June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month — the perfect time for men everywhere to pause and reflect on how they’re truly feeling. It’s also Father’s Day this month, when we show appreciation for all the hard work and dedication that goes into one of the most important job titles.
Fathers can be a selfless bunch, putting their child’s development and success ahead of their own. And for dads living with ADHD, balancing fatherhood and mental health can be both a challenge and an opportunity. Here are some tips for becoming the best dad you can be, along with the best version of yourself.
Start with treatment
The reality is: Of more than 15 million adults diagnosed with ADHD, nearly 56% are men. So “the first step in improving your parenting skills is to make sure you are receiving adequate treatment for your ADHD,” says Terry M. Dickson, M.D., founder and director of The Behavioral Medicine Clinic of NW Michigan, which serves children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD. “You can’t help your child if you don’t first help yourself.”
Make healthy choices
Prioritizing sleep, regular physical activity, and healthy eating won’t just help you transform that dad bod (though it will certainly do that), it will also ensure that you’re functioning optimally and make tackling fatherhood and ADHD that much easier.
Sleep: Treat it as an appointment. Set a bedtime (does that sound familiar?) and wake-up time and stick to them. Identify any to-dos you need to complete before bed and buffer in some time to complete them before turning in.
Exercise: It usually feels like one more thing to fit into an already busy schedule. So start small, maybe with regular walks or using cardio equipment that lets you watch an episode of that show you’re binging while you exercise.
Nutrition: The hard truth is that it’s easier to eat poorly than to eat well. But with so many things, preparation is the key to success. Consider meal planning at the start of each week, even if it’s just breakfast or lunch. You’ll be less tempted to reach for that bag of chips if you already have healthy items ready to go.
Carve out “dad time”
Quality time is the bedrock of any parent/child relationship. Set aside time to meaningfully connect with your child — free of distractions (seriously, put it down). Do an activity you both enjoy or focus on skill-building.
If your child has ADHD (it often runs in families), use this time to teach them techniques that have helped you – maybe things you wish you’d learned at their age. These could be anything from tips for completing homework on time to becoming a better listener in class.
And speaking of listening, use this time to do just that. Actively listen to their questions and concerns. That way, your child will know they have a safe, judgment-free environment where they’re comfortable communicating openly.
Check your ADHD symptoms
If you’re experiencing symptoms of ADHD, especially if it’s impacting your relationship with your child, you have options. Learn more about our clinically validated Mental Health Diagnostic Evaluation* that screens for ADHD and other potentially co-occurring conditions like anxiety, depression, and more.
Being a dad is hard enough work, so anything you can do to make it a little easier will go a long way for you (and them).
References
Men’s Mental Health
CHADD
ADDitude Magazine
This article was clinically reviewed by Valerie Snyder, LVN, Mental Wellness Coach
* The Mentavi Mental Health Diagnostic Evaluation is clinically validated for the diagnosis of ADHD in adults. Study results were presented at the 10th World Congress on ADHD in May 2025.
