How To Deal With A Hyperactive Child?

Hyperactivity demands a lot of parental involvement and one of the difficulties that is often faced in families with a hyperactive child is that the child's hyperactivity interferes with the parents trying to get things accomplished or getting their job done and this may result in a lot of secondary frustration and anger.

We have a few tips on how you can handle and control your hyperactive kid:

Priya Upadhyay shares how she deals with her child “My child is very naughty and hyperactive. I try to involve him in many activities. I give him some toys to play with and I keep changing his toys so that he does not get bored. Mainly he becomes more hyperactive when he meets with his peer group and especially in school. I try to distract his mind.”

One of the most helpful things you can do with a hyperactive child is to recognize that this child needs more of our involvement and to commit that involvement to the child rather than showing anger and frustration towards the child.

“I am a single parent. I talk to my kid and I try to understand what he likes and what he does not like. So mainly I try to involve him in those things which he likes. Whenever he gets very hyperactive, I just try to talk to him then he forgets other things then I try to distract him like sometimes he does not want to go to school then I ask him for a park and he gets interested.” shares Urman, father of a 5-year-old.

The behaviour of hyperactive babies and toddlers tends to be disorganized, they are flowing from one activity to the other and they're not able to organize any sort of focus to their activity, so one of the best things we can do is to help them develop rhythms to what they do. The most fundamental rhythm is a turn-taking rhythm, it's the back and forth.

If the child's hyperactive, get involved with them, join their activity, show interest in what are they doing and slowly try to move into their activity in a turn-taking rhythm, get them to play with you in a back and forth way. For an older child try to engage them more in dialogue, because that dialogue is the essence of that turn-taking activity. As both you and your child take turns in this back and forth motion, the more you can engage the child in the social dialogue and the more we can help them organize rhythms to the activity.

Priyanka Singh, mother of a 3-year-old says “I have two children, my girl is very understanding but my son is very hyperactive, I try to make him understand that he should behave himself in public. At times I need to discipline him by giving him a time out and close him in his room if he misbehaves too much”

You can find other ways to help channel their energy and calm their mind by getting them to play outdoor games or sports. Be patient with your child and give them your time, you must try to understand their feelings as they would want to tell you every detail of their day.

“Hyperactive children tend to be very talented. Their brain is constantly working, they are constantly thinking, which results in them to act. Our school allows these children to channelize their energy through activities.” – Madhu Gupta, Principal of Mata Lelawanti Saraswati Vidya Mandir. 

When your child sits for a task that requires his/her attention, his attention might lie in studying for an exam or doing their homework. Create a space for them that minimizes distractions, make sure your child is comfortable. Keep him or her away from anything that might distract them. You can watch over what they are doing and help them if they need help. Hyperactive children tend to have a hard time focusing on one task, so be more flexible towards them, and allow some mistakes to slide. You can also encourage them and teach them positive affirmations to give them more self-confidence.

 It can be just as annoying for the kid as it is for the parent to deal with this state of hyperactivity. The reason for them being hyper isn’t because they are simply undisciplined or being defiant towards you. It is often outside their own control. Try to think about this situation from their perspective; they are tired of being scolded by you, their teachers, and even friends about how they are being hyperactive and annoying.

The child themselves want to be able to sit in peace while performing an activity like their fellow students and friends. They want to be able to obtain maximum pleasure from an activity but are unable to do so due to the frantic wanderings of their mind. This could be a result of:

Lack of sleep

Contrary to adults, who usually feel lazy and tired after not getting their desired hours of sleep, kids tend to react in the opposite way. This can be noticed when you keep them up slightly past their routine bedtime, and instead of feeling sleepy, they act even more energetic than usual. Their body produces cortisol and adrenaline in response to this situation, which leads to them being hyperactive.

Shock or emotional unrest due to some trauma

A child who has been exposed to some event that has led to some trauma for them is often found to be fidgety and agitated. They seem to lose control over their emotions and responses due to such an event. The event can be something as small as them seeing a spider near their bed or a scene from some scary movie. Any of these small-scale incidents could trigger in them such a response. So make sure to keep an eye on them and talk to them about their feelings if you suspect it might be something on these lines.

Not getting enough physical stimulation

Kids tend to grow restless when cooped up between four walls. They require strenuous physical activity to some extent to tire them out. After breaking a sweat, they become noticeably more docile and obedient. Try playing with them or engaging them in such outlets where they can burn off their excess energy.

Maybe it’s just because they’re children...

It’s natural and common for children to have a lot of energy. It is hard for them to be sedentary. It usually takes them some time to be able to mature enough to gain control over their behaviour. Different kids develop this control at different ages. But if you still feel that either they have very drastic symptoms of hyperactivity or that the problem seems to persist late into childhood, you should seek professional help.

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