ADHD Kids: 10 Tips For Dealing With A Hyperactive Child

Raising a hyperactive child can be incredibly challenging for any parent. Often tagged as trouble makers, these children are very impulsive, overactive and demanding, constantly keeping their parents on their toes.

I’m often asked by mothers of hyperactive children – “Where did I go wrong?” Was it the love and pampering? Or was it severe punishments? Or was it something the child was fed? The answer is that it really is not anyone’s fault.

Hyperactivity is a term parents tend to use very loosely. Not every child who is full of energy can be called hyperactive, nor can every child who is hyperactive be diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

You cannot do anything to prevent hyperactivity in a child, but you definitely can manage it. Here are some tips to help you better respond to your hyperactive kids.

1. Acceptance:

Some parents may initially engage in denial, which may then lead to anger, followed by grief. Accept your child is different from maybe a lot of other children but yet he is not the only one.

Hyperactive children do not have as much control over their actions. Do not blame them for what they do, instead accept their hyperactivity as one of the many dimensions that make the child a unique individual.

2. Provide Structure and Routine:

Children of all types tend to have difficulty transitioning when routines are not clear and consistent. Hyperactive children find it more difficult.

Add structure to your household routines. Have a fixed time to brush, read bed time stories, take meals et cetera.  Routine helps provide the hyperactive child with a game plan around how the day will pan out.

3. Keep Instructions Short:

Very often hyperactive children have a short attention span and are unable to follow multiple instructions. Always keep the instructions precise and short. If needed, repeat the instructions, preferably in a point format for the child to remember and follow the instructions.

4. Give Immediate Feedback and Consequence:

Hyperactive children have a strong urge to shift from one activity to the next specially if they find a particular task boring. If you want them to stay on a particular task give them positive feedback in the form of praise and consequences immediately, that will make the task more rewarding as well negative consequences for shifting of the task.

Similarly, when you are attempting to change negative behaviors, you must provide quick rewards and feedback for behaving well and swift negative consequences for acting inappropriately.

5. Use Incentives before Punishment:

It is common to punish a child when he misbehaves. Hyperactive children often break rules. Do not push your child and punish them for everything he or she is doing wrong. Instead, when you want to change a sub-optimal behavior, first decide what positive behavior you want to replace it with and then give the child an incentive to act in the desired way.

For example, if a child interrupts and blurts out answers in a class, do not punish him, instead reward him with a chocolate or a star every time he puts his hand up and waits for his turn.

6. Strive for Consistency:

Always be consistent in how you respond to unacceptable behaviors, and keep in mind that a child may not be able to help certain behaviors. Being unpredictable is a common invitation to failure. Respond to behaviors in a similar way at home as well as in public places and make sure both the parents are using the same method.

7. Play Time:

Hyperactive kids are brimming with energy, making focus very difficult. An excellent way to help with this extra energy is to give these children plenty of opportunities for play and exercise. Give your child plenty of breaks during the day to engage in physical activities like running, playing any kind of sport et cetera. This also helpful in regulating moods.

Give your hyperactive child plenty of opportunities for play and exercise

8. Practice Relaxation:

You can also do things with a child to help them learn self-calming behaviors. DVDs around exercises for kids like yoga can have an extraordinary effect on the hyperactive child. It’s true they may not take to it immediately, and even if they do, it can take some time for the benefits to become apparent.

Some kids may not make it through a whole DVD at first. Yet, if you consistently do the routine with your child, you’ll help him learn focus and meditation techniques. Avoid excess stimuli like television or video games for at least an hour prior to bedtime. A warm bath each night can prove relaxing.

9. Monitor Their Diet:

Protein rich foods tend to serve the hyperactive child well. Try to avoid all kinds of food which have preservatives or additional coloring, examples – chips, soft drinks et cetera. A change in diet will often lead to reducing hyperactivity to a large extent.

10. Seek Professional Help:

Deciding to get professional help for a child is a big decision for any parent. Most parents reach this turning point when they have no option left when actually this should be one of the first steps.

• Psychologist: A psychologist is a professional who with the help of different tests is able to evaluate the problem and its intensity further recommending suitable therapies as per the need of the child, which brings about a marked improvement in the child’s behavior.
• Occupational Therapy: If the intensity of the problem is high, occupational therapy proves very helpful. Mahek Uttamchandani, a renowned occupational therapist explains, “Therapy sessions may be used to facilitate more appropriate responses to sensory input or to improve body awareness and motor skills as well as to facilitate better interaction, communication and play skills.”

Many parents with whom I have had the privilege to work with find that the challenge of raising a hyperactive child elevates parenting to an altogether different plane. If you rise to the challenge, raising a hyperactive child can provide tremendous opportunity for self improvement and fulfillment as a parent.

Copyright © Varsha Morani

Varsha Morani is a clinical psychologist, certified reiki teacher and a corporate trainer. She has been associated with various educational institutions as well as counselling centres. She can be contacted at varshamorani@gmail.com

This article may be reprinted with proper attribution to the author and a link back to http://www.lovingyourchild.com

Additional resources:

• Overcoming ADHD: A Guide for Parents – Discover how your child can end ADHD/ADD naturally, safely and without drugs. Learn how a child with ADHD got his life back from out of control to being happier and successful at school.
• Calm Kids ADD Program – Increase your child’s concentration, focus and attention span and calm him down in minutes. Eliminate hyperactivity, increase attention span, eradicate defiant behavior and finally end the ADD/ADHD nightmare with the only treatment that combines cutting edge audio technology, behavior modification and diet.
• ADHD Meditation – 5 independent studies say the same thing: Use meditation to overcome ADHD. But how? Most people with ADHD (especially children) have trouble sitting still, let alone meditating. Recent technological advances now offer us the key. And it’s surprisingly easy.

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