Conquering the Wiggle Fidgets:
7 Inspiring Books for ADHD Kids and Their Parents
by Marilyn Wedge, Ph.D.
What’s a parent to do when Johnny can’t stop fidgeting with his pencil in class or Sally daydreams and doesn’t finish her math assignments? It’s only natural for parents of children who are diagnosed with ADHD to worry when their kids fidget, daydream, or disrupt the classroom. And no child is happy when a teacher becomes frustrated with his behavior and sends notes home to his parents.
Fortunately, there are many great books written for both kids and parents on managing ADHD, each one offering a different opinion of what ADHD is and how best to help a distracted or overactive child. Some authors emphasize medication, but there are many other perspectives. For example, some experts propose changing the child’s diet; they recommend adding more fresh foods and cutting out foods with sugar, artificial colorings, and preservatives. Others advise that kids spend less time in front of electronic screens and more time outdoors in physical activities. Still others have found that providing a predictable structure for a child’s day and enforcing consistent rules at home make for calmer happier children.
There is no dispute, however, that reading books — whether alone or with a parent — has a calming effect on children and may be especially helpful to kids with ADHD. Here are five books meant to inspire and empower young readers who are overactive or inattentive — and three informative reads for parents.
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Books for Children
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Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets
David has so many interesting ideas that it’s hard to pay attention to his teacher Mrs. Gorski. He prefers to daydream and invent exciting science experiments, which unfortunately don’t always turn out as expected. Luckily, David’s father believes that there’s nothing wrong with his son; he says David has the “wiggle fidgets” just like he had when he was a boy. With his father’s support, David begins to use his inventive imagination to come up with strategies to “cure” the wiggle fidgets. This delightful book — the first in the award-winning series The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses — encourages children to use their natural creativity to invent unique solutions for behaviors that annoy adults.
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This Morning Sam Went to Mars: A Book About Paying Attention
This beautifully illustrated book is about a boy named Sam who daydreams in class and has a hard time finishing his school work. Sam’s father takes him to a doctor who encourages the child, telling him that he has a powerful brain and will do great things in life. The doctor recommends eating “superfoods” (like blueberries, broccoli, and milk) instead of junk food and getting at least nine hours of sleep every night. She also gives Sam some tips on how to stay organized. It takes Sam and his parents a little time to put the doctor’s suggestions in place, but after a while Sam is relieved to find he no longer hears the voice of his parents or teacher telling him to “focus.”
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Last to Finish: A Story About the Smartest Boy in Math Class
Max dawdles in math class, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t smart. As it turns out, Max is gifted in math and just doesn’t feel challenged by his third grade assignments. When his teacher discovers this, she puts Max in an accelerated math class and invites him to join the school math team. This reassuring book in the Adventures of Everyday Geniuses Series shows that gifted kids can sometimes seem inattentive simply because their classwork is not challenging to them.
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Good Morning Yoga: A Pose-by-Pose Wake Up Story and Good Night Yoga: A Pose-by-Pose Bedtime Story
Research has shown that movement and exercise can help children with ADHD become calmer and more focused. Filled with beautiful illustrations of nature, the simple poses and deep breathing exercises in Good Morning Yoga and Good Night Yoga make yoga easy and accessible to kids. Morning poses are active and bedtime poses are gentle. And if the parent is into doing yoga with the child, so much the better!
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Books for Parents
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1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12
For parents dealing with an ADHD child’s behavioral challenges, I highly recommend 1-2-3 Magic. I have suggested this easy-to-read book to hundreds of parents in my practice who have found it a valuable guide to educating their children in good behavior. Used with consistency, the practical techniques in this book really do work like “magic.”
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Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head
Smart Moves explores the important role of movement and play in the learning process of children labeled ADHD or “learning disabled.”
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The ADHD Advantage: What You Thought Was A Diagnosis May Be Your Greatest Strength
Available from:Psychiatrist Dale Archer (who has ADHD himself) encourages readers to view ADHD in a new light, as a strength instead of a weakness.
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