hyperactive child

Agree: calm, quiet and obedient children scare! Immediately you start thinking: “Oh, what is wrong with him?” But is it normal if a child jumps over the heads of his crazed parents 24 hours a day? And where is the border between the norm and «brute force»?

An active child is good, it means that, firstly, he is healthy (he would be sick jumping on sofas!), And secondly, he has at his disposal quite adequate parents who do not put pressure on education, etiquette and other harmful for the child’s psyche is nonsense. He runs and jumps, breaks and folds, scatters and collects, crushes and builds, and also fights, bites, dances, sings, screams — and all this almost simultaneously. Only when you become the mother of such a treasure do you understand the true meaning of the good old saying: “How good you are when you sleep!”

But if this is so natural, why do neurologists unanimously call hyperactivity a pathology and strive to prescribe sedatives to the fidget? It turns out that there is a big difference between just activity and obsessive overexcitation.

Hyperactivity test

It looks like a children’s game from the Find 5 Differences series…

active child

1. Most of the day he “does not sit still”, prefers outdoor games to passive ones (puzzles, constructors), but if he is interested, he can read a book with his mother and assemble the same puzzle.
2. Talks fast and talks a lot, asks an infinite number of questions.
3. For him, sleep and digestive disorders (intestinal disorders) are rather an exception.
4. He is not active everywhere. For example, restless and restless at home, but calm — in the garden, visiting unfamiliar people.
5. He is non-aggressive. That is, by chance or in the heat of a conflict, he can kick his “colleague in the sandbox”, but he himself rarely provokes a scandal.

hyperactive child

1. He is in constant motion and simply cannot control himself, that is, even if he is tired, he continues to move, and when he is completely exhausted, he cries and hysteria.
2. He speaks quickly and a lot, swallows words, interrupts, does not listen to the end. He asks a million questions, but rarely listens to the answers to them.
3. It is impossible to put him to sleep, and if he sleeps, then in fits and starts, restlessly. He often has intestinal disorders. For hyperactive children, all kinds of allergies are not uncommon.
4. The child is uncontrollable, while he absolutely does not respond to prohibitions and restrictions. And in any conditions (home, shop, kindergarten, playground) behaves equally actively.
5. Often provokes conflicts. He does not control his aggression — he fights, bites, pushes, and uses improvised means: sticks, stones …

Where do the legs grow from?

The main difference between hyperactivity and just an active temperament is that this is not a character trait of a child, but a consequence of a not too smooth birth and disorders in infancy. The risk group includes children born as a result of caesarean section, severe pathological childbirth, artificial babies born with low birth weight, premature babies. Given that the ecology and pace of modern life now leave much to be desired, it is not surprising why hyperactive children are not uncommon, but rather the norm of our lives today. And it is worth mentioning: not all children at risk are necessarily hyperactive! And later, if all the «misunderstandings» (restlessness, hysteria, colic, sleep disturbances) did not disappear before the baby’s first birthday, then it is not too late to bring them back to normal after.

ADHD: what is it?

ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These are difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, and poorly controlled impulsivity. Children with ADHD have difficulty learning instructions and rules, are often distracted and do not hold attention, get stuck and cannot switch from the wrong way of doing the task to the right way.

The existence of ADHD is doubted by a number of doctors, teachers, politicians, parents and the media. Some believe that ADHD does not exist at all, others believe that there are genetic and physiological causes of this condition.

A cure for ADHD has not yet been found, but working with children, training their ability to manage their attention and control their actions is useful.

Special care is needed when prescribing stimulants to children, as a number of studies have shown that high doses (eg Methylphenidate over 60 mg/day) or misuse are addictive and may encourage adolescents to use higher doses to achieve a narcotic effect. According to a US study of cocaine addicts, people with ADHD who used stimulants as teenagers were twice as likely to become addicted to cocaine than those who were diagnosed with ADHD but did not use stimulants.

In 2010, a study was published in Australia on the failure and ineffectiveness of treating ADHD with stimulants. The study covered people who were followed for 20 years.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has issued recommendations stating the following: “The Committee is concerned about reports that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are being misdiagnosed and that psychostimulants are being over-prescribed as a result, despite increasing evidence of the harmful effects of these drugs. The Committee recommends further research into the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and ADD, including the possible negative effects of psychostimulants on the physical and psychological well-being of children, and the maximum use of other forms of management and treatment when addressing behavioral disorders.”

Calm, only calm!

What needs to be done so that the baby gets rid of the «surplus» of activity? Create certain living conditions for him. This includes a calm psychological situation in the family, a clear daily routine (with obligatory walks in the fresh air, where there is an opportunity to frolic to glory). Parents will also have to work hard. If you yourself are very emotional and unbalanced, you are constantly late everywhere, in a hurry, then it’s time to start working on yourself. We no longer rush headlong into the garden, constantly urging the child, we try to be less nervous and less likely to change plans «on the go.» Say to yourself: “A clear daily routine” and try to become more organized yourself.

Also, use these tips:

• It’s not the kid’s fault that he’s such a lively guy, so it’s useless to scold him, punish him, arrange humiliating silent boycotts. By doing this, you will achieve only one thing — a decrease in his self-esteem, a feeling of guilt that he is “wrong” and cannot please mom and dad.
• Teaching your child to manage themselves is your first priority. “Aggressive” games will help him control his emotions. Everyone has negative emotions, including your child, only a taboo, tell him: “If you want to beat, beat, but not on living beings (people, plants, animals).” You can hit the ground with a stick, throw stones where there are no people, kick something with your feet. He just needs to splash energy out, teach him how to do it.
• In education, it is necessary to avoid two extremes — the manifestation of excessive softness and the presentation of increased demands on him. Permissiveness should not be allowed: children should be clearly explained the rules of behavior in various situations. However, the number of prohibitions and restrictions should be kept to a reasonable minimum.
• The child needs to be praised in each case when he managed to complete the work he started. On the example of relatively simple cases, you need to teach how to properly distribute forces.
• It is necessary to protect children from overwork associated with an excessive amount of impressions (TV, computer), avoid places with increased crowds of people (shops, markets, etc.).
• In some cases, excessive activity and excitability may be the result of too high requirements that the child’s parents simply cannot meet due to their natural abilities, as well as excessive fatigue. In this case, parents should be less demanding, try to reduce the load.
• “Movement is life”, lack of physical activity can cause increased excitability. You can not restrain the child’s natural need to play noisy games, frolic, run, jump.
• Sometimes behavioral disorders may be a child’s reaction to a psychological trauma, for example, to a crisis in the family, divorce of parents, bad attitude towards him, placement in the wrong class of school, conflict with a teacher or parents.
• When considering a child’s diet, give preference to proper nutrition, in which there will be no lack of vitamins and trace elements. A hyperactive baby, more than other children, needs to adhere to the golden mean in nutrition: less fried, spicy, salty, smoked, more boiled, stewed and fresh vegetables and fruits. Another rule: if the child does not want to eat — do not force him!
• Prepare your fidget «maneuvering field»: active sports for him are just a panacea.
• Teach your baby to passive games. We read, but also draw, sculpt. Even if it is difficult for your child to sit still, he is often distracted, follow him (“You are interested in this, let’s see …”), but after satisfying the interest, try to return with the baby to the previous lesson and bring it to the end.
• Teach your baby to relax. Perhaps your “recipe” for finding inner harmony with him is yoga. For some, other relaxation methods are more suitable. A good psychologist will tell you what it can be: art therapy, fairy tale therapy, or maybe meditation.
• And don’t forget to tell your child how much you love him.

And that’s it, you ask, but what about the pathologies and deviations that you were intimidated by in the neurologist’s office? There is a risk, but sedatives do not solve the problem. After all, what do drugs do? They suppress the activity of the child, as if they slow him down, but the reason remains. Hyperactivity is not a disease, it is a slight deviation from the norm, but at the same time, waving a hand at it, they say, it will pass by itself, is also not an option. Alas, it may not work. And then the grown-up child will begin to experience problems at school, it will be difficult for him to build relationships with peers and elders, and it is unlikely that he will be able to keep him under the caring mother’s wing.

Portrait of a hyperactive child in detail

The first thing that catches the eye when meeting a hyperdynamic child is his excessive in relation to the calendar age and some kind of «stupid» mobility.

As an infant, such a child unwinds in the most incredible way from the diapers. They just packed the baby, put it in a neatly made bed, covered it with a blanket. Like fell asleep. In less than an hour, the blanket is crumpled and crumpled, the diapers are lying on the side, and the child himself, naked and contented, lies either across the bed, or even with his feet on the pillow. It is impossible to leave such a baby on the changing table or on the couch even for a minute from the very first days and weeks of his life. One has only to gape a little, as he will somehow dodge and fall to the floor with a dull thud. However, as a rule, all the consequences will be limited to a loud, but short scream. See →

Tips for parents of a hyperactive child

First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the environment that surrounds the child at home, at school, in kindergarten. Parents should think about changing their own behavior and character. It is necessary to deeply, soulfully understand the misfortune that befell the little man. And only then is it really possible to choose the right tone, not to break into a cry or fall into unrestrained lisping. Of course, we will name the rules of behavior with a child here, but it is practically useless to follow them formally, without inner conviction and attitude. And therefore, dear mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, teachers, start with yourself. Develop in yourself wisdom, kindness, patience and reasonable severity.

What should be done specifically? First of all, remember that children with ADHD have a very high threshold of sensitivity to negative stimuli, and therefore the words “no”, “don’t”, “don’t touch”, “prohibit” are, in fact, an empty phrase for them. Physical punishment for them is not harmful, but, unfortunately, useless. They are not susceptible to reprimands and punishment, but they respond very well to praise and approval. See →