10/01/2026
That satisfied “ahhhh” feeling when you take a task from start to finish…
⭐️ that sticky door fixed with all supplies back in their proper homes
⭐️ the sink completely empty of dirty dishes, even the annoying-to-clean dishes
⭐️ kids’ bathroom cleaned AND cleaning supplied put away
…it feels good to fully finish a task, even when the task itself is boring and laborious!
But our kids with ADHD (and grownups with ADHD)… they often struggle to *fully* complete tasks (not because they are bad kids, but because of their differences in executive functioning!).
When they aren’t fully finishing tasks, they aren’t accessing that accomplished feeling that rewards their perseverance through boring or challenging tasks… making it harder to want to do that thing next time. AND this leaves you with a house littered with half finished tasks and probably some frustration.
In our home, one thing we talk about is *closing the loop*… it’s a common language we use that helps us stay calm when we notice something unfinished (“close the loop on those dirty clothes, please!”) while also putting responsibility on our kids to pay more attention to how to close the loop (put the clothes in the hamper) and notice when they’ve done just that.
Kids with ADHD need extra help with *closing the loop*, and here’s a few ways you can support:
🌱 Making sure your child understands what the end goal or expectation is - what exactly is the *closed loop* here? We often talk about this as helping your child see the “future picture”.
🌱 Prime them before a task to remember to *close the loop* - “It’s time to brush your teeth; please be sure to close the loop!”… meaning rinse the sink, put toothpaste away, put toothbrush in cup, etc… making sure you’ve pre-taught this expectation.
🌱 Calmly reminding your child when a loop needs to be closed rather than closing the loop for them.
🌱 Praising and celebrating when your child successfully *closes the loop* and talking about how it feels good to see a task all the way through.
🎉 If you haven’t downloaded our FREE ADHD parenting guide, it’s got other great tips for parenting your child with ADHD. Just comment 6KEYS below and we will DM you the link!