15 Tips on How to Handle and Smartly Control Hyperactive Children?
Some parents face challenges in terms of child behaviour, and most of them have no clue about how to deal with children who are hyperactive. This phase can be overcome with simple yet effective strategies that very few people know. The first step in this direction is identifying the common signs and taking steps as soon as possible.
When discussing hyperactivity, we must acknowledge that every child is different. Hence, the signs can vary widely, which means parents need to do proper research to clearly understand how children react at an early age for a timely diagnosis of the issue.
Signs that Occur in Hyperactive Children
Here are some common signs that occur in children of different age groups:
- Most children suffering from hyperactivity find it challenging to sit in one place, even if there aren’t any distractions around them. They want to move around and indulge in excessive physical movements.
- The child needs a toy or activity where he can constantly jiggle or move his fingers to consume high energy.
- Parents find it challenging to make such kids concentrate on specific tasks, which makes studies and creative activities a big challenge.
- Hyperactive kids also are involved in excessive talking rather than communicating. They do not wait for the other person’s response and wish to convey their thoughts and emotions without any interruptions.
- In a social circle or discussion, the child is unable to interact well as he doesn’t understand taking turns and interrupts others abruptly.
Now that we have listed some signs, we will try to identify what causes hyperactivity in children and the challenges that parents of such kids face to handle the situations.
Also, we will discuss some strategies which, if practised on a regular basis, would help calm down the baby over time and eventually allow him to overcome the hurdle.
What Causes Hyperactivity in Children
Confirming hyperactivity in young children is difficult since easy distractions, restlessness, and impulsiveness are common at such a young age. But if it persists for long and gets worse with time, parents, teachers, and family members can differentiate between a child behaving normally and being hyperactive.
So, the key to subduing this issue well in time is to monitor the behaviour patterns and check for red flags closely. Suppose you aren’t aware of the hyperactivity signs and don’t know how to deal with hyperactive children; it is recommended that you connect with a specialist to know what can be improved for best results.
Even though experts state that reasons for hyperactivity aren’t specific, there are some ordinary circumstances that studies and research have highlighted. The most common cause is genetic inheritance of genes that may lead to the condition.
Even if the parents haven’t faced such issues in their lives, there may be specific genes that may be transferred to the kid and may be the reason for hyperactivity.
Also, exposure to environmental toxins, alcohol consumption or smoking by the expecting mother are a few other reasons that are believed to cause hyperactivity in kids.
15 Tips on How to Deal with Hyperactive Children
There are several ways of managing your hyperactive child, and you need to have a holistic approach, which includes positive parenting at home and management in the school by combining parent and teacher efforts along with fundamental lifestyle changes for a positive impact on the child’s behaviour.
For parents who wish to know how to control hyperactive children, we are sharing some tips so that you can focus on the child rather than stressing about the behavior and making it worse.
Tips for Home
Your home is the best place to start practising activities that would help your child get better and learn to concentrate. You can supervise him and bond better for the best results in a short period. Below are a few ways that have proven results for thousands of parents:
1. Create structured routines
Though this tip is for every parent-child duo, it works wonders for hyperactive kids since structured routines keep them on track and make them acquainted with the daily tasks that they need to perform.
When your child follows an active daily routine, he can perform well, which leads to less frustration and stress levels, ensuring that he gets confident and stays happy. Remember, a happy child performs better and eventually, he will learn to incorporate such skills in his social and school life as well.
2. Limit distractions during tasks
Young minds are inquisitive, and hence, when you allot a task to them, they quickly get carried off by activities that are happening around them, which serves as a distraction and results in poor concentration.
So, whenever you perform an activity or make your child study, ensure that the environment is calm and silent. Initially, your child may find difficulty in completing the tasks, but with regular practice, he will improve.
3. Design active play spaces
Discipline and organisation taught at a young age make a massive difference in your child’s life later, so the first step should be to have dedicated play spaces where your child feels free to perform recreational activities or play with his toys and then later knows that he is expected to put everything back to its place.
The play spaces should be colourful, engaging and appealing for your kiddo, so you can use innovative ideas like installing a play tent, a doll house, or a drawing corner to elevate the play experience.
4. Use timers and reward systems:
When working with a hyperactive child, the use of timers and rewards is an excellent tactic since your child will push himself to work better and achieve the goals within the given timeframe.
By rewards, we do not mean buying expensive toys; in fact, a simple reward system can be watching TV cartoons for a limited duration, serving his favourite meal, or even playing his favourite game. Yes, incentivising good behaviour will encourage your child to be better every time.
Tips for School
Even if you are a parent to a hyperactive child, schooling is crucial, and you cannot avoid it by any chance, even if you are worried about the kiddo’s behaviour while you aren’t around. Here are some ways in which you can let your little explorer step into the world and adjust well with the least effort:
1. Communicate with teachers
At school, teachers take care of your kiddo, and hence, if you communicate effectively with them and discuss your concerns well, they will be able to address the issue and render a supportive learning environment, which would further reduce hyperactivity.
2. Adjust desk/seating position
Request the teacher to make your child sit in a seat where there is no distraction so that she can keep an eye on the little one who is able to grasp the concepts taught in the class.
3. Allow movement breaks
In case your child gets very irritated sitting in one place during the class and starts throwing tantrums, the teacher should know the technique to handle the kid well, and one way is letting the child have movement breaks and eventually decrease the frequency as he starts to settle down.
4. Set up focused study space
Coordinate regularly with the school to ensure that your child gets a focused study space that lets him develop concentration and learn well.
Lifestyle Changes
Managing a hyperactive child isn’t an overnight process; you need to be persistent and adopt a lifestyle that will help the child stay calm and happy. Here are some lifestyle changes that you can make in his daily routine for desired results:
1. Prioritise regular exercise
Exercise, yoga, and meditation are very effective in aiding a hyperactive child as they keep him physically active and mentally engaged. Also, it helps in improving concentration, so you should incorporate simple exercises in his daily routine and help him learn new skills.
2. Incorporate brain-boosting foods
The diet does have a direct impact on your child’s well-being. A nutritious and balanced diet helps hyperactive children by boosting their thinking and learning capabilities, which makes their lives easy as they become efficient in daily activities and studies.
3. Ensure adequate sleep
Most young children avoid sleep as they want to enjoy the time playing and doing activities, but as parents, you must ensure that the child follows a sleep routine and gets adequate sleep.
This can be achieved by introducing short nap time during the day and strict sleeping time at night. Sound sleep facilitates the secretion of good growth hormones that can help your hyperactive child stay calm.
4. Limit screen time
Too much screen time in any form can be harmful, especially for hyperactive kids, and thus, you should set up restrictions on this, too.
When to Seek Help
If you have tried all the strategies but are unable to achieve the desired results, do not stress. Suppose the hyperactivity is affecting daily life and your child is facing problems in completing basic tasks at home or school.
In that case, we recommend you consult a specialist and have a thorough discussion on the challenges your child is facing, letting him diagnose the condition in a better way.
An expert is the best person to help you with all questions about how to control hyperactivity naturally in children through family counselling, letting you have clarity on your role in the child’s life and behavioural therapies for the little one for positive outcomes.
Also Read: How Toys Help Develop Various Skills In Children
Key Takeaways
Hyperactivity has become a common issue in new generation kids due to several issues, which include parents’ lifestyles, so it is better to be aware and try to prevent any practices during pregnancy that may have any side effects on the unborn baby.
However, if your child is hyperactive, it is advised to act rather than worrying about the future. You should have a positive approach at home and school to ensure that the little mind gets a positive and encouraging environment.
To keep your child engaged in activities, you can check the R for Rabbit website for stimulating kid’s toys that cater to physical as well as mental development. Remember, patience and persistence are the keys that will let you carve a beautiful future for your angel, so do not give up in any circumstances, and you will soon see a positive change.
