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Break It Down! How to Help Your Teen with ADHD Set Goals
Parenting

Break It Down! How to Help Your Teen with ADHD Set Goals

Academics are a big part of a teen’s life. And don’t get me wrong- grades are important!

 

It’s easy to focus on setting goals, just to help them learn how to complete school assignments.

 

But there’s more to it than that. This mindset affects every part of their lives.

 

When our teens set goals, they’re learning how to break down any project into doable action steps. It trains their brains to think one or two steps ahead and strengthens their working memory. 

 

These are life skills that build habits and minimize overwhelm.

 

Every time they follow through on an action step, they experience success. It builds their confidence to keep going- to take the next step. Before they know it, they’ve accomplished their goal!

 

Ask your teen questions to help him break his goal down into super specific action steps.

 

For example, does your teen want to be a better golfer? (Great! What does he mean by that?) 

 

He wants to drive his driver further. (How much further? Get those numbers into the goal!)

 

225 yards. (Sounds good. When is he going to practice?) 

 

For the next 90 days. (This is reasonable- with a little practice, he can do it!)

 

These steps help him connect an action to a result. It sets him up for lots of wins! 

 

Your daughter may have challenges with writing a history paper- it’s way too much to think about and her brain goes into overload! But she can take 10 minutes and find two quotes from chapter 7. She can read the next chapter before dinner. 

 

The overall goal can be overwhelming. By breaking the project down into doable steps, she’ll realize that she can do the hard work and tackle the project with confidence.

 

The journey begins with a single step!

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Kelly B

I'm a Certified ADHD Teen Life Coach: (Teens are my jam!) and creative mind behind the Teen RockStar Program: a 10 month academic long year program of support and partnering with High Schoolers.

I pursued and completed my coaching training certification at the International ADHD Coach Training Center (iACT Center), an ICF accredited program and the rest is history!

I created the Teen Rockstar program as I realized High Schoolers, who are neurodiverse, need support throughout the academic long year. Staying on task, breaking down barriers with motivation, getting started, procrastinating, uncovering coping skills, while being someone in their corner who believes in them, are just a few benefits of my program.

I reside in my “Happy Place” of Pinehurst, NC. where I'm a mom of two incredibly opposite teenage boys, Brady and Bryce, and wife of a workaholic hubby, Tim.

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