We have a hyperactive child, what should we do? With such a problem, parents often come to see a pediatrician, neurologist or psychologist. The "cure" exists!

These kids get attention right away.

It is hardly possible not to notice a hyperactive baby and his tired, nervous mother on the street.

• the little one rushes at the speed of a racing car,
• all the time strives to climb or climb somewhere,
• randomly grabs and scatters various objects in all directions,
• the movements of a hyperactive baby are uncoordinated, and when running, he can stumble and fall, causing considerable harm to himself.

The hyperactivity of the child is primarily evidenced by his active chaotic actions, inadequate situations
It is unlikely that anyone will envy such a mother: if she manages to catch her restless child and stop him, then he will violently break out and again rush like a whirlwind to nowhere ...

Parents can be very tiring to live and communicate with a hyperactive child.

His increased motor activity, uncontrollability, "deafness" to requests, exhortations and remarks, of course, it can wear down even the most resilient parents.

As a result: they try to limit such a child in movement, running after him and shouting after him: “Don't run, you will stumble and fall! Don't touch, it's not yours! Don't go there! Don't break!" … the list is endless.

Also, such children are often subjected to destructive criticism.

Hyperactivity or high physical activity

Strictly speaking, the diagnosis of "hyperactivity" is made when the child already has sufficiently developed speech, that is, at 2-3 years. In this case, he needs comprehensive assistance: both medical and psychological.

Correct the symptoms of increased excitability in infants allow

• massage,
• soothing baths,
• soft (only prescribed by a pediatrician or neuropathologist!) sedatives.

If the child is older than 2 years, it is important to establish whether it is mobility, excitability, high distractibility, which is sometimes called hyperactivity in everyday life, or attention deficit disorder itself - as a rule, a hereditary phenomenon that involves the help of a doctor.

It's a mistake, parents.

Unfortunately, many parents who do not want to find time to further study the literature about a hyperactive child and what to do to direct the energy of their child in the right direction do not even realize that:

• such children are not susceptible to strict prohibitions, criticism and even punishment,
• they cannot be pushed or rushed.

It is important to know that if tired parents lose their temper, unable to control their emotions, they inevitably cause a deterioration in the behavior of a hyperactive child and his even greater “deafness”. It turns out a vicious circle, from which it is still possible to escape.

And, of course, it is worth remembering that it is impossible to forbid a hyperactive crumb to move, since inexhaustible energy, “not released into the wild,” can result in hysteria, whims and tears.

Hyperactive children are very sensitive to approval and praise. Therefore, parents should remove strict prohibitions and, looking the baby in the eyes, in a calm tone, very gently, replace them with an alternative solution.

Moreover, if such a child is restricted in movements, fearing that excessive activity will contribute to injury, this may become a prerequisite for the development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and joints in the future.

Freedom baby

It is necessary to constantly contribute to the fact that the baby has the opportunity to throw out his energy. With the baby you should play, run, swim together. After all, it is wiser to constantly help the fidget, thereby insuring him and keeping him in sight all the time.

It is important to provide the "hyper" with as much physical activity as possible. Nature generously encourages in a child his desire for movement, which is so necessary for him for full physical, mental development and immunity. In addition, the child receives positive emotions from physical activity, because when jumping, running, the baby releases hormones of happiness - endorphins.

The movement activates mental activity, and does not allow the spine to “rust”, as a result of which it becomes mobile and flexible. Therefore, let a hyperactive child (and any other) frolic, jump and run for a walk, dumping negative energy, and after coming home or rest.

Four walls is a sentence

If parents understand that the more their hyperactive child spends on the playground, the better for his development and the microclimate in the family, then on bad days and with the onset of cold weather, panic is read in their eyes.

What to do with a hyperactive child in a small apartment

The benefits of exercising in a sports corner for a baby are obvious, and you can find a place for a children's sports complex in almost any apartment.

The answer is simple: it is necessary to equip a children's room (well, or any other room where there is space) with a special small-sized complex of the simplest gymnastic apparatus, which are easy to install even in a small one-room apartment.

Classes at the sports complex will develop the baby's coordination of movement, dexterity, strength and flexibility, which is very important for "hypers", since in most cases they are clumsy, motor awkward, they constantly stumble on something, hit objects and fall out of the blue.

The “little quickie” will not only be able to “discharge” while exercising at such a sports complex, but will also have the opportunity to compete with mom and dad, which will create a good emotional contact between the child and parents.

Physical education is a panacea for hyperactive

Physical exercises have a calming effect on the nervous system of a hyperactive child, help restore behavioral reactions in him, and develop proper coordination of movement.

Therefore, if there is an early development center nearby where gymnastics is held with an experienced teacher, and there are financial opportunities to visit such institutions, then the child should be taken there from a very early age.

If there are no such opportunities, then parents will come to the rescue in their classes with their “perpetual motion machines”. an exciting and educational game called "Fairy Tales on Fitball". See below for how to organize it.

Hyperactive kids over 3 years old should pick up children's sports sections. The child will benefit from a strict coach who requires discipline in the classroom. At the same time, let's not forget about the authority of a strong and strong coach in a small child.

Get fit if you want to be healthy

For hyperactive kids in physical development, not only outdoor games on the street are very important, but also morning exercises and hardening. It would be useful for dad to take an active part here.

Of great importance for the effectiveness of hardening is the positive attitude of the child

The need immediately after waking up to start gymnastics and hardening, which will soon instill in restless kids consistency in their actions, perseverance, discipline and will.

With the help of morning outdoor games and physical exercises, you can increase the hormone melatonin, a biologically active substance that controls growth and development biorhythms, sleep depth, metabolism, and even adaptation to stressful situations, weather changes and new surroundings (for example, attending a kindergarten).

Since a hyperactive child is characterized by increased nervous excitability, then when hardening, you need to use only sparing techniques that have no restrictions and contraindications.

You can start with water procedures, which include

• pouring cold water on hands
• foot cryomassage,
• contrasting leg wraps
• wiping the body with a damp terry towel.

Huge benefit for little "hurricanes" will bring washing your face. It has been scientifically proven that irritation of the skin areas of the face normalizes the processes of inhibition and excitation of the central nervous system.

Toning face wash sequence

For the first time during the procedure, the water temperature should be +28°C. Every 1-2 days, the temperature should be reduced by 1-2 degrees, bringing it to the final mark of 18-20°C.

According to all the rules, such washing should begin from the middle of the lower jaw. At the same time, palms filled with water should slide from the chin to the ears. After that, you should move on to washing your forehead - from the middle to the temples, then - from the wings of the nose and corners of the mouth to the temples.

This procedure should be repeated 3-4 times, each time, again filling the palms with water. At the end of the hardening procedure, you need to pat the baby on the cheeks.

The duration of such hardening will be 1-2 minutes.

Unique technique “Fairy tales on fitball”

Thanks to this exciting rhythmic game, the baby and adults get a lot of pleasant impressions. Having played enough and received a charge of positive emotions, the “mini-battery” will continue to play alone with its toys for a long time, while the parents will be able to take a break from the pranks of their “hurricane”.

Required inventory

• Gym stick/long pointer with a blunt tip or light cloth balls/massage balls with pimples.
• Selected suitable music (songs from fairy tales, cartoons, classical pieces for kids, songs by Shainsky or Krylatov; for example, "Antoshka", "Plasticine Crow", etc.)
• 3 cards with the name of the characters from the song that we include.

Practical implementation: to make cards, you need a sheet of A4 paper with printed characters from the song (ready-made cardboard copies can be purchased at bookstores) and a red marker for writing names.

3 basic rules of this game

1. The chosen fairy tale or song should be simple, understandable, well known to the baby. It is important that it evokes emotional responsiveness in the baby. It will even be better if the “battery” chooses his favorite song/fairy tale himself.
2. It is desirable that the baby is familiar with the characters or, before starting classes, looked at pictures with their image. You need to start with simple, uncomplicated words that are easy to pronounce, gradually moving on to more complex ones.
3. The first lessons should be very light and short (duration - 30 seconds) so that the child can successfully cope, since it is still very difficult for him to concentrate.

The fairy tale begins

Instead of a regular fitball, you can use an inflatable jumper in the form of an animal

First you need to choose a spacious room and place cards with characters using adhesive tape on the wall at the eye level of a kid sitting on a fitball.

It would be even better to place them on a mirrored wardrobe. Then it will be possible to observe the reaction of the little one to this gymnastics and make faces with him, which will form in the crumbs an imitation skill, which is the basis for all subsequent intellectual activity.

After that, you should sit down with the "energizer" on the fitball opposite the cards, turn on the music, start jumping and get acquainted with new exciting information.

For example, you can put a song from the cartoon "Blue Wagon". At the moment when the song sings “the blue car is running, swinging” - you need to point to the corresponding picture with a gymnastic stick, clearly pronouncing / singing along “car”, and at the same time trying to expressively and emotionally imitate “choo-choo”, etc. For one lesson, at first 3 cards are enough, but they must be repeated 2-3 times.

The next morning, you should first repeat the old cards and present 3 new ones to the baby. Thus, you can learn not only nouns, but also adjectives (for example, blue) and verbs (running, swinging) in one song.

You can show the desired characters by hitting the cards with light balls. Such an action will enhance memorization and develop coordination of the baby's movement. Besides light balls with pimples are the ideal tool for inconspicuous massage of the fingertips. An older kid who has mastered the basics of “science” can sit on a fitball and do gymnastics on his own.

In this technique, the combination of movements, music, the use of character names and useful words will give a huge incentive to memorize the material. Also, while singing and listening to music, the correct phonetic hearing of the child will be formed.

In addition, thanks to good and different music, a hyperactive baby will develop an aesthetic taste and own opinion. Having learned to perceive information "by ear", it will be easier for hyperactive children to learn foreign languages, write summaries and school dictations, and memorize teachers' lectures.

Ant-grass

Children's teas with chamomile, as well as baths with a decoction of chamomile petals, will be very useful for hyperactive children. So instead of juice It is better to teach your child to drink chamomile tea in the mornings and evenings.

We wish parents of hyperactive children patience and understanding of the needs of their little "propellers"!

In this video, experts will tell you how to distinguish between normal children's activity and behavior that goes beyond the norm. They will also introduce you to the basic rules of daily communication with a hyperactive child.

Every mother needs to know the signs of hyperactivity in children under 3 years old. Contrary to popular belief, hyperactivity is not just the inability to sit still, inattention, excessive noise and mobility of the baby. This is a diagnosis that should be given to you by the treating neurologist who knows your child and observes him for some time.

The brain generates nerve impulses too quickly. These processes prevent a small person from concentrating on some business, switching from active games to relaxing, falling asleep. Hyperactivity can begin in a child not in the “difficult” three years, but much earlier. Some symptoms can be recognized already in infancy. And the sooner you do this, the better it will be for you and your baby.

Here are some distinguishing features of hyperactive children:

• The child physically develops faster than their peers. Such babies sit down early, get up, start walking and crawling. They often fall off sofas and drive their parents crazy with this, while their peers are still peacefully lying in cradles. By itself, this symptom does not mean anything, if there is real hyperactivity, it will manifest itself somehow else.
• These children cannot simply fall asleep or rest if they are very tired. Instead of sitting down, a hyperactive baby will begin to “cut” circles around the apartment, screaming at breakneck speed, and then. It is difficult to put a child with such a diagnosis to sleep even in infancy, often a mother has to swing and carry her child in her arms for a long time before sleep finally comes.
• From the very beginning of life, hyperactive children sleep less than others. Newborns sleep most of the day, but not those who are hyperactive. These babies can stay awake for 5 hours, cry for a long time, but not fall asleep.

• Another manifestation of ADHD is light sleep. The child wakes up from every rustle, shudders from any slight noise. It is very difficult to put him back to sleep, you have to rock him for a long time and carry him in your arms
• A change of scenery, guests, new faces - all this is a real test for a hyperactive child. It is difficult for him to withstand such an active lifestyle of his mother, he can fall into hysterics from a large number of impressions, he recovers for a long time and comes to his senses after a day full of emotions. From stormy delight, he turns into a long cry, then falls asleep, exhausted from tears. The more people in the room, the more tired the child.
• A symptom of ADHD, that is, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a strong attachment to the mother. The kid is afraid of other adults, does not make contact, hides behind his mother. Such children are jealous of their mother for strangers and turn every conflict into a tantrum.
• A girl or boy with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder cannot do one thing for a long time. Any toy quickly gets bored, the baby either takes one and throws it, then takes another and also throws it.
• Frequent mood swings are an important symptom of ADHD. Just now the child was laughing, and now he is screaming and destroying everything from anger. If this happens often, it is worth taking him to a neurologist for examination.
• Not only impulsivity and irritability signal problems of the nervous system. If a child often floats away somewhere in dreams, thinks and does not hear what is being addressed to him and does not pay attention to what is happening around, this is also a reason to ask a neurologist a question.
• ADHD is often accompanied by a child's depressive mood and fears. You may notice that the baby has become withdrawn, looks sad and tired. He seemed to have lost interest in games and hobbies. Fears can make a child unnecessarily touchy and anxious.
• Hyperactive children often twitch their arms and legs, and fidget in their chair when they need to be quiet. When standing in line for a game, they may jump up and down with impatience. If you play a quiz with such a baby, there is a chance that he will shout out the answer even before you say the full question.
• Losing things, making mistakes due to inattention, switching to things that are irrelevant are the eternal companions of patients diagnosed with ADHD.

All these signs do not mean that your child is necessarily diagnosed with hyperactivity. It should be placed by a neurologist. Similar behavior occurs in healthy children and is a consequence of their healthy temperament. In order not to raise a panic ahead of time and not heal a healthy child, you need to take a very responsible approach to the issue of diagnosis and not judge by a few symptoms “by eye”.

A healthy child can also run, jump and stand on his head, but he will not fall into hysterics, but will come to sit quietly, watch cartoons. Another difference is that it is easy to distract a healthy child from hysteria with a toy, a song, a bird outside the window. Good long sleep and fast falling asleep are also a sign of a healthy nervous system.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not really a disease. With the right approach and behavior of adults, the child will “outgrow” this condition, and in the future the peculiarity of the brain will not cause him any problems.

The causes of a child's hyperactivity may be hidden during the mother's pregnancy. If she suffered from toxicosis and high blood pressure throughout her pregnancy, and the child suffered from intrauterine hypoxia, then the risk is 3 times higher than usual that the child will be born with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Stress, hard work or smoking during pregnancy can also affect the health of the nervous system of the unborn baby. In addition to perinatal factors, the course of childbirth can also influence the brain. At risk are births by caesarean section, prolonged labor with fetal hypoxia, a long anhydrous period and the imposition of forceps, and, on the contrary, very rapid labor.

The doctor asks the mother about the family history, whether there were people with such a diagnosis in the family, asks to give a description of the baby. It is important to tell the neurologist about anything that raises suspicions, whether it is poor sleep or severe excitability. There are certain diagnostic criteria approved by the American Psychiatric Organization, it is with them that the neurologist will correlate the stories of the parents.

In addition to the conversation, there are hardware diagnostic methods, such as an electroencephalographic study or a study using magnetic resonance imaging. These are completely painless methods that can give a complete picture of the state of the child's nervous system.

How to raise a child with hyperactivity

If you are a mother of a hyperactive child, try not to overload his psyche with excessive vivid impressions and noise. Think carefully about visiting and family holidays, visits to parks and cultural events. Do not turn on the TV in the background, watch cartoons for a long time. After watching cartoons, children are often very tired, without realizing it.

Some tips for dealing with hyperactive children:

• Be clear about your requests and requirements. Do not speak in long sentences and florid language, do not load the request to remove the toys with additional morality and meaning. A baby with hyperactivity has poorly developed logical and abstract thinking, it will be difficult for him to understand you.
• Formulate the restrictions correctly. Try to limit the use of negatives and the word "no", instead of "do not run in the club" say "run on the sidewalk". Any prohibition should have a reason, clearly and briefly explain it to the child. Suggest an alternative. For example, you can’t beat a cat, but you can pet it. You can’t pour water from a mug onto the floor, but you can into the bath.
• Don't forget the sequence. No need to set the child several tasks at once. “Put away your toys, wash your hands and go eat”, he most likely will not understand. At some stage, he will be distracted, forget what was required of him, play too much. Voice each request separately, first about toys, when the toys are removed, it’s time to wash your hands, and only then invite them to the table.
• Help to navigate the time. Instead of dragging your child home from a walk right away, warn him in advance that it’s time to go home soon - 20 minutes before the right time, for example. After 10 minutes, remind again, after five - again. By the time of the training camp, the child will already be mentally prepared for the fact that you need to switch from the game. The same applies to "time to go to bed" and "time to turn off the cartoons".
• Provide a choice. Invite the child to choose from two toys, items of clothing, two or three dishes. This setting of the usual “get dressed” and “go eat” gives the child the feeling that he himself can make some decisions, which means that his mother trusts him.

If you clearly see that the child is overexcited and cannot cope with emotions, take him to a quiet place, for example, to another room, offer him water. Hugs and pats on the head will help. The child should feel that the mother is calm and that she loves him. Before going to bed, observing rituals, a bath with an extract of hop cones or needles, reading a book helps a lot. You can do a light massage, sing a quiet song. It is not recommended to watch cartoons before going to bed, a maximum of one short cartoon lasting 10-15 minutes.

Rules for Parents

Follow a clear daily routine. This is essential for a child with ADHD. , sleeping and bathing - everything should happen at the same time. This will help your beloved child to tune in in advance and give him a sense of calm and solid ground under his feet. In nutrition, it is worth limiting the consumption of food additives and dyes, the use of chocolate and large amounts of sugar and salt.

In the baby's room there should not be a lot of bright distracting pictures, a large number of scattered toys lying on the floor and scattering his attention. For a very young child, give out toys one or two at a time, remove them as soon as he loses interest. A 2-year-old can already take part in the cleaning himself.

Every time the child coped with himself, overcame the tantrum and was able to calm down in time, praise and encourage him. Positive reinforcement will help him regulate his behavior. Your relationship must be trusting. Believe me, it’s already hard for him, you shouldn’t aggravate the matter with swearing and quarrels.

Permissiveness creates an intuitive fear in children and leads to neuroses. For yourself, clearly define what exactly is impossible and why, do not deviate from the accepted framework. It is important not to overdo it with prohibitions. You can celebrate the success of the child with stars, and when they accumulate 5 or 10, reward the baby with a cute present.

Remember, the baby behaves this way not to spite you, it is difficult for him to cope with himself. He draws attention to himself, asking for your help. Be an ally of your child in conflicts on the playground, do not listen to relatives who say that you do not need to take the child in your arms and reassure, and advisers with the eternal "let him roar." In a difficult moment, a little person needs a loving and calm mother nearby, her support and understanding.

Drug therapy for the treatment of ADHD

It is good for a child with ADHD to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement, it is worth enriching the diet with omega-3 fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are particularly important and are often deficient in the blood of those suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The combination of magnesium and vitamin B6 is very useful for the nervous system. Patients experience a decrease in aggressiveness and an improvement in attention, after. In some cases, a doctor may prescribe mild sedatives such as valerian and motherwort.

Russian doctors often prescribe nootropic drugs (piracetam, glycine, phenibut, pantogam) to improve metabolic processes in the brain and increase cortical tone in patients with ADHD. Clinically, their effectiveness has not been proven, but neuropathologists often note in practice an improvement in the condition of children with hyperactivity and a decrease in the severity of symptoms of attention deficit disorder.

Diet in the treatment of hyperactivity

Many parents report improvements in their children's condition when following a gluten-free diet. Others benefit from a diet that eliminates sucrose and starch. For patients with hyperactivity, everything that is good for brain tissue is useful: a large amount of protein from meat, nuts and legumes, carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits, fatty fish, olive oil. Exclude sweets and snacks with preservatives and flavor enhancers, dyes from the child's diet.

Experts advise moms and dads to find those foods to which the baby may have an individual intolerance. To do this, rotate products, keep a food diary. Eliminate one product at a time from the child's diet and monitor his condition.

If the child goes to kindergarten, talk to the teacher, tell about the problem. Hyperactive children need special approach and attention. Teachers working with a child should know his diagnosis and features. The same applies to relatives and family friends who often visit your home. Hyperactivity is a diagnosis that your baby will definitely outgrow if you learn about it in time and provide the child with the right care and help. There is nothing terrible in it, mostly adults who suffered from ADHD in childhood forget about their condition and live the same way as all healthy men and women. There is a chance that after a year or two of proper treatment you will get rid of any manifestations of hyperactivity.

It is very common, and sometimes parents do not know what to do in this situation. After all, such children never sit still, they constantly need to move, run, jump, they are inattentive and whiny. The parents of such children cannot rest even at night, as the kids sleep very poorly, constantly wake up and cry.

Parents very often confuse active children with hyperactive ones. How to determine that a child is hyperactive, and what is hyperactivity in general?

It is important to understand that hyperactivity is not a lack of proper education, but a medical problem that doctors and psychologists can help solve.

Hyperactivity: what is it?

Back in the 60s of the last century, hyperactivity was considered a pathological condition, and this was explained by minor disorders of brain functions. But numerous studies that have been conducted for more than 20 years have shown that excessive activity is an independent disease, which is caused by disorders of the central nervous system.

And also studies have shown that hyperactivity in almost all cases is accompanied by attention deficit disorder. So this disease got its name - ADHD, that is, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The brain of such a child is very difficult to perceive information - both external and internal. Such children cannot concentrate their attention on one subject for a long time and differ from healthy children in restlessness, inattention, impulsivity, and also inability to control their movements. If treatment is not started on time, then there is a high probability that it will be very difficult for a hyperactive child to adapt to society, and he may also have problems with his studies.

Restlessness, inattention, constant whims and attempts to attract attention are symptoms of ADHD

How to define hyperactivity?

ADHD is very common between the ages of 2 and 3. But he can also manifest himself at a later age - during the period of study at school, that is, at the age of 6-8 years. Hyperactive children have problems with learning and communicating with peers. They are not subject to punishment or persuasion. They seem to ignore everything that they are told. They violate the rules of conduct established by parents or educational institutions.

Symptoms of ADHD include the following:

• restlessness (the child cannot sit in one place without moving for more than 2 minutes);
• inattention (the child is not able to concentrate his attention on one subject for a long time);
• emotional instability (frequent mood swings, tearfulness);
• fussiness and anxiety;
• sleep problems (the child cannot fall asleep for a long time and often wakes up at night);
• ignoring the rules and norms of behavior;
• delayed speech development.

If you observe at least one symptom of ADHD in your child, you should contact a neurologist who will tell you how to treat the disease, what to do with the emotional instability of the child, and help your baby adapt to society.

Wrong lifestyle, smoking during pregnancy - these are the true causes of child hyperactivity

Causes

Medicine has not identified certain causes of hyperactivity in a child, but there are factors that can trigger the development of the disease. This is:

• complications during pregnancy: if during pregnancy the expectant mother suffered from toxicosis and high blood pressure, and intrauterine asphyxia was detected in the fetus, the likelihood that a hyperactive child will be born is very high;
• the wrong lifestyle of a pregnant woman can also lead to the birth of a child with ADHD. Under the wrong lifestyle means drinking alcohol during pregnancy and smoking;
• complications during childbirth: rapid or, conversely, prolonged labor can also lead to a violation of the central nervous system of the baby.

Only a neurologist can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment - you need to contact him at the first alarming symptoms

How to treat?

Naturally, in no case should you self-medicate and “prescribe” medications for your child on your own. Since here we are not talking about the usual runny nose, but about the nervous system of the baby. If you have a hyperactive child and you do not know what to do about it, you should contact a specialist. He will examine the baby. If age permits, the doctor may conduct special tests that determine abnormalities in the functioning of the nervous system. He will also need to conduct a family analysis, in which he will ask parents about the course of pregnancy, about past diseases - both by the mother during pregnancy and by the baby after birth.

In addition, the doctor will need parents to independently characterize their child. During the examination, the specialist will subjectively assess the behavior of the child and issue a verdict.

To confirm the diagnosis, he must also prescribe an examination, which includes an electroencephalological study or a study using magnetic resonance imaging.

In addition, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment and, if necessary, a sedative to normalize sleep and eliminate feelings of anxiety. It will also tell you what to do with the baby when he is overly excited.

To “calm down” the baby’s nervous system and establish a sleep pattern, you need to put your child to bed every day at the same time.

What to do?

So, if you have a hyperactive child growing up and you don’t know what to do with it, then you just need to create a microworld for your child, which will have certain rules that must be observed, where he will receive the attention he needs from adults, but not through punishment or screaming, but normal communication, which is accompanied by physical contact, that is, hug him more often and stroke his head, especially when he cries.

In this microcosm must exist all the conditions for a normal existence. Write him down in some circle or sports section. There, a hyperactive child will splash out his energy and at the same time learn discipline. But the most important thing is that your child should like this activity.

Also, this microcosm should be as predictable, calm and stable as possible for the baby. There should be a strict regime of the day, the implementation of which is necessary and in which there are no "good" reasons not to adhere to it. That is, getting up at 8:00, toilet, washing, brushing your teeth, breakfast, classes. In the evening at 10:00 you need to go to bed, before going to bed, active games, loud music, in general, everything that irritates and excites the nervous system, must be excluded for an hour. We bathe, drink kefir, read a fairy tale and go to bed.

In addition, you should also take an active part in your child's life, especially if he is hyperactive. Play with him more often, do some crafts together, you need to interest the baby, so you will teach him to concentrate on one thing.

You can also alternate active games with calm ones. Run with the baby, play with the hair, and then seat him at the table and draw together.

If the child is hyperactive, he needs the attention of adults. Follow all the recommendations of the doctor, because only he can tell you what to do in this situation. And you will succeed! A hyperactive child is not a punishment for the family. The sooner you seek professional help, the better for your child and for you.

It's been a little over a month since the beginning of the school year, and teachers in many classrooms are facing similar problems: children, usually boys, don't listen in class, do what they want, and have difficulty controlling themselves. Today, these children are called hyperactive. Can such a diagnosis be made at school? How can parents improve their child's school life?

“My son went to school this year. From birth, he was a very mobile and nervous boy, and at school his problems worsened: the teacher complains that he talks loudly in class, turns around and interferes with the whole class. Yes, he is a difficult child. The school psychologist says he has hyperactivity disorder. What it is?"

Fully this diagnosis sounds like this: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - ADHD. Children with this syndrome are not only very mobile, talkative and fussy; they have trouble concentrating, focusing. On average, there are about three percent of children with ADHD in the world, therefore, in a class of thirty students, there may well be such a child.

When do ADHD symptoms appear? It is believed that this occurs before the age of seven, although sometimes they may first appear at the age of ten or eleven. Most often, parents of first-graders turn to the doctor: “Everyone is sitting quietly, but mine can’t!”. However, some clarify: "But in fact, it was very difficult with him from birth."

Pointy Temperament

In general, mindfulness and activity are properties of temperament, and in this sense, all people are divided into those who can be concentrated for a long time, who can do painstaking work, and those who cannot stand such work. The diagnosis of ADHD means that these properties of temperament are extremely sharp, so that a person cannot fit into a normal life, unable to fulfill the tasks that others and himself put before him, and this greatly interferes with full-fledged relationships with parents and friends.

Now often any impulsive, very mobile baby, without hesitation, is called hyperactive. However, only a doctor can diagnose ADHD. It is impossible to determine by eye whether a child has ADHD or just throws a tantrum. To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to carefully assess the life and development of the child, to trace how and in what situations his problems of attentiveness and activity manifest themselves.

The level of activity can be determined by special scales that parents fill out, and the doctor compares how much the indicators of a particular child differ from the standard ones. These scales are based on serious studies conducted in the US and Europe. The norms in them, however, are American and European. In my work, I rely on them, albeit with caution.

Not a personality disorder

The first thing parents need to know is that ADHD is not a mental illness, but a developmental disorder. It's just that the child's self-control function is initially impaired. Most often, he does not get sick with this - he is already born that way. Parents often ask me: “Did we overlook something, did we not do something on time?”. No. The parents are not to blame. If we could look into the brain of such a child, we would see that those areas that are responsible for self-control, for controlling behavior, work differently for him than for others.

The paradox is that these children look completely normal. So he asks for forgiveness and promises to improve, but over and over again he breaks his promises - and they begin to consider him spoiled ... I ask one boy: “What are you talking about in class?” And he replies: "Yes, I forget that it is impossible." Children with ADHD forget the rules and behave on impulse. Parents who know this are easier to forgive such a child, do not hang all sorts of labels on him and, I hope, do not blame themselves needlessly.

There can be several reasons for ADHD. For example, heredity. Research suggests that about half of children with this diagnosis have at least one parent with ADHD. It is also known that children with low weight or low Apgar scores immediately after birth are more likely to develop ADHD.

props

Unfortunately, there is no way to cure ADHD once and for all. But it largely depends on the behavior of the parents. Understanding what the problem is, they are able to make his life much easier. Having made this diagnosis, I consider it my main task to explain to my parents what is happening.

The most effective thing you can do to make life easier for a child with ADHD is to build a system of external control for him.

1. Children with ADHD find it difficult to keep a large amount of information in their heads. This means that the tasks for them should break into pieces. Did one thing - get a new task.
2. Children with ADHD are known to have problems with sense of time. They are "short-sighted to the future." If we can plan our activities and roughly imagine what it will lead to, then children with ADHD have a “window in time” of ten minutes maximum. They live exclusively in the moment, they do not represent the consequences. Therefore, if “something not right” occurs as a result of their actions, this is not their choice, they did not want these consequences.
   At the same time, such a child is in dire need of immediate feedback from the parents. And in this case, he needs the consequences here and now. The approach will not work with him: “If you keep order in your room for a month, we will give you a bicycle” or “If you don’t sit down for lessons right away, your father will return in the evening and punish you.” Evening is a kind of vague future. It’s better to say this: “If you do this right now, you can get such and such immediately.”
   It is very difficult for such children at school. They have to sit for forty minutes without distraction and do classwork, and the mark will appear only two days later, when the teacher checks the notebooks. In such a situation, it is difficult to concentrate, because the result and the reward are very far away.
3. Works well with these kids "point" or "token" system. For the performance of daily activities, the child receives rewards in the form of points or tokens, which they then exchange for something. So he constantly sees the result of his actions, understands that his opportunities increase every time and with every deed.
4. Application of timers. They help children who have trouble keeping track of time. You can use an ordinary hourglass.
   There is another beautiful thing - a watch that has a colored circle on the dial, and along with the passing minutes, this circle disappears. With this watch you can see "live" how time passes. After all, the child himself does not feel that it is ending, and because of this he puts off things.
5. When visiting public places, for example, clinics, you need to think in advance what the child will do for an hour or two, especially if the mother is busy. Stock up on paper, felt-tip pens and toys. It would be useful to take a relative to help.
   Unfortunately, adults often react reactively: they put the child in a situation in which he is likely to have problems, and then they begin to scold him.
6. Should I take medication for ADHD? Parents should discuss this issue with a specialist. Certainly, medication use has its pros and cons, but in the vast majority of cases, I strongly advise you to at least try the treatment, because the effect can be significant. However, be sure to check with your doctor if the medicine he prescribes has undergone clinical trials for effectiveness. Unfortunately, the vast majority of drugs prescribed in our country for ADHD have not passed such tests.

ADHD and others

One of the problems that parents of children with ADHD face is the lack of awareness among society, teachers and even some professionals. But most importantly, the parents themselves must clearly understand what they are dealing with.

Just saying to a teacher, “You know, my child has ADHD,” is like saying nothing. It is necessary to describe the behavior of the child very specifically, for example: “It is very difficult for my son to sit still, it is difficult to restrain himself, he has had this for a long time, we have tried a lot of things, now we go to the doctor, we are doing this, but I am afraid that he will fidget during the lessons and even talk ... I really want him to have good behavior. Let's agree: I will come up to you for a minute every day after the lessons, and you will tell me what and how he did it.

You need to take teachers as your allies. Otherwise, it happens that both sides, both teachers and parents, only complain: “These parents do not want to do anything, the whole burden is on us”, “These teachers do not understand anything about our child, they only spread rot.” Of course, this and that happens, and quite often, but it is more effective to work together.

As they grow older, the ability to self-control, the ability to manage their behavior in any child improves. Fussiness, mobility, talkativeness usually decrease by the end of elementary school. Slightly slower impulsiveness decreases.

Of course, people learn to restrain themselves, but they continue to be impulsive and quick-tempered. Problems associated with a lack of attention and concentration usually remain and accompany these people into adulthood. But then at least there is an opportunity to choose what to do.

There are many professions that are quite suitable for a person with self-control problems. It is known that, for example, in the United States, people with ADHD willingly go to the army (there are, according to some estimates, more than ten percent of them), because the army implies clear rules and frameworks, an understandable structure, prescribed duties and physical activity.

On the one hand, it is difficult to blame the parents, because you would not wish anyone to be in such a situation. It's a lot of work raising children with ADHD. But it’s better not to forget: complex behavior is by no means a free choice of a child. Not so long ago, I was approached by a married couple who had already raised two children. The third, born much later, was diagnosed with ADHD. And the husband and wife said to me: “You know, for a long time we considered ourselves wonderful parents and took credit for raising wonderful children. Only now we have understood: it is easy to bring up "light" children, but try to bring them up.

A hyperactive child is not a disease. All children are different, they often differ in the pace of physiological development, inclinations, character and temperament. Some kids can safely spend time on their own, with their toys, books and coloring books, while others cannot be left without attention for even five minutes. There are children who find it difficult to concentrate on something, cannot stay in one place for a long time - for example, sit in a hairdresser's chair, in classes in kindergarten or at school, it is problematic to keep track of them on the playground.

It is not easy for such kids to learn - this is hyperactivity. The brain of a hyperactive child has difficulty concentrating and absorbing information. Hyperactive children quickly change their field of activity, they are impulsive and restless, specific in communicating with adults and peers, in the manifestation of their talents. Let's try to understand in detail the essence of the problem and give ways to solve it.

Hyperactive children cannot focus on one task, it is difficult to interest them in a calm matter and calm them down

Causes of hyperactivity

Hyperactivity in children is primarily not a physiological abnormality, but a developmental behavioral disorder. The medical name for hyperactivity is ADHD (). Modern medicine is of the opinion that the syndrome occurs with unfavorable intrauterine development of children and difficult childbirth. So, if the expectant mother had a pronounced and prolonged toxicosis, and the fetus was diagnosed with intrauterine asphyxia, then the risk of having a hyperactive child increases three times. Any surgical intervention during childbirth, finding a newborn in intensive care also contribute to the development of the DHD syndrome.

Symptoms of hyperactivity

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What are the signs of a hyperactive child? How to distinguish whether the baby is active and energetic, as befits a healthy toddler, or does he develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

Characteristic symptoms begin to be determined by 2-3 years. You can make a diagnosis already in the kindergarten, because it is there that the inclinations are most active - in communication with the teacher, with other kids in the group.

How does hyperactivity manifest in children?

• restlessness and anxiety even when there are no serious reasons for this;
• emotional lability, tearfulness, excessive vulnerability and impressionability;
• insomnia, too light sleep, crying and talking in a dream;
• speech problems;
• communication difficulties;
• ignoring prohibitions, norms of behavior in society and rules - to put it simply, the baby is very naughty;
• bouts of aggression;
• rarely, Tourette syndrome is the uncontrollable yelling of inappropriate and offensive words.

All these manifestations and signs in your child should be the reason for contacting a specialist. A neurologist and a psychologist will write out recommendations and give advice on how to properly raise a baby, how to calm him down and reduce the likelihood of negative perception by society.

Despite being active and talkative, a hyperactive child often remains misunderstood by other children and experiences significant communication difficulties.

Treatment of a hyperactive baby - is it necessary?

A hyperactive child is often and very tired of uncontrollable emotions, changes his daily routine and plans because of his not always adequate behavior, does not allow parents to lead a normal life. It is difficult for adults to endure this, because there is not always time, physical and moral strength to fight tantrums.

Only very patient and not very busy parents or a nanny can monitor a hyperactive child so that he adequately reacts to the outside world and knows how to behave with other people, and not thoughtlessly splash out energy, cry and laugh for no reason. Often you have to resort to correcting the child's behavior - it can include both medication and a visit to a psychologist, speech therapist, soothing massage, playing sports and visiting various creative circles. The doctor prescribes drug treatment after examinations and examination of the child.

Children with DHD syndrome should definitely do an electroencephalogram of the brain in order to exclude organic causes of hyperactive behavior, measure intracranial pressure (we recommend reading:). If all indicators are normal, the doctor often prescribes homeopathic sedatives. The sedative will help the child sleep better, reduce the number of tantrums and panic attacks.

Some modern doctors believe that hyperactivity cannot be treated before the age of 4, because most of the kids at this age still do not know how to cope with their own feelings, they are full of energy and try to throw it out by any means.

How to deal with a hyperactive child?

How to raise a hyperactive child? Many parents are confused, especially when the baby goes to kindergarten, or at school he faces a lot of problems related to learning and society. A hyperactive child is always on a special account with the educator, teacher and child psychologist. First of all, parents should help him - raising such children requires patience, wisdom, willpower and spirit. Do not allow yourself to break loose, raise your voice at the child or raise your hand to him (we recommend reading:). Only if he did something that hurt other people, you can apply such harsh methods.

If parents break down and turn to shouting, threatening or physical showdown, this only exacerbates the situation. The child withdraws into himself and becomes even more uncontrollable

How to educate a "fidget"?

Psychologist's advice:

1. Prohibit properly. Formulate the prohibitions so that the sentence does not contain the words “no”, “it is impossible”. It's much more effective to say, "Get on the path" than to say, "Don't run on the wet grass." Always motivate your prohibitions, justify them. For example, if the child does not want to leave the playground in the evening, say: “I wanted to read you an interesting story about your favorite cartoon character before bed, but if you take a long walk, I won’t have time to do it.”
2. Clearly set tasks. Such children do not perceive well the information that is conveyed with the help of long sentences. Speak concisely.
3. Be consistent in your actions and words. For example, it's not wise to say, "Go get a cup from Grandma, then bring me a magazine, wash your hands, and have dinner." Follow the sequence.
4. Control time. A child with ADHD has poor time management if he is passionate about something, can do it for a long time and forget about other things.
5. Follow the routine. The daily routine is a very important aspect of the life of a hyperactive baby, it will help calm the baby, teach it to order (we recommend reading:).
6. Raising a kid means behaving loyally and sticking to a positive tone in communicating with him, setting yourself, him and those around him to be positive. Smooth out conflict situations, praise for victories, emphasize when the baby behaved especially well by listening to you.
7. Keep your child busy with useful things. Children must have a positive channel for splashing out energy - it can be a creative or sports club, cycling and scootering, modeling from polymer clay or plasticine at home.
8. Create comfortable conditions at home. The kid should not only watch TV and play computer games less, but also see how others do it. The workplace should be without unnecessary items, posters.
9. If necessary, give a hyperactive child a homeopathic sedative, but do not overuse drugs.

When a child attends classes that are interesting to him - sports, creative, he can throw out the accumulated energy there and come home already much calmer

How to help if a tantrum starts?

How to calm a hyperactive child? At the moment when the children are hysterical and they do not obey, you can act by choosing one of the options:

1. Leave to another room. Deprived of the attention of the audience, the baby may stop crying.
2. Switch your attention. Offer a candy, show a toy, turn on a cartoon or play a game on your tablet or phone. Loudly invite him not to cry, but to do something interesting - for example, go out into the yard and play there, run around on the street.
3. Give water, sweet tea, or an infusion of soothing herbs.

In the daily life of children, support their nervous system. A soothing herbal collection helps well when added to a bath if the child is small, and to tea if it is a schoolchild (we recommend reading:). Read books before going to bed, walk in the fresh air. Try to make the child see less aggression and negativity. Study nature, look more at trees, sky and flowers.

Hyperactive schoolboy

A particularly difficult situation with a hyperactive child develops in an educational institution. Restlessness, emotionality, difficulty in concentrating and perceiving the flow of information can contribute to the fact that the child will lag behind in school, it will be difficult to find a common language with peers.

Here we need constant consultations with a psychologist, patience and understanding on the part of teachers, and support from parents. Remember that it is not your offspring's fault for having a certain behavioral disorder.

Want to better understand your children? A video will help you, where the famous domestic pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky gives advice, for whom a hyperactive child is a full-fledged member of society with its own mental development. You need to be patient and calm in dealing with him, highlight and develop talents, creative inclinations. Let the baby not close, but progress, because hyperactivity should not slow down human development. It is not a serious deviation, but a specific individuality.

Clinical and perinatal psychologist, graduated from the Moscow Institute of Perinatal and Reproductive Psychology and Volgograd State Medical University with a degree in clinical psychology