To say that Tyler is an active child would be an understatement. His activity level is so high I have seriously considered having him tested. I’m hoping that soon he’ll take it down a notch. In the meantime, I try to find ways to keep him from tearing through the house like a little speed demon. I found a tip on how to manage activity levels of highly active kids. If you come closer, I’ll share it with you.
“If your child is highly active, plan ahead,” says Dr. William Carey, in the book, Raising Young Children Well. If you’re going to a place where your child has to remain quiet, Carey says, you should let him run around a bit at home before you leave. Of course, always make sure that you take along a supply of books, small toys, etc. to keep him occupied. I have so much stuff for Tyler when I leave home, you would think I am going on vacation. Even if I am going to Mass (which lasts about 45 minutes), I have to take enough things to keep him quiet or he’ll disrupt the service.
Carey also made a statement that’s beginning to help me really understand Tyler. He says that highly active kids cannot “switch off their high energy behavior immediately.” I realize that I have been going about this whole thing the wrong way. If I want to switch activities, get him ready for bed, dinner, etc., I have to get him to switch to a quieter activity and then help him make the transition.
Another good suggestion was to try and think of your active child in positive terms. For instance, refer to his behavior as “active” or “energetic” instead of “wild” or “bad”. Let your child know that it’s okay to run around and be active but there are places where it’s acceptable (the playground, the backyard) and unacceptable (the grocery store, the library). Then allow your child plenty of time to be active. What I have been doing lately is sending Tyler outside to run around for 10 of 15 minutes when he’s at his most active. I tell him that he can go outside and run and holler and have a good time, but once he comes back inside he has to stop running around so much. So far it’s working. It gives him a chance to work off some of that energy and then he’s able to return and gear down for awhile. I will also take him for a short walk around the block, sometimes. He likes to do this because he likes to look for rocks. We both benefit– I get a few minutes of exercise and some fresh air and he gets to work off steam.
See also:
ADHD: Should It Be Called Inhibition Deficit?