hyperactive children natural treatment

hyperactive children natural treatment Managing the hyperactive child: advice you can give parents

Parents should be advised to do the following:

• Give the child more help to remain calm and attentive at home and school.

•Avoid punishment; the child is not purposely behaving in this manner.

• When a child behaves badly, do not scold or hit him. You are giving the wrong kind of attention to the child and the behaviour will only get worse. Instead, try ‘time out’ or ignore the behaviour or simply leave the room.

• Give praise and reward when the child behaves in the right manner.

• Do not give too many commands at the same time because the child will not follow what you are expecting of him. For example, do not say “Have a bath and finish your studies”. Instead, break this up into two commands; after the child has finished the first activity, give praise and then ask him to do the second.

• Reduce stimulation to the child; for example, give him one toy at a time.

• Keep a ‘pride’ file of the child’s achievements; you can file drawings, certificates and other mementoes of the child’s abilities.

• Be specific in what you want the child to do. For example, instead of telling a child who is about to eat “Be a good boy now”, you could say “Please finish your food before you leave the table”.

• Regular sport or physical activity is a useful way of allowing the child to release excess energy.

• Establish a regular routine for the child. Do not leave things for the child to decide.

hyperactive children natural treatment Put a time chart up on the wall so that the child knows what has to be done during the day.

• Listen to the child’s feelings and thoughts. Many children with ADHD feel misunderstood and unhappy. Show the child that you know why he is having difficulties and that you want to help him get more in control of his life.

• Avoid taking him to crowded places like markets and weddings. If you do take him, be prepared to come back home if supervising him becomes difficult.

• Plan activities beforehand so as not to be surprised and upset by his behaviour.