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The Best Resources for Parenting ADHD

Time tested for 14 years, these are what I consider to be the best resources for parenting ADHD. These resources that follow are mother- approved and ADHD kid-approved! 
If something made it to this list, it has gone thru years of personal testing and has given us lots of great results. I am forever curating this – so check back every so often.

Remember, all kids are different. It very well will take you some trial and error to find out what works for you and your ADHD child. I share what has worked for us as a resource for parents looking for ways to help their own child and family.

Let me know what your favorites are – I love to hear from readers. Message me on Instagram anytime!

****Some of these links are affiliate links. See our full disclosure policy for all the details****

See these all on my Amazon Storefront – plus, new things I keep adding in.

Resources for an ADHD Diet for Kids

natural supplements for adhd

Multi-Vitamins and Minerals for Kids With ADHD

This is a big list of the supplements we have taken over the years – we do not take these all at one time, and my kids have outgrown some of them in favor of other. I have a BIG POST on natural resources for ADHD that goes into more detail and gives you a bit of a timeline.

Bluebonnet Rainforest Animalz Multivitamin – our daily multi-vitamin with loads of good stuff. This one is relatively new to us after our favorite multi was discontinued.  one does not have Omega-3 or magnesium, but it is a great comprehensive multi with no dyes or added sugars.

Jarrow Mag Mind – This magnesium supplement helps my son (and me!) relax at bedtime and fall asleep.  Also good to just make kids more chill. Sometimes we start our day with one, too

Magnesium oil – if your kids can’t swallow the pills, rub this on their feet or the back of their necks. The magnesium is easily absorbed into the skin. It’s great before bed. 

Supplements for Picky Teenagers with ADHD

Teens may push back when you try to get them to take supplements. Remember, they are trying to grow away from you and are starting to make their own decisions – good and bad. So, one thing that may work is finding supplements that are delicious and easy to take.

MyKind Organics Multivitamins is a super clean brand with formulas for men and women and kids. Their multivitamin formulas contain lots of Vitamin B, K, and others without anything artificial.

NowKids Berry Dophilus is an easily chewable, orange flavored probiotic good for teens and kids.

Fish oil has been a staple for us for years and my teens still take Barlean’s Liquid Fish Oil…..it tastes great!!

Some of these contains the sweetener xylitol, which in very large amounts can cause some digestive issues in some people. The amounts in these vitamins is miniscule, but read this informative article if you are concerned.

Probiotics and Prebiotics for Our ADHD Diet

Just Thrive Probiotics – This is the probiotic we are currently taking now that my kids are older and can mostly take capsules now.  (Although, these can be opened up and mixed into just about anything – even baked into our oatmeal casserole and cowboy cookies.)

Just Thrive’s Probiotics are spore based, which means they can survive in the stomach. In fact, the survivability rate of this product is INCREDIBLE. The probiotic strands have 1000x higher rate of survival than greek yogurt! Wow. 

These can also boost mood! For moms, too!!

JustThrive’s Probiotics have been a game changer for me. I take the probiotic formula along with their new mood boosting Joot formula. I can honestly say, I feel a noticeable boost in my mood when I take these consistently

sun warrior protein powder

Other Big Nutritional Boosts for an ADHD Diet

Let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to get our kids to eat right. Here’s a few things to consider for giving your ADHD kids an extra nutritional boost.

Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin – I love this stuff! The gelatin mixes seamlessly into oatmeal, smoothies, and soups, providing a big boost of protein. I add it to my coffee, too!

Sun Warrior Protein Powder gives my kids an extra protein boost when they need one.  In fact, this turns just about anything into a protein packed meal. We add it to oatmeal, smoothies, baked goods, and energy balls to give my kids the sustained fuel they need. It’s not filled with fake stuff and chemicals or alcohol sugars. And – it tastes great!

My Monthly Amazon Subscribe and Save List

I consistently buy some items from Amazon because of their low prices and convenience. Here’s what is on my monthly order:

Save Money on Groceries with this

I’ve been ordering produce and pantry items from Imperfect Foods for nearly two years now. They consistently have the lowest prices on so many organic and natural items – and it’s delivered to my door!! Check them out with this code to get their current deal that’s often $20 or $40 off your order! (I will get an affiliate commission at no cost to you – thanks!!)

Fun Kitchen Stuff for an ADHD Diet

I love to get my kids helping in the kitchen and here’s some things we love!

Katie Kimball’s Kids Cook Real Food Course is an amazing way to get kids to learn skills to help you in the kitchen. They become independent and gain confidence with their newfound skills. There is so much content for kids to learn over the course of a few months.

These knives were in our kitchen for many, many years. They are super safe and a great way for even littles to start learning how to use tools.

Prepping fruits and veggies is a big part of our week. These glass containers stack in the fridge and hold a lot of cut up produce. They go from fridge to table and back again.

My Go-To ADHD Parenting Books

Ross Greene’s book The Explosive Child was one of the first books I read that really clicked. Dr. Greene’s perspective for raising differently wired kids is so humane and makes such good sense. This book changed how I saw my child and in turn how I parented. A must read if your child is inflexible, has explosions over seemingly minor things. 

If you are just navigating the ADHD diagnosis waters, Norrine Russell’s book, Asking the Right Questions About ADHD, Before, During and After Your Child’s Diagnosis, answers all of your questions!

Differently Wired is written by Deborah Reber, one of my favorite podcasters. Reber is so candid about raising her differently wired son – it is refreshing and I love her for it! I saw myself in just about every page of her book. The book encourages us to celebrate children who are a bit different and offers heartfelt advice for our often difficult,never boring journey. This book is just so darn helpful – it stays on my bedside for a quick read when I need it.

Big-Life Journal (We have this journal for teens) has an amazing book out for parents trying to raise kids with a growth mindset. Parenting With a Growth Mindset is available in pdf form, so you can get it this instant.

Dawn Huebner writes books for anxious children and their parents. They are all geared for elementary aged kids and offer a really great perspective that kids easily relate to. We have Outsmarting Worry which is geared toward tweens. The ideas in it have been groundbreaking for us and my son’s anxiety. The book is super relatable for kids and gives kids an explanation for how and why anxiety acts in the body. It has truly empowered our whole family.

I ordered Smart Moves along with Movements that Heal on the advice of our Physical Therapist.  I was so fascinated by this idea of  lack of proper movement being at the core of my sons’ challenges that  I wanted to continue to learn about the ideas that Bloomberg presented in his book.

Carla Hanford’s, Smart Moves, goes really in-depth with the science behind the brain and has many extremely helpful(and hopeful!) case studies. This book has practical ideas to get your kids moving and improving their brains.

ADHD tips for parents

Katherine Quie, fellow ADHD Parent and Nueropsychologist, wrote a fantastic book about raising her son with ADHD. It was so great to feel kinship with another parent and see myself and my family on nearly every page. She also offers great tips throughout that are practical and very doable. Check out my interview with her, too.

Cookbooks for an ADHD Diet

I love cookbooks, but these are the ones I go to again and again, to help me get new ideas for what to feed our family as we follow and ADHD Diet. Not specifically for ADHD, these have recipes that are gluten free, dairy free and can most likely be customized to fit your dietary/allergy needs.

Hands down my best purchase 7 years ago that I still cook from on a weekly basis are Katie Kimball’s cookbooks. Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship offers 7 cookbooks on her site.  I have them all and seriously, they are my most used cookbooks. 

Healthy Snacks to Go offers easy to make, yummy to eat snacks that go in our lunch boxes on a regular basis. I love that she always offers gluten free or dairy free options for all her recipes.

Healthy Breakfasts and Healthy Lunches are kept in a binder in my kitchen cabinet and used on nearly a weekly basis. I have even memorized many of her recipes. Baked Oatmeal, granola, protein bars, healthy brownies, gluten free pancakes and waffles are just some of our favorites. You will not regret purchasing any of her ebooks

ADHD Resources for Better Sleep

Weighted Blankets – Our weighted blanket is far and away the best money I’ve spent on “a thing” to help ADHD. Ours is from Sensacalm – the quality is amazing, it’s washable and their customer service is impeccable. Their site has a great clearance section, too. 

Weighted stuffed animal – Sensacalm makes weighted stuffed animals, perfect for smaller kids to cuddle. These make a great companion for reading, watching TV and sleeping, too.

We love KidsCalm Gummies, and MagMind capsules. Either can be taken an hour before bed to fall asleep easier and relax the body and mind. A nice bath with magnesium flakes is a great way to get magnesium, as well. If your kids have a hard time swallowing pills, try rubbing some magnesium lotion or oil on the bottom of their feet or the back of their neck.

White Noise machines can block out extraneous noises and create a calm space inside the bedroom. We have this one, which has been great! Our therapist has this one which is a bit fancier.

ADHD Resources for School and Home Learning

Time Timer – this is the BEST thing to keep my kids focused to do their homework. I love how the timer shows time elapsing. It give my kids a good sense of time passing and continues to help them improve their sense of time. I bought one for my son to use in school and it really helps to keep him on track during the day, too. 

Headphones  – Sometimes shutting out the noise is all it takes to help kids concentrate. Noise cancelling headphones can work wonders in the classroom and at home. My own kids and my Montessori class love these

Wiggle stool – both of my kids rock back on just about any chair they sit in. It became an argument at every meal….so I ordered them each a wiggle stool and the fighting stopped!!  This stool engages the core and allow my kids to move their bodies while eating or doing homework. I don’t know how I lasted so long without it!! I ordered the teen version, but this child version is the same, only smaller.

Locker organizer  – this was an absolute must for my son the first year he had a locker. Having the extra shelves eliminates the pile of books and papers at the bottom of the locker. The only downside is that you loose your ability to hang a coat – so that gets stuffed at the bottom – but I can deal with that!

Three-ring binder – Once my son hit middle school he had such a hard time keeping himself organized. This binder, while not a magic answer, has helped a TON. He can keep everything in it and now forgets homework much less often than before. It’s super sturdy – we are on our second year with the same one. 

Resources for managing screen for ADHD kids

There are a few awesome parenting books for helping kids manage screens. My faves are Devorah Heitners Screenwise and Growing Up in Public. Also Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch is a wealth of knowledge.

Andrea Davis’ website, Better Screen Time is amazing and she has a highly rated class, too. I love her book, Creating a Tech Healthy Family, too. We’ve done many of the exercise in the book and they are really engaging and eye-opening for any age kid.

The glasses block the blue light that screens emit to help kids get a better night’s sleep.

ADHD Resources for Active Play

Exercise ball – We use an exercise ball in our PT and OT work. Both of my kids love to roll around on it, bounce on it, use it for push ups, etc. It’s a great thing to have when my kids have extra energy to burn. Ours is 65cm and my kids are nearly 5 feet tall. I love to use it as well!

Head Lamp – My kids use these for camping with Scouts, but they are also very fun for night hikes in the winter. We take hikes around the neighborhood after dinner and these are fun!

Fox tail – neither of my kids are very “sportsy” so throwing a ball around the backyard is just not something they have ever done. But, we have had a version of a foxtail forever!  It’s basically a ball with a tail. You can throw it as a ball or twirl it around by it’s tail and let it go…either way, there is lots of chasing it around the yard. These make great gifts, too!! We love to give the one that lights up

Master a Million counting ball – this ball counts every bounce you make, with the object being to get to a million. I got this for our last road trip and it was fun to do at rest stops. The ball is heavy and makes a louder noise than most bouncy balls. We do this mostly outside – but its fun!!

Koosh Ball – this is old school fun at its best! We have the Mondo Koosh, which is a little bigger than the original version. The Koosh is easy to throw and catch, great for Indoor fun, and all ages and abilities. My high schooler still LOVES this and tosses it around all the time.

Plasma Car – we never had these at home, but my kids’ Montessori school did – and my kids rode them every single day for an entire school year. They are great in a small space – like your kitchen or basement -OR – ride them on the side walk or a paved path. Bring it to the mall for tons of exercise!!

Scooter Board – This is the BEST thing if you have hard wood floors or a fairly empty, unfinished basement. My kids make an obstacle course through our entire first floor and burn off so much energy. We have to move the furniture and roll up a few area rugs, but it’s so worth it! I found an AB Roller at Goodwill, but Amazon has a simple scooter which works even better. 

Rainbow Puddle Jumper – we’ve had these for ages. Super lightweight and easy to carry, these can be used in any backyard or playground. 

Pogo Stick – An old school classic!!  This takes some practice – which is a good thing – my son really works at getting better with this. Takes strength and concentration. Cheap enough to make a great gift, too.

 Hippity Hop – A childhood favorite of mine, this is an exercise ball with a handle.  Super for indoors and out for getting the energy out,anytime of the year!!  These are so inexpensive and have lasted for 3 years now. Each of my kids has one and they love them – even as a tween!

Trampoline – I originally got this mini tramp for myself, but my kids soon took it over. It is the most used piece of equipment we have. My kids LOVE to jump on this. We have contests to see who can do 500 jumps the fastest. This has truly been a life saver during the winter months, on snow days and for the witching hour just before dinner. 

ADHD Teenager Must Haves

Teenagers are really a different breed, aren’t they? I’ve got two now living under one roof! These are lifesavers.

FatBoy Bean Bag – Comfort is King for teenagers and so is privacy! Their bean bags is huge and great for teens to sit, lounge….even nap. And it can be taken to any part of the house (even outside!) very easily — so they can escape from their family. We’ve had a version of the FatBoy for ages – my oldest spent the first 6 months of his life nestled in the POINT.

School binder – ADHD kids need a place to put all their school stuff and it has to be easy!! This truly saved my kids — and me — much less arguing over homework, lost papers, etc. My kids loved the larger version in middle school, but now as high schoolers love this slimmer version.

Time Timer – Literally my most used resource in this entire list…the time timer helps with chunking down homework, taking shorter showers, getting off video games without nagging…need I say more!

Websites I’ve Found Helpful for Parenting ADHD

ADDitude  – This was my first resource I poured over when my boys were first diagnosed. Lots of good general information. They are beginning to offer even more advice about a more holistic approach to ADHD. 

Seth Perler – Seth is an executive function coach who speaks from personal experience. His sight is filled with ideas to help organize your ADHD kids from middle school on up. I love his video series. We have implemented so many of his ideas in the past year. They really work!

Ned Hallowell’s sight is full of great information. He is just such a likable guy. I love his compassion-first ideas about treating ADD. He’s written several seminal books that are in my amazon queue. Spend some time perusing his sight. His podcast is great too!

Wellness Mama – Katie offers a wealth of information on becoming healthier as a family. She shares recipes and reviews of new, interesting products. I’ve gotten so much information from her on how to help my boys’ ADHD in a natural way. Her approach is honest and useful. Her podcast is a favorite and I have her cookbook, too.

Kitchen Stewardship– This was one of the first blogs I read when I started to adopt a healthier lifestyle – when I just saw an eek of ADHD symptoms in my boys. Katie Kimball’s cookbooks are amazing. I have all 7. Her sight offers doable healthy choices for families with lots of free content. 

Random adhd Resources That are Super Helpful

Elastic Shoe Laces -I never realized how hard it can be for kids to tie shoes until I had kids of my own. Both of my boys took a loooooong time to really learn this skill. These elastic laces fit any shoes and are super easy to fasten. These laces saved a lot of tears until my kids were able to really learn the skill(admitedly, they were in third grade!).

Weekly Sticky Note Charts for kids – Getting ADHD kids to remember to do their chores can be such a battle. When you write it down in a spot for them to see, you are making the unseen, SEEN! All you have to do is say, “Have you finished your list?” or “Go check your list.” Brilliant!!

These resources for parenting ADHD have been so helpful to me and I am happy to share what has worked in the hopes that it will save you time and money for your own journey. Please hop over to Instagram and share what’s worked for you.

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2 Comments

  1. Eva Rytwinski says:

    Where would you suggest? I start on having my newly diagnosed. Son tested for food allergies and sensitivities?

    1. Hi, Shawna Hughes Nutrition (find her on Instagram) is a great nutritionist that specializes in ADHD. Also, search functional doctors in your area…..we go to Aligned Health, but not sure if they are anywhere but Chicagoland Area. Hope that helps! I have a post on what to do when your kiddo is just diagnosed that will be helpful, too. Good Luck. : )