6 Ways To Calm Hyperactive Children

Overview

Children are goodwill and treasure for every family. They bring happiness and complete a house. However, managing a hyperactive kid can be challenging. Imagine a home filled with two or three hyperactive kids.

With these hyperactive kids running all around, there will be no shortage of noise, chaos and energy. We need certain strategies to control these hyperactive kids and also to do our routine work in peace.

They tend to shout and talk loudly such that our head hurts. Kids are special to every household; still, we adults will require a certain time for ourselves. In such cases, we can try certain tricks to keep our kids busy, which will buy us time. We can peacefully do our work or can rest during that time.

Causes

Parenting can be a tedious job, and once you enter the job, there is no resignation till the end. And parenting today’s kids makes the job more enormous, and you need a different skill.

Hyperactive kids is an umbrella term for active kids who have endless movement and indulge in mischievous activities.

The causes of such hyperactive behaviour can depend on various factors like

A child’s temperament

These are biological things, and their characteristics define your child. In such cases, you handle certain tricks to keep your child busy.

Genetics

Genetics play a major role in deciding a child’s hyperactive behaviour. If you or your spouse were hyperactive during childhood, you would reap your own seeds.

Environment

The environment in which a kid grows up also determines their nature. If the environment in which they grow is unorganised and wild, the child can become hyperactive.

Seasons

During the winter, the kid may exhibit increased hyperactivity, as there will be limited outdoor activity. Usually, children will want to play freely, but when they are restricted from playing in certain areas, they can become hyperactive.

These are some of the common reasons for kids being hyperactive. However, their hyperactive behaviour can vary depending on days to weeks. Well, you are not alone, hyperactive kids are common, and parents use certain tricks to keep them calm.

Is It Normal for Their Age?

According to experts, it is normal for kids to exhibit such hyperactive behaviour. The reason is that they are just kids, and once they grow, their hyperactivity can change, and they might eventually calm down.

However, some people cannot outgrow their attention-deficient/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). But they can learn the trick to controlling hyperactivity successfully.

Signs of a hyperactive child

If a child exhibits hyperactivity, you can find it out with certain traits.

• Short attention span
• Easily distracted
• Losing things
• Forgetfulness
• Difficult to listen or carry out instructions
• Constantly juggling activities or tasks
• Having difficulty in organising task
• Constantly fidgeting
• Unable to remain calm in a quiet or calm environment
• Excessive physical movement
• Impulsive
• Interrupting conversations

6 Ways to calm hyperactive children

There are certain ways to calm a hyperactive, and tricks are discussed below.

Keep them engaged

You can keep a hyperactive child engaged with certain activities. Sports, arts, crafts, and outdoor activities can keep them engaged and help develop their skills.

Art and craft can be a perfect idea to teach kids, and their ideas can be transformed into creative concrete concepts. There are various art and craft forms like painting, model building, sewing and woodworking.

This art and crafts can help them convert their energies into something productive. Some children may like outdoor activities like hiking and camping activities.

This can improve the practical skills of the children, and they will be able to explore nature. Children will also enjoy it, which will be a new experience for them.

Help them learn coping mechanisms

A coping mechanism can be good for hyperactive kids. When the child is behaving hyperactive, and you want to calm them down, try certain breathing exercises.

You can give activities to imagine themself in a happy place or give a stress ball to squeeze it enough. Make a clear routine which will keep them active at the same time and will not make them hyperactive.

Teach them certain exercises which can increase their attention span and focus. Give them certain tasks with deadlines. This will keep them busy for some time at the same time, and they will learn the importance of time.

Stick to routines for a hyperactive child

Sticking to a routine will help the hyperactive kids. A scheduled time for them to wake up and go to bed and make them stick to the routine.

Plan something interesting for them to unwind the bedtime. Make some interesting breakfast at that same time healthy to make their mornings interesting.

This may seem very easy on paper, but when we do it in our routine, there might be certain difficulties.

Award them when they follow their routine, and if they miss on certain days, do not be hard on them. Instead, motivate them.

Minimise distractions

Hyperactive kids may have problems focusing, and grabbing their attention for a short span of time would be tedious. However, their focus will increase during certain activities like playing video games or while watching their favourite movie or cartoon.

Meditation for kids can increase their attention span. However, you cannot ask a child to meditate. It is a step-by-step process to make them focused. Make them sit away from too loud sounds and give a calm environment. Start with a meditation technique that requires the least time. After they start to focus, you can train them to focus for a longer time.

Try playing attention games with your child. Games like “Simon says” can increase the attention span of the kid at the same time to follow instructions promptly.

According to experts, children who spend time in the natural environment have improved their attention span and have no or fewer problems concentrating. Additionally, kids who spend more time watching TV and playing games have trouble concentrating. So, train your kids when they are young.

Help the child create a to-do list

This practice will help the child to succeed. The to-do list will help them differentiate between important and non-important tasks. Include homework and other chores on the daily checklist.

Make them make a list on their own, and if they follow it, reward them for their accomplishment.

While preparing the list, make sure they write it down. Try to avoid the use of smartphones.  This can also decrease the concentration span of a child.

Provide plenty of unstructured time

Try to give the child some unstructured time. Since parents and teachers have structured time, we tend to shrink the child’s time. Children have to run and play around and enjoy their childhood.

So do not try to be too strict. Instead, encourage them to play well. Likewise, do not micro-monitor them. Give them the space to play and guide them to concentrate on productive work.  

Indoor activities for hyperactive children

Training a hyperactive kid for indoor activity can be a little challenging. They will have enormous energy throughout the day. Indoor activities like discovery boxes can help with their hyperactivity.

There are different discovery boxes depending on the child’s age. Yoga can benefit both the physical and mental health of the kid. Try music that can calm them down. Indoor rock-climbing activities and gymnastics can be effective for hyperactive kids. Martial arts can be best for them and also increases their concentration span.   

Outdoor activities for hyperactive children

Outdoor activities are the best for hyperactivity. Children love to run around, which is good for their mental and physical health. However, before planning an outdoor activity, prepare thoroughly and plan ahead. Some of the common outdoor activities that can be suitable for hyperactive kids are

• Picnic in the park
• Team sports
• Scavenger hunt
• Follow the leader
• Day at a petting zoo

Picnics in the park help calm hyperactive kids. According to research, a green environment can help calm hyperactive kids and reduce their ADHD symptoms.

A good picnic spot where it is away from the traffic sounds can be suitable for such kids. Grocery stores and restaurants can be too much for kids to handle.

Team sports can be beneficial for hyperactive kids. Likewise, choose the team sport that can benefit the kids. Games like soccer, volleyball and basketball can build kids’ confidence and improve their communication skills.

A scavenger hunt game may interest the kids and keep them engaged for a few minutes. You can do this in a local park. Create a list of tree branches, flowers and other items that are available in the park. Give them clues and start a timer to find them all. This will improve their cognitive ability, and also, the kids can work in a group. Avoid making it a competitive sport.

Following the leader, the game can help kids improve their leadership and social skills. Select a kid from the group and make the kid lead the group. Ask the other kids to line behind the leader. The leader should perform certain tasks with their hands and legs, and other kids should follow them. The game can be performed with various leader kids and can be given funny punishments for a missing or wrong move.

Animals can be an interesting distraction for kids and also keeps them engaged. For example, pet dogs and cats can have a calming effect on the child during times of stress. A petting zoo will allow children to feed animals closer. Children will also be allowed to touch the animals. If you are supervising the kids, it will be a perfect outdoor activity for the kids.

Health conditions

The common condition related to hyperactive kids is ADHD. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder and can also be seen in adults. The causes of ADHD include genetics, environmental causes and other psychological or developmental problems.

Conclusion

Hyperactivity in kids is common, and there are certain ways you can calm hyperactive kids. In some cases, the child can have health conditions that trigger hyperactivity.

There are many paediatricians and childcare professionals available. You can talk about your child’s condition and get help. ADHD can also be seen in adulthood. The condition can be treated with medication and behaviour therapy.

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