Holidays wouldn’t be the holidays if there weren’t a certain amount of chaos, but for families with a couple of ADD kids and an ADD parent or two thrown in for good measure, the level of chaos can be off the charts!

What steps can you and your family take to get that level of chaos down to a dull roar? How about these three M’s for starters:

1. Maintain routines! This cannot be over-emphasized. Kids need to have meals and bedtime as close to their normal routine as possible. This can be challenging if you need to travel, but work towards this goal.

2. Medications! Given that the holidays are one of the most hectic times of the year; this is not a good time for you or your ADD children to take a medication holiday. And with all the distractions, children can be at a greater risk of injury. Keeping your kids on their medications will require extra effort by everyone because when the daily routines are disrupted, it is very easy to forget the meds. This is another reason for #1!

3. Minimize stimulation. Christmas morning does not have to be a cacophony of electronic noise-makers. Children are better off with one or two toys that engage the imagination and creativity rather than several different toys that overload them. And toys that do not require kids to interact actively can quickly leave the ADD child bored. Relatedly, keep the number of activities that require “getting ready” to a minimum over the holidays. Recent research has shown that “getting ready” is one of the most stressful times for moms and their ADD kids. When possible, select activities without hard deadlines (e.g., playing at the park rather than trying to make a movie).

These three basics – Maintain routines; Medications; Minimize stimulation – can help all of you to have a more joyful holiday.