It can be hard enough to reduce screen time for kids in general, but the often unstructured and indoor nature of summers in the Phoenix Valley can unlock a new level of difficulty for parents of children with ADHD. While getting out of the house is a great way to spend the break, it isn’t always a sustainable choice for the long haul.
For many parents, hearing comments like ‘I’m bored’ and ‘There’s nothing to do’ signals a familiar struggle: decision fatigue. This is particularly true for children with executive function disorders. Decision fatigue occurs because “ADHDers struggle to filter out irrelevant information to focus on what’s most important. The struggle can lead to a significant cognitive load as information is weighed, making even small decisions feel big” (Michael Ascher, M.D., and Lauren Ascher, J.D. M.S.T., 2024).
ENTER: THE ACTIVITIES MENU
Feeling overwhelmed by the task of choosing what to do during the day, amplified by a reduced sense of structure in general, can be a recipe for meltdowns and conflict. Fortunately, simplifying daily decisions with an activities menu can help prevent them. Working together with your child, brainstorm as many activities as you can. Providing a guided list of non-electronic activities offers a simple resource that encourages them to get creative about how to keep themselves entertained and empowers them with the gift of both structure and choice.
CREATE CATEGORIES
Aim for a variety of activity types, such as physical movement, art, music, reading, play, etc. Movement might include dancing to music, playing hide and seek, or following guided exercise videos for children. If reading and writing are generally a challenge, these can be more exciting after a trip to the library for new material, or when writing a letter to a family member who lives far away. For playtime, they might list the toys currently in their room, such as legos, blocks, and puzzles. If encouraging your child to entertain themselves more independently is a priority, it can also be helpful to create a list of activities that can be done alone versus collaboratively, such as coloring on their own or playing a board game together.
ON THE HUNT FOR IDEAS
Running out of ideas? Check out Peak’s article on Summer Boredom Busters. Make a research project out of it on Google to see what new ideas you can read about. An adventure together around the house might discover an old pack of bubbles from a birthday party, some cake mix that hasn’t been baked yet, or other small surprises lying around. Even a sheet in the hall closet could become ‘Build a fort’ on the activity menu. Is the list getting too long? Write the ideas on slips of paper in a jar to be pulled as needed throughout the day. Or, the menu can be spread out as separate lists for different days, to help mix things up.
TAKEAWAYS
Summer boredom can lead to cognitive overwhelm as children with ADHD try to decide what to do with their free time.
Creating an activities menu can provide a sense of structure and empowered choices, while also reducing screen time and promoting creative problem-solving.
Activities menus are ideally designed around non-electronic entertainment, and they incorporate variety in the types of choices provided.
Written by Brandi R.