My 4yo son has been diagnosed with ADHD. how do i handle his behaviour?

i read something that said we shouldn't get mad at him b/c he can't control his impulses (like jumping around while walking and knocking into ppl). does anybody have any tips on how to better handle his impulses without getting mad at him?

ignore what you read, that's bullshit. saying he isn't in control of his behavior is giving him free reign to do what he wants and act out. 4 yo children are rambunctious by nature and they are just starting to learn right from wrong and proper social behavior. if you use his adhd as a reason he shouldn't get in trouble for his misbehavior, he'll adopt that attitude for the rest of his life. a 4 year old knocking someone over is one thing- but what about an 8 year old engaging in the same behavior? or a 12 year old?

there are three types of behavior modification- reward, punishment/anger and indifference. with the kids i work with, i use reward 70% of the time, indifference 20-25% of the time (you can also punish with indifference) and punishment/anger 5% of the time.

start rewarding him for good, calm behavior. catch him when he is sitting quietly or behaving in a positive way and tell him that you're so impressed with how calm and well behaved he is that you're going to give him a treat (or read a book, or do something else he likes). even simple verbal praise used many times a day goes far... or perhaps giving him a gold star sticker if he can make it through that trip to the store without knocking into people. set small, achievable goals. for instance, 10 minutes of quiet gets him playtime with a favorite toy. when he masters those ten minutes, increase it to 15.....

when he does cause trouble with the intended purpose of getting attention, don't reward him with positive or negative attention. act like a queen- as cold as possible. you might be boiling underneath, but on the surface you should put on airs that you aren't in the least bit impressed with his antics. he'll soon get tired of trying to make you upset for his entertainment. act like his efforts don't impress you, while at the same time giving him time out or whatever punishment method you use.

getting mad should be part of your arsenal. punishment for the things he does wrong should never be avoided, but be sure to go about it in a calm, rational, reasonable way. save those moments where you get angry and raise your voice to about 5-10% of the time when you know it will have the most effect.

here's a link that talks about charts for setting goals and rewarding positive behavior:
http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Reward_C...

good luck!