But now, parents might be able to rest easy with some help from a new children's book.
According to The American Psychiatric Association, 3%-7% of school-aged children have ADHD. However, studies have estimated higher rates in community samples. That means more parents are looking for help....
When children suffer from ADHD, calming them down to get a soothing night's sleep can be a challenge. Parents can struggle for hours at a time just to get their child ready for sleep. Some parents will try just about anything to get their little one to sleep. Could the answer start with a book? Author Phoebe Lee believes she it can.
Parenting Expert Phoebe Lee Offers First ADHD Children's Picture Book
In Monkey Mind: A Captivating Bedtime Story for Children, parenting columnist Phoebe Lee, combines her experience in ADHD, children's sleep issues and parenting from a Buddhist perspective to craft a children's picture book just published by Chicago's Inspire You Books. The companion Monkey-Fish-Dragon guided meditation audio CD features music by an eight-time Emmy award-winner. 
"The phrase 'monkey mind' is actually a Buddhist term for 'unsettled' or 'restless,'" says Lee, whose background includes both traditional education as well as study with Native American elders and Zen Buddhist monks and nuns. She wrote the book for her own daughter.
What can parents do to settle their ADHD kids for the night? Lee recommends the following:
- Calming music: Nature sounds and audio books are great relaxation tools for both children and adults.
- Guided meditation: Whether read aloud by the parent or played on an audio recording, guided meditation is a great way to help kids relax.
- Creative visualization: Ask your child to imagine a comfortable place they'd like to go, or an activity in which they'd like to participate, then talk through their choice and scenario.
Lee, a writer of parenting and ADHD articles, is currently on an around-the-world "blog tour" to promote the book, which is available in bookstores and from Amazon. You can read more on both the book and Lee's parenting blog tour at http://www.MonkeyMindBook.com.