How To Calm Down A Hyperactive Child

Top tips how to calm down an overstimulated hyperactive child or child with ADHD. Understanding hyperactivity and children and how to deal with in the most calm and effective way.

What is Hyperactivity?

Hyperactivity is a state of mental, emotional and physical over-activity. Kids with Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder can be in a perpetual state of stress due to their hyper-sensitivity. A hyperactive child is more easily triggered by internal and external anxiety and stressors.”While hyperactivity is most commonly associated with ADHD, individuals might also have difficulty with a brain or nervous system disorder, emotional disorder, or hyperthyroidism.” SpecialNeeds.com 

Symptoms Of A Hyperactive Child

Behaviours and symptoms of a hyperactive child can be extremely varied. But common symptoms of hyperactivity include fidgeting, poor focus and concentration. As well as impulsiveness, irritability and aggressiveness, emotional outbursts and overwhelm. A hyperactive child maybe something you have to deal with more than just, daily or weekly. Especially with so much technology and information overload, so many kids parties and event.This can be stressful and exhaustion for you the parent, caregiver or educator. So it is important to manage or reduce the risks of hyperactivity and overstimulation as much as possible.

Here is 7 Tips To Calm Down A Hyperactive Child

Be Calm, Firm But Caring

A hyperactive child is a child in a highly over stimulated, emotional or stressed state. So it is important to approach the situation in a calm confident yet firm and caring way.The last thing you want is your anxiety, stress or emotional frustration fuelling the situation.

Most parents and caregivers have anxiety and stress so it is important to mange your own anxiety,stress  and triggers in a healthy way.The more relaxed and calm you are, the easier it is set clear caring boundaries with your child. For toddlers a firm and strong stop hand signal can give a clear message.

Especially done at eye to eye level, not hovering down or pointing a finger. Which can trigger more fear or emotional frustration.

Remove Your Hyperactive Child From Their Stressors

Removing your hyperactive child to a more calming environment or activity with is more grounding like a walk in the nature can be extremely helpful.

Or simply removing or distracting them from any sort of stimulant internally or externally will help encourage your child’s mind, body and emotions off the stress response and back into a calm and balanced state.

We are all more easily stressed by noises, lights, smells, other people’s energy and emotions when we are hyper-alert.

Redirect Your Hyperactive Child To Release Excessive Energy

Encouraging a hyperactive child to use their bursts of energy in a far more focused and healthy way can help. That is why short bursts of directed exercise like doing a short sprint can be helpful. Young children can learn to shake their body like a deer does, after it freezes during a stressful event.

Any activity with a certain amount of heavy lifting can also be helpful as it requires a certain amount of focus.

Although because hyperactivity is usually triggered by sensory, stimulus or information overload followed by emotional melt downs and exhaustion. It is important not to push a hyperactive child into too much physical activity that is going to burn them out. The  main reason no 4 and 7 are so important.

Teach Your Child How To Manage And Reduce Their Stress

When a child can manage their own emotions and stress they feel more calm, confident and in control. They are less frustrated and overwhelmed. Children can learn how to relax properly with breathing or relaxation techniques. Many younger kids find blowing bubbles deeply calming.  A child’s ability to switch off and relax is vital to get deep restful sleep.

Teach Your Hyperactive Child How To Meditate

Teach a child the right type of meditation skill and you give them a friend for life. Meditation gives your child an empowering self-help tool for life. My meditation and mindfulness program for kids teaches both parent and child how to meditate in a fun and practical manner for the whole family.

Lavender For Your Hyperactive Child

Lavender essential oil is a really safe and effective oil for most ages of children when used the right way. Making up a lavender aroma ball like these by NYR Remedies To Roll can be deeply calming, soothing and relaxing.

Lavender bath salts or Pure Lavender oil can be added to the bath to be used as a sleep aid especially when deep quality sleep is so important for the hyperactive or ADDHD child. Make sure you don’t use products with synthetic fragrances or perfumes, pure essentials especially organic essential oils are natural and toxin free.

Reduce Internal Stimulants

Eliminate Stimulants i.e. sugar, artificial sweeteners, colourings especially energy drinks seriously over-stimulate the mind, body and emotions. Even foods your child is slightly intolerant to, can be too stimulating.

The reality is most foods in our supermarkets are full of refined sugars or man made ingredients, pesticides or preservatives which play havoc with our body our sugar levels and nervous system. When possible a fresh raw organic diet as much as possible can help nurture your child’s mind, body and emotions.