Manifestation of aggression in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and methods for its correction.
Manifestationchildhood aggression is one of the most common forms of behavior disorder that parents, teachers and psychologists have to deal with.
Exercises that require a lot of physical activity are not always suitable for children with hyperactivity, especially when we work in a group, for example, there is a wonderful exercise “Clowns”, in which children turn into clowns who swear at each other with vegetables and fruits or pieces of furniture and much more, Children with ADHD will find it difficult to complete this task; they may get carried away and really offend their partner. As an alternative, I use the projective exercise “Draw the offender”, it can be used both frontally and individually. The idea is for the child to draw on paper someone who has ever offended him in some way, and then draw on him some funny details (horns, snout, tail, mustache, etc., etc.). ), this is quite exciting for children of primary school age, and therefore even children with hyperactivity do it with pleasure and are little distracted (as experience shows, older children and even adults find it interesting, even if they treat it with humor, but unconscious level comes a feeling of relief and satisfaction).
But a child with ADHD cannot sit for a long time, and over time, even exciting, sedentary activities become boring to him and he begins to get distracted. To stir up a child, you can use an exercise with balloons. So far I have only used this individually with hyperactive children, but I think this exercise can be done with other children in a group. This exercise is probably familiar to many, for one child I take 3 balloons, first we choose a negative emotion that the child often experiences (if difficulties arise, then choose an emotion that he has experienced at least once in his life), then the child inflates the balloon, as if filling the balloon with his negative emotion and thereby freeing ourselves from it, we write the name of the emotion on the ball. Then we discuss the child’s feelings: “what does he feel when he gets rid of the emotion; has it become easier, etc.” after discussion, so that this emotion cannot harm anyone and does not return to the bearer again, the child bursts the ball and the emotion dissolves in the air (you can invite the child to try to burst the ball himself, but I usually give a pen or pencil). This procedure is repeated two more times with different emotions. This exercise has a positive effect on children; they have fun popping the ball and at the same time they realize how easy it is to get rid of negativity without harming anyone.
“Imagine that you are standing in a clearing. Above you is a dark night sky, all strewn with stars. They shine so brightly that they seem very close. The clearing is flooded with soft, gentle blue light. People say that when a star falls, you need to make a wish and it will come true. They also say that the star cannot be reached. But maybe they just didn't try? Find the brightest star in the sky with your mind's eye. What dream does it remind you of? Have a good idea of what you would like. Now open your eyes, take a deep breath, hold your breath and try to reach for the star. It's not easy: stretch as hard as you can, tense your arms, stand on your toes. So, just a little more, you've almost got it. Eat! Hooray! Exhale and relax, your happiness is in your hands! Place your star in front of you in a beautiful basket. Enjoy looking at her. You have done something very important. Now you can rest a little. Sit down. Close your eyes. Mentally look at the sky again. Are there other stars out there that remind you of other cherished dreams? If there is, then take a close look at the chosen luminary. Now open your eyes, breathe and reach for your new goal! Now put your hands down, relax and never stop reaching for your goal.”
After finishing, we conduct a reflection; we select the reflection option according to age. We can just discuss this with you adults. With children of primary school age, I usually ask them to complete the phrase “I liked it most..” or “I feel now...”, etc.
How can you understand that your little fidget is not just an energetic person, but a child with a pathology? And what to do when the diagnosis of ADHD is confirmed?
Recently, the term “hyperactivity” is increasingly found in the medical records of young patients. Let's try to figure out what lies behind this diagnosis.
Hyperactivity– in medical language, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a pathology in which the child is overly excitable and active.
- Unlike healthy children, who are also overly active from time to time, children with ADHD are constantly active. The excessive activity of children with ADHD is caused by the peculiarities of the central nervous system, in particular its increased reflex excitability
- This disease is very difficult to diagnose, and there is no drug treatment for it. In the medical community, the very fact of the existence of such a pathology as “hyperactivity” causes a lot of controversy and discrepancies
- According to doctors, about a third of children are diagnosed with ADHD during adolescence, and another proportion of these children develop ways to cope with ADHD in adulthood
- Typically, a child’s hyperactivity begins to manifest itself clearly by the age of 2-3 years. In infancy it is difficult to diagnose, because the symptoms are not clearly expressed, however, there are signs that can be noticed from birth
Signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in infants and children under three years of age
- Poor sleep: it is impossible to put the child to sleep during the day; he has difficulty falling asleep at night
- Frequent vomiting after eating (not regurgitation, but vomiting with large amounts of contents)
- The child does not like anything that restricts his movements or puts pressure on his skin: diapers, mittens, hats with ties, sweaters with a crewneck fastener
- React too emotionally to any stimulus: bright light, loud sound, sudden movements
- Constant motor activity is observed: the baby constantly moves his arms and legs, begins to roll over, sit down, crawl and stand up ahead of schedule
- As a rule, hyperactive children are very attached to their mother and can cry for hours when she is gone. At the same time, they find it difficult to make contact with unfamiliar people: they refuse to take toys from their hands, prefer to hide, and react violently if someone tries to pick them up
Signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children of preschool and primary school age
- Cannot concentrate on one subject, gets tired quickly during classes and begins to get distracted
- Cannot sit still for a long time: constantly fidgets in the chair, moves his arms and legs, looks around; during classes or during feeding, it is useless to ask him to sit still
- Gives up everything halfway: reading a book, watching a cartoon, playing with peers
- Educational games that require perseverance (constructors, puzzles, handicrafts) are of little interest to such children
- They cope poorly with everything that requires fine motor skills: appliques, modeling, chalk fasteners, laces, hooks on clothes
- They constantly get into trouble because hyperactive children have a reduced sense of danger and lack motor control: they fall, get injured out of the blue, and often drop something, break it, and get it dirty.
- At school they are bad at math and penmanship and don’t like to read
- In terms of their level of development, they are often ahead of their peers: they have a fairly high intelligence, they cope brilliantly with creative tasks, and grasp the material faster
- They are very difficult to discipline, often conflict with teachers, and disrupt lessons
- The biggest problem is adapting to peers. Due to too mobile attention, hyperactive children are not able to fully carry on a conversation or engage in play; they are too talkative, they can cut off their interlocutor mid-sentence and start their own story
- They react excessively to the barbs and jokes of their classmates, conflict more often than usual, behave rather harshly and rudely at the slightest provocation; as a result, they often become outcasts and have no friends
- Due to their inability to concentrate, hyperactive children are very distracted and clumsy; they constantly lose something, forget, look for any object for a long time; they are not able to maintain order in the closet, in the briefcase, in the room
- Due to overwork, they often suffer from headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, allergies and neurotic conditions.
Motor activity of children with ADHD
Despite all the negative aspects described, there are also positive aspects to the child’s increased physical activity. Movement promotes the active development of all systems of a growing organism. The main thing is to organize the process correctly and direct the baby’s activity in the right direction.
- Proper physical activity improves mood and improves sleep, develops the nervous system, regulates metabolic processes and blood supply to organs
Muscles and bones are strengthened, correct posture and body contours are formed, which contributes to the normal functioning of internal organs - The heart and lungs are strengthened, and blood supply and oxygen supply to various organs are accordingly improved.
- Muscle work with properly selected exercises directly affects mental development, speech, memory and thought processes
- Important personal qualities develop: will, endurance and discipline
Cognitive activity of children with ADHD
Cognitive activity is the child’s readiness to achieve results, develop certain skills and abilities, and absorb didactic material to the required extent.
The qualitative development of a child’s cognitive activity directly determines his success in school and later life. For hyperactive children, parental help in this matter is very important.
- Measure the amount of information your child receives. Lessons should be short, the information should be simple and to the point - about what the child can see and touch. Preschool children are not able to perceive abstract concepts.
- If there is a possibility of practical application of the acquired knowledge, arrange a short experiment with your child, this will help to better understand the material, since visibility is a very important factor in teaching preschoolers
- The information received should not be scattered, so as not to create additional stress on the psyche.
- When presenting information, it is important to logically link it with the material already covered, so that the child develops a holistic picture of the world
- Classes should be of a playful nature; for preschoolers, play is the leading activity through which they learn about the world around them.
- You should absolutely not punish a child for mistakes and incompetence, as this will discourage his interest in classes for many years to come.
Aggressive child
One of the manifestations of hyperactivity may be increased aggressiveness of the child. We are not talking about benign aggression, which occurs in children when they need to protect their territory from encroachment, or aggression as a response to an offender. 
Increased aggressiveness- This is an unmotivated manifestation of anger aimed at others.
Increased aggression is caused by the fact that for the overly excitable psyche of a child with hyperactivity, the slightest cause can serve as a serious irritant and, as a consequence, the manifestation of “protective” measures to eliminate the cause of irritation.
To others, such behavior often looks unmotivated, since the cause of irritation can be completely harmless things from the point of view of adults. How to behave correctly if your child shows increased aggression?
In practice, public punishment (spanking, depriving a child of a walk, forcing him to ask for forgiveness in front of everyone) has the opposite effect: it only intensifies the conflict and makes the child want to annoy him even more. If you ignore the child’s aggressive behavior, the child perceives this as permissiveness, and manifestations of unmotivated aggression become the norm for him. How to help an aggressive child?
- At the first sign of aggression, you need to switch the child’s attention to another topic. At the same time, close physical contact between the baby and the parent is very important, since hyperactive children are very attached to their parents, especially to their mother.
- Encourage your child to share with you the reasons for his anger. Firstly, the very process of putting emotions into words distracts and calms the child, and secondly, it will be easier for you to understand what prompted the aggression and how to eliminate it
- Carefully ensure that in everyday life the child does not encounter aggressive behavior from others. Aggression in the family is unacceptable, you should avoid watching cartoons and adult films with an increased level of aggression, comics, pictures and computer games that carry aggression, you should also exclude the child from the field of view
- Get your child a hitting toy. If he can't handle his anger, encourage him to take out all his emotions on a punching bag or soft pillow. Play up your gift and teach your child to let go of aggression without harming others
How to calm a child?
- Start talking - that is, at a very fast pace, start telling something “important” and interesting for the child. He will involuntarily listen, and the hysteria will gradually stop
- Switch your attention to another object, show your interest in this subject and include the child in the conversation: “Oh, look how interesting, I’ve never seen anything like this. What do you think this is? Help me figure it out"
- Try to puzzle the child. For example, ask him to reschedule his whims for another time: “Let’s quickly go to the store before it’s closed, and when we get home, you can cry.” Or, for example, ask your child to cry in a deep voice, because high-pitched sounds make grandma’s ears hurt. Understanding your proposal will help your child calm down.
- Close tactile contact calms the child well. Take the child on your lap, hug him tightly, whisper in his ear how much you love him, wipe away his tears
- Ask him about the reasons for crying; the parent’s empathy gives the baby a feeling of protection and peace
Hyperactive children have a very high need for approval, praise, acceptance, and recognition. Due to their usual behavior, they hear reproaches and threats much more often than words of admiration. How can you create an environment in which your child will feel successful and confident?
- Send your child to a section or art school. Typically, hyperactive children are very gifted creatively: they draw beautifully, they have excellent hearing, and their talents stand out quite noticeably compared to ordinary children.
- You can send your child to a sports section if he has a favorite sport and obvious ability for it. Hyperactive children usually have a fairly low threshold for fatigue and pain, so they also achieve noticeable success in sports
- Direct your child’s activity in a useful direction: water the flowers, bring water, wash the dishes, clean the parrots’ cage. It is important that the matter does not require a long time, but brings noticeable help. You can give several tasks with short breaks. This way the baby will splash out energy and at the same time feel proud of the work done.
- Praise your child for every success that he managed to achieve: put together a puzzle, colored a picture, completed any task he started, sat through a lesson calmly, lay quietly in his nap. Ask teachers in kindergarten and elementary school about the same. A positive reaction from adults will make the child want to develop success in this direction.
- Psychologists advise that when talking with a hyperactive child, first establish eye contact (“look at me, please”), and only then begin the conversation. If during a conversation the child is distracted, establish tactile contact (take him by the palm, stroke him on the shoulder) - this action will gently return the child’s attention to the topic of conversation
- Determine a strict daily routine. Stability and predictability are a very important factor for hyperactive children. The established regime will help to avoid excessive stress on the child’s nervous system caused by unforeseen affairs or lack of habit of a particular activity.
- Try to ensure that everything in the apartment and in the child’s room has its own place: a lamp, a basket with toys, a wardrobe. A hyperactive child is very absent-minded, and a strict order of things will help him find the right object faster and, therefore, reduce the grounds for excessive worry
Hyperactive child. What should parents do?
Brain changes that cause increased excitability and hyperactivity in a child are not lifelong and often disappear by adolescence.
Hyperactivity is not a disease in the strict sense of the word, it is just a temporary deviation. To make life easier for themselves and their baby as they grow up, parents need to follow a few simple rules:
- Avoid excessive punishment for disobedience, since the child’s bad behavior is unintentional; he himself experiences a certain discomfort from the fact that he cannot adapt to the general rules. Swearing and accusations will only worsen the child’s condition
- Try to prevent a child’s hysteria before it occurs or develops into a hyperactive phase.
Avoid situations that can cause too strong emotions in the baby: do not arrange surprises, sudden situations, sudden changes in the environment - Develop certain rules under which the child receives a small reward for each well-completed task that requires perseverance and attention
Develop rules of behavior (situations in which the child always hears the word “impossible”) and gently but strictly adhere to them - Avoid crowds of people, large noisy holidays, large numbers of guests in the house; This situation is very conducive to overexcitement.
Avoid bright details, contrasting combinations and flashy colors in the design of a children's room; give preference to calm tones - Avoid cluttering furniture and a large number of toys in the nursery, avoid disorder and clutter
- Play educational and educational games with your child more often. At the same time, there should be no extraneous sounds in the room (turned on TV or radio, extraneous conversations). It is quite difficult for your baby to concentrate; background noise will cause additional stress on the psyche
- For hyperactive children, playing in the fresh air, trips to nature, active sports (but not competitions!) - any activities that allow them to give free rein to their energy without disturbing others can help relieve stress.
- It is advisable to develop a certain ritual of preparing for bed in order to develop a stable habit and a certain psychological attitude in the child. 2 hours before bedtime, stop all active games and activities. An hour before bedtime, turn off the TV and receiver, and reduce the overall background noise in the apartment. 30-40 minutes before bedtime, drink herbal tea, take a bath, and massage your legs. This helps to relax and relieve the tone of the nervous system.
- The child should be put to bed with the lights turned off and the windows and doors closed from extraneous noise. It is advisable to stay close to the baby, setting him up for sleep: whispering, soft stroking, lulling movements and sounds.
- It is important that the room where the child sleeps is well ventilated. Materials for bed linen and pajamas should be made from natural materials that are not electrified, since static electricity increases the tone of the nervous system
Video: Hyperactive child. What to do?
If we talk in detail, then translated from Latin “active” means active, effective, and the Greek word “hyper” indicates exceeding the norm. Hyperactivity in children is manifested by inattention, distractibility, and impulsivity, which are unusual for a child’s normal, age-appropriate development. According to psychological and pedagogical literature, the following terms are used to describe such children: “agile”, “impulsive”, “nimble”, “energizer”, “perpetual motion machine”, “zipper”, “volcano”. Some authors also use phrases such as “motor type of development”, “children with increased activity”, “children with increased affectivity”. According to experts, almost half of children suffer from so-called hyperactivity. Not only in our country, but throughout the world, the number of such children is steadily increasing. If a child is hyperactive, then not only he himself experiences difficulties, but also those around him: parents, classmates, teachers. Such a child needs timely help, otherwise an antisocial or even psychopathic personality may develop in the future: it is known that among juvenile delinquents a significant percentage are hyperactive children.
Helping a hyperactive child is a very difficult process, and there are many pitfalls on the path to full recovery. This is what the head teacher of a school near Moscow said about such a first-grader.
A well-prepared boy entered the gymnasium class of a regular high school. However, he was unable to study in this class. The reason is simple: the excessive aggressiveness of a hyperactive child caused constant conflicts with peers. One day, a classmate got hurt and received quite a serious injury. The parents rebelled and attacked the head teacher: “Remove this child from our class, we are afraid for our children!” The child had to be transferred to another class. But the same problems arose there too. The students in the new class turned out to be more cunning than the previous ones. The children quickly realized that if yesterday a boy hit one, today he hit another, then they need to unite and act together against him. Well, a normal reaction to constant irritation... But one day this unequal confrontation ended as follows: a lonely boy, armed with a ski pole (apparently after a fight in class), ran around the school in terrible excitement and anger and did not allow anyone to approach him . The teachers and high school students who were called to help were unable to get closer to him and somehow calm the child down.
Often after this incident, having been brought to the doorstep of the school by his father, he was not in a hurry to go to his class at all, but hung out along the corridors or sat in the office of the vice-principal.
Did the school try to help the child in any way? How could she... There were conversations with a psychologist, and teachers tried to find an approach to him, and parents were repeatedly called to school. It turned out that the child was being raised by the father; the parents were divorced. The mother lives separately, and, according to her, she is not even able to take her son with her on weekends: she is very tired of communicating with her own child. Well, the father probably allowed himself to be too harsh in raising his son, spurring the aggressiveness of a hyperactive child. A child psychiatrist, having examined the boy, concluded that the child’s intelligence level was above average, and recommended home schooling with school teachers, with visits to certain subjects in the presence of the father. But there was little time left until the end of the school year, and the organization of home schooling was postponed until the fall. In the meantime, they offered to study in a special sanatorium for hyperactive children.
What is hyperactivity and how should we as adults adjust our behavior to help the socialization process of a hyperactive child?
Hyperactivity is usually understood as excessively restless physical and mental activity in children, when excitement prevails over inhibition. Doctors believe that hyperactivity is the result of very minor brain damage that is not detected by diagnostic tests.
Scientifically speaking, we are dealing with minimal brain dysfunction. Signs of hyperactivity appear in a child already in early childhood. In the future, his emotional instability and aggressiveness often lead to conflicts in the family and school.
How does hyperactivity manifest itself?
Hyperactivity manifests itself most clearly in children of senior preschool and primary school age. During this period, there is a transition to the leading - educational - activity and, in connection with this, intellectual loads increase: children are required to be able to concentrate attention for a longer period of time, complete the work they have started, and achieve a certain result. It is in conditions of prolonged and systematic activity that hyperactivity manifests itself very convincingly. Parents suddenly discover numerous negative consequences of restlessness, disorganization, and excessive mobility of their child and, concerned about this, seek contact with a psychologist.
Psychologists identify the following signs that are diagnostic symptoms of hyperactive children:
1. Restless movements in the hands and feet. Sitting on a chair, the child writhes and squirms.
2. The child cannot sit still quietly when required to do so.
3. Easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4. Has difficulty waiting his turn during games and in various situations in a group (in classes, during excursions and holidays).
5. He often answers questions without thinking, without listening to them completely.
6. When completing the proposed tasks, he experiences difficulties (not related to negative behavior or lack of understanding).
7. Has difficulty maintaining attention when completing tasks or playing games.
8. Frequently moves from one unfinished action to another.
9. Cannot play quietly or calmly.
10. Talks a lot.
11. Often interferes with others, pesters others (for example, interferes with the games of other children).
12. Often it seems that the child does not listen to speech addressed to him.
13. Often loses things needed in kindergarten, school, at home, on the street.
14. Sometimes he commits dangerous actions without thinking about the consequences, but does not specifically seek adventure or thrills (for example, he runs out into the street without looking around).
All these signs can be grouped into the following areas:
– excessive physical activity;
– impulsiveness;
– distractibility-inattentiveness.
The diagnosis is considered valid if at least eight of all symptoms are present. Thus, having fairly good intellectual abilities, hyperactive children are characterized by insufficient speech development and fine motor skills, decreased interest in acquiring intellectual skills, drawing, and have some other deviations from the average age characteristics, which leads to their lack of interest in systematic activities that require attention, and therefore, future or present educational activities.
Who is more likely to exhibit hyperactive behavior: boys or girls?
According to psychologists, hyperactivity among children from 7 to 11 years old averages 16.5%: among boys - 22%, among girls - about 10%.
Why are there so many more hyperactive boys than girls?
The reasons may be: greater vulnerability of the brain of male fetuses in relation to various types of pathology of pregnancy and childbirth, in which the developing brain suffers. Functional and genetic factors may play a role. In addition, it is believed that a lower degree of functional asymmetry in girls creates a greater reserve for compensating for violations of certain higher mental functions. Perhaps girls are more dominated by the norms of social behavior, which instill obedience in them from childhood. As a release, a girl can simply cry, while a boy in a similar situation would rather “run across the ceiling.”
Hyperactive children and their learning problems
The problems of children with behavioral disorders and associated learning difficulties are especially relevant today. Constantly excited, inattentive, restless and noisy, such children attract the attention of the teacher, who needs to make sure that they sit quietly, complete tasks, and do not disturb their classmates. These schoolchildren are constantly busy with their own affairs during the lesson; it is difficult to keep them in place, make them listen to the task, and even more so complete it to the end. They “don’t hear” the teachers, they lose everything, they forget everything. They are inconvenient for teachers due to their excessive activity and impulsiveness. And since a modern school is a system of norms, rules, and requirements that regulate a child’s life, we can talk about the existing education system as not being adapted to work with hyperactive children.
That is why in recent years the problem of the effectiveness of teaching hyperactive children has become increasingly relevant and discussed among teachers and school psychologists. So, just a few years ago in primary school there were one or two hyperactive children per class, but now about 20–30% of students fall into this group. And this percentage is constantly growing. Despite all the existing behavioral problems, the intellectual functions of a hyperactive child are not impaired, and such children can successfully master the general education school program, provided that the requirements of the school environment meet the child’s capabilities.
However, the educational system itself, especially in the first stages of hyperactive children’s stay at school, is psychotraumatic for them and leads to the emergence of maladaptive states in these children.
Thus, hyperactive children (and especially younger schoolchildren) experience an increased need for movement, which contradicts the requirements of school life, since school rules do not allow them to move freely during class and even during recess. And sitting at a desk for 4-6 lessons in a row for 40 minutes is an impossible task for them.
That is why, already 15–20 minutes after the start of the lesson, a hyperactive child is not able to sit calmly at his desk. This is facilitated by low mobility in the lesson, lack of change in forms of activity in the lesson and during the day.
The next problem is the contradiction between the impulsiveness of the child’s behavior and the normative nature of relationships in the lesson, which is manifested in the discrepancy between the child’s behavior and the established pattern: the teacher’s question – the student’s answer. A hyperactive child, as a rule, does not wait for the teacher to allow him to answer. He often begins to answer without listening to the end of the question, and often shouts from his seat.
Hyperactive children are characterized by unstable performance, which is the reason for the increase in a large number of errors when answering and completing written tasks when a state of fatigue sets in. And the fixed (standard) system for assessing knowledge, skills and abilities, adopted in a modern school, performs the function not so much of regulation as of authorization for the child, since the increasing number of errors due to fatigue leads to an increase in comments and negative assessments from the teacher, which is perceived by the child as a negative assessment of himself as a whole, and not as an assessment of his work.
A hyperactive child's reading and writing skills are significantly lower than those of his peers and do not correspond to his intellectual abilities. Written work is done sloppily, with errors due to inattention. At the same time, the child is not inclined to listen to the advice of adults.
Experts suggest that this is not just a matter of impaired attention. Difficulties in developing writing and reading skills often arise due to insufficient development of motor coordination, visual perception, and speech development. The system of presenting educational material at school is primarily a pedagogical monologue, which requires attentive listening and executive behavior from the child, while hyperactive children primarily need visual and tactile support in obtaining information. Thus, we can talk about the discrepancy between the methods of presenting educational material (its insufficient variety) and the multichannel perception of a hyperactive child.
And one more feature of the school environment does not allow hyperactive children to feel comfortable - this is the lack of play space at school, while for these children it is necessary, since it allows organizing games to relieve static tension, play up aggression, correct emotional response mechanisms, and develop social skills. behavior. And since the space for play at school is not defined, hyperactive children do not always build it where it is considered possible, and, therefore, again do not meet the requirements of school life.
The problems of hyperactive children cannot be solved overnight or by one person. This complex problem requires the attention of both parents and doctors, teachers and psychologists. Moreover, medical, psychological and pedagogical tasks sometimes overlap so much that it is impossible to draw a distinction between them. The initial diagnosis by a neurologist or psychiatrist and drug therapy are complemented by psychological and pedagogical correction, which determines an integrated approach to the problems of a hyperactive child and can guarantee success in overcoming the negative manifestations of this syndrome.
Correction in the family
To enrich and diversify the emotional experience of a hyperactive child, to help him master basic self-control and thereby somewhat smooth out the manifestations of increased motor activity means to change his relationship with a close adult, and, above all, with his mother. This will be facilitated by any action, any situation, or event aimed at deepening contacts and their emotional enrichment.
When raising a hyperactive child, loved ones should avoid two extremes:
– on the one hand, manifestations of excessive pity and permissiveness;
- on the other hand, setting excessive demands that he is unable to fulfill, combined with excessive punctuality, cruelty and sanctions (punishments).
Frequent changes in instructions and parental mood swings have a much more profound negative impact on these children than on others. Associated behavioral disorders can be corrected, but the process of improving the child’s condition usually takes a long time and does not occur immediately. Of course, pointing out the importance of an emotionally rich interaction between a child and a close adult and considering the family atmosphere as a condition for consolidation, and in some cases even the emergence of hyperactivity as a way of behavior in a child, we do not deny that illness and injury can also make a negative contribution to the formation of hyperactivity or their consequences. Recently, some scientists have associated hyperactive behavior with the presence in children of so-called minimal brain dysfunctions, that is, congenital uneven development of individual brain functions. Others explain the phenomenon of hyperactivity as the consequences of early organic brain damage caused by pregnancy pathology, complications during childbirth, alcohol consumption, parental smoking, etc. However, at present, manifestations of hyperactivity in children are significantly common and are not always, as physiologists note, associated with pathology. Often, some features of the nervous system of children, due to unsatisfactory upbringing and living conditions, are only a background that facilitates the formation of hyperactivity as a way of children responding to unfavorable conditions.
Try to restrain your violent emotions as much as possible, especially if you are upset or dissatisfied with your child’s behavior. Emotionally support children in all attempts at constructive, positive behavior, no matter how small. Cultivate an interest in getting to know and understand your child more deeply.
Avoid categorical words and expressions, harsh assessments, reproaches, threats that can create a tense environment and cause conflict in the family. Try to say “no”, “you can’t”, “stop” less often - it’s better to try to switch the baby’s attention, and if you succeed, do it lightly, with humor.
Watch your speech, try to speak in a calm voice. Anger and indignation are difficult to control. When expressing dissatisfaction, do not manipulate the child’s feelings or humiliate him.
If possible, try to allocate a room or part of it for the child for activities, games, privacy (that is, his own “territory”). When designing, it is advisable to avoid bright colors and complex compositions. There should be no distracting objects on the table or in the child’s immediate environment. A hyperactive child himself is not able to make sure that nothing outside distracts him.
The organization of the whole life should have a calming effect on the child. To do this, together with him, create a daily routine, following which, show both flexibility and perseverance.
Determine the range of responsibilities for the child, and keep their performance under constant supervision and control, but not too strictly. Recognize and praise his efforts often, even if the results are less than perfect.
And here the most important activity for children – play – is absolutely irreplaceable, since it is close and understandable to the child. The use of emotional influences contained in voice intonations, facial expressions, gestures, the form of an adult’s response to his actions and the actions of a child will give both participants great pleasure.
Don't give up! Love your restive child, help him be successful and overcome school difficulties. Remember that “restive children are like roses - they need special care. And sometimes you get hurt on the thorns to see their beauty” (Mary S. Kurchinka).
When it gets really hard, remember that by adolescence, and in some children even earlier, hyperactivity goes away. According to the observations of most doctors and psychologists, general motor activity decreases with age, and the identified neurotic changes are gradually leveled out. Connections appear in the child’s brain that were not there or that were disrupted. It is important that the child approaches this age without the burden of negative emotions and inferiority complexes. So if you have a hyperactive child, help him: everything is in your hands.
I was inspired by the article " Der wahre Grund, warum Kinder nicht still sitzen können" (why children can't sit still) in the online newspaper huffingtonpost.de
Practicing child psychologists have recently increasingly encountered complaints about the fact that children cannot control their motor activity. Scientists call it attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Because of this, learning suffers. Most often, this disorder manifests itself when entering school. When a child becomes a first-grader, he cannot cope with his mobility and interferes with other children’s work. The school administration tactfully hints to parents to take their child to a psychologist.
Constant comments in the diary for violation of discipline in class and running around during recess, dissatisfaction with the teacher and calmer classmates lead to the fact that from the very first steps the child’s a negative attitude towards school and the entire learning process is formed. A very small man utters terrible words: “I hate myself! I can't do anything! I'm disturbing everyone!" The level of self-esteem of such a child is rapidly falling. Parents in such a situation are most often lost.
The most important thing is not to isolate yourself in your own problem.
Parents' ignorance of how to behave further aggravates the child's psychological state. Meanwhile, in not advanced cases, it is enough to pay attention to the child’s physical activity, provide an outlet for his irrepressible energy, engage in sports, outdoor games, and the problem will be solved.
Medical statistics indicate an inexorable increase in the number of children diagnosed with ADHD. Experienced primary school teachers claim that today no less than 8 out of 22 students in a class periodically demonstrate behavior that deserves the intervention of child psychologists. Such manifestations are steadily increasing as the requirements for the perseverance of first-graders increase along with an ever-expanding range of required knowledge and skills. The workload is increasing not only at school. Even in kindergarten, children are required to pay concentrated attention and sit still for at least 30 minutes in preparation for school.
From a very tender age, children are required to maintain decency and calm behavior. Fewer and fewer children can go downhill and climb trees to their heart's content. Parents are wary of swings and carousels. Tighter social control over ensuring the physical safety of children at home, on the street and in educational institutions leads to the fact that parents, and even more so educators and teachers, strive to eliminate the slightest possibility of injury, which, unfortunately, is inevitable during active games. It’s scary to imagine, but very young children gradually develop physical inactivity.
What happens everywhere in regular school classes? The teacher sits at his desk and monotonously talks or, even worse, reads new material. And this can be repeated from lesson to lesson throughout the entire school day. This method of presenting new material will tire even adults. How do elementary school students react to this? There are practically no interested eyes. Someone meekly sits quietly and painfully awaits the end of the lesson. Most children occupy themselves as best they can. Several people are swinging on chairs, others (especially girls) are fiddling with their clothes and hair.
The chewed top ends of pencils no longer surprise anyone. Aimless scribbles on paper, tapping fingers on the table, posture-disfiguring poses...
Such pictures were previously only possible for children with limited psycho-neurological abilities. And now such a picture has become the norm in ordinary schools with the most ordinary children. Such inhibition of the body is possible with an excessively increased load on the eve of exams or accelerated study of large volumes of material. But this also happens in completely normal circumstances.
The simplest tests carried out to determine the correspondence of physical development to age demonstrated that only 1 out of 12 examined had normal physical strength and development of the vestibular apparatus. Together with them, the body’s sensory system, which provides an adequate representation of the environment in the human brain, suffers catastrophically. This state of health of the vast majority of children should cause concern to parents and the public. This requires serious medical intervention.
The state of the vestibular apparatus and motor activity are inextricably linked. To ensure balance is formed in accordance with the child’s age, children every day must receive varied physical activity for at least several hours in a row. Trying to form it in static poses will not lead to the desired result. Unfortunately, the current school schedule with its twice-weekly physical education classes cannot provide sufficient development of the sensory system.
Trying to actively prepare children for school in kindergarten, they are deprived of the necessary movement. This, in turn, leads to underdevelopment of the sensory system, the shortcomings of which children strive to compensate by constantly moving the body (fidgeting) in space. By obeying adults' demands to sit still, children condemn themselves to an inaccurate determination of their place in the environment. Consciousness, fearing such an unstable position, partially turns off the channels of information flow (you must admit that when we rotate or fall quickly, we automatically close our eyes, because the brain does not have time to process everything that flashes before our eyes).
The problem of restless sitting in class can only be solved in one way. Significantly lengthening the recess between lessons and allowing children to go out into the schoolyard for active play will activate the sensory system, which will be strong enough to cope with the next period of sitting still. A short walk home from school is absolutely not enough to sit down at the study table again. Games and running around for several hours (!) will allow the child’s sensory system to recover from school lessons and re-focus to complete homework.
Lyubov Kulagina
Restless child. Hyperactivity syndrome
Kulagina Lyubov Leonidovna
teacher of the highest qualification category
MBDOU "Kindergarten No. 227"
Motovilikha district of Perm.
RESTLESS CHILD.
HYPERACTIVITY SYNDROME
Many parents worries that their children are not attentive enough, restless, and absent-minded. At the same time, problems in the primary grades occur even in children with whom they studied a lot in preschool age and actively developed attention, memory and thinking. Parents cannot understand what is the reason for school failure. One very common explanation is syndrome attention disorders with hyperactivity(ADHD). Hyperactivity syndrome may occur very early in development. Infants have increased muscle tone, are overly sensitive to stimuli (light, noise, sleep poorly, eat poorly, cry a lot, and are difficult to calm down. At 3-4 years of age, the inability to baby concentrated on something study: he cannot calmly listen to a fairy tale, is not able to play games that require concentration, his activity is predominantly chaotic. Peak manifestation syndrome – 6-7 years. Its main characteristics are: excessive impatience, especially in situations requiring relative calm, tendency to move from one activity to another without completing any of them, fidgeting, squirming when sitting. This behavioral trait becomes most obvious in organizational situations. (school, transport, clinic, museum, etc.)
But even the most ordinary children can sometimes be very active and uncontrollable, without passing through the category hyperactive. Shouldn't be anyone excited baby categorize hyperactive. If your the child is full of energy, if it goes overboard, causing the baby to sometimes become stubborn and disobedient, this does not mean that he hyperactive. If you're chatting with your friend and the child starts to get angry, can’t stand still, sitting at the table is normal. Long journeys also tire children. Everyone baby From time to time there are moments of anger. How many children start "walk around" in bed when it's time to sleep, or playing around in the store! What child becomes like a clockwork, giving vent to boredom, not a sign at all hyperactivity. Noisy « spoiled child» or a baby who wakes up before dawn, but full of strength and energy - this is joy, not a reason for worries. And finally child who has behavioral deviations also does not belong to the category hyperactive. Although it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between a normal mobile child from hyperactive, there are a number of characteristic criteria. Hyperactive child probably manifested itself in a similar way in infancy age: he cried a lot, slept little, had a disrupted sleep pattern, it was difficult to calm him down, he suffered from colic, ate poorly, was irritable, did not like being pitied, flinched at every sound, was thirsty all the time, he had all the time my mouth was watering. Many of the signs listed below are fairly typical for two-year-olds, but not for older children.
To determine whether your child has characteristics typical of children with hyperactivity, check out the test on hyperactivity. Looks like a child's game "Find 5 differences"…
Active child:
Most of the day "sits still", prefers active games to passive ones (puzzles, construction sets, but if he is interested, he can read a book with his mother and put together the same puzzle.
He talks quickly and a lot, asks an endless number of questions.
For him, sleep and digestive disorders (intestinal disorders)- rather an exception.
It is not active everywhere. Eg, restless and restless at home, but calm - in the kindergarten, visiting unfamiliar people.
He's not aggressive. That is, by accident or in the heat of conflict, he can give in "colleague in the sandbox", but he himself rarely provokes a scandal.
Hyperactive child:
He is in constant motion and simply cannot control himself, that is, even if he is tired, he continues to move, and when completely exhausted, he cries and becomes hysterical.
He speaks quickly and a lot, swallows words, interrupts, does not listen to the end. Asks a million questions, but rarely listens to the answers.
It is impossible to put him to sleep, and if he sleeps, it is in fits and starts, restless. He often has intestinal disorders. For hyperactive Children of all kinds of allergies are not uncommon.
The child is uncontrollable, and he does not react at all to prohibitions and restrictions. And in any conditions (house, shop, kindergarten, playground) behaves equally actively.
Often provokes conflicts. Does not control his aggression - he fights, bites, pushes, and uses his assistants facilities: sticks, stones...
If the listed points appear before the age of 7 years, consultation with a specialist is required. You must first consult with teachers, a psychologist, and then contact a neurologist.
Establish the reason hyperactivity, consult with specialists. Often such a child has a history of birth trauma, MMD (minimal brain dysfunction). If a neurologist prescribes a course of medications, massage, or a special regimen, you must strictly follow his recommendations.
Inform teachers and caregivers about your child’s problems so that they take into account the peculiarities of his behavior and measure the load.
Always remove dangerous objects from your child's sight (sharp, breakable objects, medicines, household chemicals, etc.).
There should be a calm environment around the child. Any disagreement in the family increases negative manifestations.
What is important is the unified line of behavior of parents and the consistency of their educational influences.
It is necessary to communicate with such a child gently and calmly, because he, being very sensitive and susceptible to the mood and state of loved ones, "infected" emotions, both positive and negative.
Do not exceed the load; you should not work hard with your child so that he is like other peers. It happens that such children have extraordinary abilities, and parents, wanting to develop them, send the child to several sections at once, "skip over" across age groups. This should not be done, because overwork leads to deterioration of behavior and whims.
Don't get overexcited. It is important to strictly follow the regime to the smallest detail. Daytime rest is required, early going to bed at night, outdoor games and walks should be replaced by quiet games, meals at the same time, etc. There should not be too many friends.
Try to make fewer comments, better distract the child. The number of prohibitions must be reasonable and age-appropriate.
Praise more often for what works. Praise without being too emotional to avoid overexcitement.
When asking someone to do something, try not to make the speech long or contain several instructions at once. ( “Go to the kitchen and get a broom from there, then sweep the hallway”- wrong, the child will fulfill only half of the request.) When talking, look the child in the eyes.
Do not force your child to sit quietly for a long time. If you are reading a fairy tale, give him a soft toy, the child can get up, walk around, and ask a question. Keep an eye on him, if there are too many questions, he is often distracted, which means the child is already tired.
Involve your child in active and sports games, in which you can discharge the bursting energy. The child must understand the purpose of the game and learn to obey the rules, learn to plan the game. It is advisable to take up some kind of sport that is accessible to age and temperament.
Master the elements of massage aimed at relaxation and perform it regularly. A light pat on the arm or shoulder while reading or doing another activity will help you concentrate.
Before reacting to a child's unpleasant behavior, count to 10 or take a few deep breaths, try to calm down and not lose your cool. Remember that aggression and violent emotions give rise to the same feelings in the baby.
Extinguish the conflict in which your child is involved at the very beginning, do not wait for a violent outcome.
Avoid crowds of people whenever possible. Staying in large stores, markets, and cafes has an overly stimulating effect on the child.
When considering your child’s diet, give preference to proper nutrition, which will not lack vitamins and microelements. More for a hyperactive child than other children, it is necessary to adhere to the golden mean in nutrition: less fatty, spicy, salty, smoked, more boiled, stewed and fresh vegetables and fruits. Another rule: If a child doesn’t want to eat, don’t force him!
And don't forget to tell your child how much you love him.
The pedagogical and psychological literature presents a large number of games with hyperactive children. We offer you some of them.
"CLUB" (Cherepanova G. D.)
Target: teaching a child one of the techniques of self-regulation.
"ARCHEOLOGY"
Target: development of muscle control.
GAMES WITH SAND AND WATER.
Experts believe that playing with sand and water is essential for hyperactive children. These games don't have to be played only in the summer by the lake. You can organize them at home too. Such games calm the child. At first, adults should help the child organize the game. It is advisable that they select the appropriate toys: boats, rags, balls, tubes, etc. If one of the parents does not want to bring sand into the house (and then clean the apartment), you can replace it with cereal, after placing it in a hot oven.
A hyperactive child is special, being very sensitive, he reacts sharply to comments, prohibitions, and notations. Sometimes it seems to him that his parents do not love him at all, so such a baby really needs love and understanding. Moreover, in unconditional love, when a child is loved not only for good behavior, obedience, neatness, but also simply for the fact that he is! When things get really hard, remember that by adolescence, and for some children even earlier, hyperactivity goes away. It is important that the child approaches this age without the burden of negative emotions and a complex of self-doubt.
Why I Jump Mitchell David
Question 55 Why can't you sit still?
Why can't you sit still?
My body is constantly moving. I just can't sit still. When I don't move, I feel as if my soul is being separated from my body, and it makes me so afraid that I can't stay still. I'm always on the lookout. But although I always want to be somewhere else, I can never get there. I always remain in my own body, and when I am not moving, I am especially aware that I am trapped. But when I move, I can relax a little.
Everyone tells autistic people, “Calm down, stop fussing, sit still,” when we rush around. But since I feel much calmer when I move, I didn't understand what they meant when they said "calm down" at first. Eventually, I began to realize that there are situations where it is better for me to stay in one place. The only way that can help us learn this is through constant practice.
From the book Literary Newspaper 6332 (No. 28 2011) author Literary Newspaper
Why a fraudster should not sit in prison Events and opinions Why a fraudster should not sit in prison DO YOU GET A HINT? Recently, much has been said about the fact that economic criminals should not be punished with imprisonment, and even better are articles on economic crimes Why we manage to drink coffee calmly Recall something from the discussion of Mediocristan in Chapter 3: no single observation affects the outcome. And this property will become more and more important as the population you are considering increases in size. Average Question 7 Why do you speak so strangely? Sometimes autistic people speak with strange intonations or use words in unusual ways. Normal people are able to find words for what they want to say directly during the conversation. But in our case Question 8 Why does it take you so long to answer the question? You normal people speak at incredible speed. Only a fraction of a second passes between the appearance of a thought in your head and its utterance. It's like magic for us! Maybe there's something wrong with Question 10 Why can't you speak normally? I've been trying to figure out why we autistic people can't express ourselves well. I never get to say what I really want to say. Instead, I come out with some kind of verbal garbage, not Question 20 Why are you so worried about minor mistakes? When I realize I've made a mistake, my mind shuts down. I start crying, screaming, making noise, I just can't think of anything else. No matter how insignificant the mistake may be, for me it is very serious, as if Question 25 Why are you jumping? How do you think I feel when I jump and clap my hands? I bet you think there's no special feeling behind the manic glee on my face. But when I jump, my feelings seem to skyrocket. Question 31 Why are you so picky about food? Some people with autism actually eat only a very limited number of foods. Personally, I don't have this problem, but to some extent I understand why. We eat three times a day, but for Question 36 Why do you like spinning? We people with autism like to spin around in one place. For that matter, we love to spin any object we can get our hands on. It's probably hard for you to understand what's so good about this spinning? Everyday settings don't spin, Question 45 Why do you like to walk so much? I think many autistic people enjoy walking. I wonder if you can guess why. “Because walking makes you feel better?” “Because you enjoy being outdoors?” Both answers are, of course, correct, but for Question 47 Can you give an example of something that autistic people really enjoy? We enjoy some things that you probably don't know about. We like to be friends with nature. We are not very good at communicating with people because we Question 48 Why are you always running somewhere? My mind goes back and forth all the time. It's not that I run away of my own accord, I just can't help but rush to where something has caught my attention. This annoys me myself, because I am always scolded for Question 49 Why do you get lost so often? I've already talked about how I jump out of my seat as soon as I notice something interesting. But there's another reason why we get lost so often, and I think it's because we don't really know where we should be. You can tell us that Young children tend to be energetic and easily distracted. When they need to sit quietly and behave well, they begin to fidget, act up and experience discomfort. This is completely normal and there is no need to worry if your child's attention span seems to be less than a minute. However, in some situations you may need to force your child to sit still. In this article you will find many useful tips! Let your child practice sitting still. Most babies have to learn this skill, but you can practice it at home. To begin, have your baby practice sitting on your lap for one minute. Instruct your child to sit as still as possible. Gradually increase the time until your child can sit still for longer periods of time. Read aloud to your child. This is a quiet, attention-requiring activity that develops the child's ability to concentrate and sit still. Teach your child to pay attention to details: ask questions and show interesting details in illustrations. Encourage artistic activities. Provide your child with paper, crayons, and paints. This is a fun activity for your baby that also increases their attention span. Encourage your child to finish the painting before moving on to another activity. Play quiet games that require attention. Try to have your child play with blocks, puzzles, and other games that don't involve physical activity. These games help babies develop memory, fine motor skills, coordination and the ability to sit still. Incorporate quiet moments into your family's daily routine. Regularly organize quiet activities where all family members sit quietly together. This could be a moment before a meal or a designated time for quiet reading. If a child sees his parents and siblings modeling appropriate behavior, he will learn faster. Use eating as practice. Young children should learn to sit quietly at the table while eating. Let your child know that it is not acceptable for him to run around during meals, that he should sit still, and that he can leave the table and return to play only after he has finished eating. Because meals are so regular, they provide an excellent opportunity for your child to practice essential skills. Reward your child's efforts. When your baby copes well with the difficult task of sitting still or concentrating, be sure to praise him, and do not limit yourself to general phrases, but make the praise specific. You can offer a small reward—a piece of chocolate, a walk in the park—for particularly good behavior. Prepare your child. Prepare your child in advance for a situation where he will have to sit still. Explain to your child what kind of situation this will be and what behavior is expected from him. Typical situations include: Make sure the child's basic needs are met. You cannot expect a hungry, thirsty, exhausted, or otherwise uncomfortable baby to sit still and behave impeccably; you have no chance of success. Distract your child. When your child needs to sit still, whether at mealtime or during a doctor's appointment, try distracting him. Draw your child's attention to a picture on the wall, a reflection in the mirror, a silly song or story, etc. If necessary, bring along his favorite toys, picture books, and food.Steps
Develop baby's ability to sit still
Tips for parents of a hyperactive child
How to determine whether a child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or is he just active? Let's differentiate these concepts.
Active child:
-
Most of the day he “doesn’t sit still”, prefers active games to passive ones (puzzles, construction sets), but if he is interested, he can read a book with his mother and put together the same puzzle.
- He talks quickly and a lot, asks an endless number of questions.
- For him, sleep and digestive disorders (intestinal disorders) are rather an exception.
- He is not active everywhere. For example, he is restless and restless at home, but calm in the kindergarten, visiting unfamiliar people.
- He's not aggressive. That is, by accident or in the heat of conflict, he can kick in at a “colleague in the sandbox,” but he himself rarely provokes a scandal.
Hyperactive child:
- He is in constant motion and simply cannot control himself, that is, even if he is tired, he continues to move, and when completely exhausted, he cries and becomes hysterical.
- Talks quickly and a lot, swallows words, interrupts, does not listen to the end. Asks a million questions, but rarely listens to the answers.
- It is impossible to put him to sleep, and if he sleeps, it is in fits and starts, restlessly. He often has intestinal disorders. For hyperactive children, all kinds of allergies are not uncommon.
- The child is uncontrollable, and he does not react at all to prohibitions and restrictions. And in any conditions (home, store, kindergarten, playground) he behaves equally actively.
- Often provokes conflicts. He does not control his aggression - he fights, bites, pushes, and uses improvised means: sticks, stones...
Main causes of hyperactivity
Often hyperactivity is a consequence of a not too smooth birth and disturbances in infancy. The risk group includes children born as a result of cesarean section, severe pathological births, artificial babies born with low birth weight, and premature babies. Considering that the environment and the pace of modern life now leave much to be desired, it is not surprising why hyperactive children are not uncommon, but rather the norm of our lives today. And it’s worth making a reservation: not all children at risk are necessarily hyperactive! And subsequently, if all the “misunderstandings” (restlessness, hysteria, colic, sleep disturbances) have not disappeared before the baby’s first birthday, then it is not too late to normalize them after.
What needs to be done so that the baby gets rid of “excess” activity?
1. Create certain living conditions for him.
This includes a calm psychological environment in the family, a clear daily routine (with mandatory walks in the fresh air, where there is the opportunity to have fun). Parents will also have to work hard. If you yourself are very emotional and unbalanced, are constantly late everywhere, are in a hurry, then it’s time to start working on yourself. We no longer rush headlong into the garden, constantly hurrying the child, we try to be less nervous and less likely to change plans “on the fly.” Tell yourself: “Have a clear daily routine” and try to become more organized yourself.
2. Use these tips:
It is not the kid’s fault that he is such a “live”, so it is useless to scold him, punish him, or organize humiliating silent boycotts. By doing this you will achieve only one thing - a decrease in his self-esteem, a feeling of guilt that he is “wrong” and cannot please mom and dad.
Teaching your child to control himself is your first priority. “Aggressive” games will help him control his emotions. Everyone has negative emotions, including your child, just a taboo, tell him: “If you want to hit, hit, but not at living beings (people, plants, animals).” You can hit the ground with a stick, throw stones where there are no people, or kick something. He just needs to splash out his energy, teach him to do this.
In education, it is necessary to avoid two extremes - the manifestation of excessive gentleness and the presentation of increased demands on him. Permissiveness should not be allowed: children must be clearly explained the rules of behavior in various situations. However, the number of prohibitions and restrictions should be kept to a reasonable minimum.
The child needs to be praised in every case when he managed to complete the task he started. Using the example of relatively simple cases, you need to teach how to correctly distribute forces.
It is necessary to protect children from overwork associated with an excessive amount of impressions (TV, computer), and avoid places with large crowds of people.
- In some cases, excessive activity and excitability may be the result of parents presenting too high demands to the child, which he simply cannot meet with his natural abilities, as well as excessive fatigue. In this case, parents should be less demanding and try to reduce the load.
- “Movement is life,” lack of physical activity can cause increased excitability. You cannot restrain a child’s natural need to play noisy games, frolic, run, jump.
Sometimes behavioral disorders may be a child’s reaction to mental trauma, for example, to a crisis situation in the family, divorce of parents, bad attitude towards him, assignment to an inappropriate class at school, conflict with a teacher or parents.
When considering your child’s diet, give preference to proper nutrition, which will not lack vitamins and microelements. A hyperactive child, more than other children, needs to adhere to the golden mean in nutrition: less fried, spicy, salty, smoked, more boiled, stewed and fresh vegetables and fruits. Another rule: if a child doesn’t want to eat, don’t force him!
Prepare a “field for maneuver” for your fidget: active sports are simply a panacea for him.
Teach your baby to passive games. We read, and also draw and sculpt. Even if your child has difficulty sitting still and is often distracted, follow him (“Are you interested in this, let’s see…”), but after satisfying his interest, try to return with your child to the previous activity and bring it to the end.
Teach your baby to relax. Perhaps your and him’s “recipe” for finding inner harmony is yoga. For some, other relaxation methods are more suitable. A good psychologist will tell you what it could be: art therapy, fairytale therapy, or maybe meditation.
And don't forget to tell your child how much you love him.
Preview:
Children's aggression
What is aggression?
Aggression - This is physical or verbal (verbal) behavior aimed at causing harm to someone.
How does aggression manifest itself in children?
- Anger and indignation in the desperate crying of a baby, the reason for which is simple: the physiological needs of the child are unsatisfied. The aggressive reaction in this case is a reaction of the struggle for survival.
- Outburst of rage and physical attack on a peer, conflicts over the possession of toys in a 1.2-5 year old child. If parents at this age are intolerant of his behavior, then symbolic forms of aggressiveness may form as a result: whining, disobedience, stubbornness, etc.
- Screaming, crying, biting, stamping feet in a 3-year-old child, which are associated with the limitation of his “exploratory instinct”, with a conflict between insatiable curiosity and parental “no”.
- Pugnacity in boys, crying, squealing in girls of preschool age. Boys at this age show more aggressive tendencies than girls, since the latter are afraid of their manifestation for fear of punishment. While the environment treats boys’ aggression more favorably and tolerantly.
- At primary school age, the most frequent acts of physical attack are among boys and more “socialized” forms of aggression among girls: insults, teasing, and rivalry.
- Among adolescent boys, physical aggression (attacks, fights) continues to dominate, while among girls, negativism and verbal aggression (gossip, criticism, threats, swearing) continue to dominate.).
Is this always a bad thing?
Not always. Aggression has its own positive, healthy traits that are necessary for life.
This is perseverance, perseverance in achieving a goal, the desire to win, overcoming obstacles. Therefore, educational measures should not be aimed at completely eliminating aggressiveness from the character of children, but at limiting and controlling its negative traits, and encouraging its positive manifestations.
Causes of childhood aggression.
Aggression can occur in the following cases:
- as a reaction to frustration. This is an attempt to overcome an obstacle to meeting needs and achieving emotional balance.
- as a last resort when the child has exhausted all other options to meet his needs.
- As “learned” behavior, when a child acts aggressively, following a model (the behavior of parents, literary, film and television characters).
Also, the manifestation of aggressiveness is influenced by biological factors (features of the nervous system, heredity, biochemical factors).
When do you need specialist help?
Two types of child aggressiveness require special intervention:
First - when a child over five years old takes pleasure in torturing other children and animals. This type is rare, but always requires special treatment from a neuropsychiatrist.
Second - hyperactive child. Such a child is restless, aggressive, hurts everything and everyone, and has a trail of destruction and resentment behind him. The behavior of such a child is characterized by impulsiveness, rash actions, and violation of prohibitions. Such a child may be loving, generous, sweet at heart, but the biochemical imbalance of the cerebral cortex makes his behavior overactive. Such an impulsive child is the subject of concern for a doctor, who can prescribe the necessary medications.
Prevention of aggression
The best way to avoid excessive aggressiveness in a child is to show him love. There is no baby who, feeling loved, would be aggressive.
- Parents should try to understand the reasons for the child’s aggressive behavior and eliminate them.
- Give your child the opportunity to express his energy. Let him frolic alone or with a friend. Don't let your overreactive child sit idle. Let his energy be spent for “peaceful” purposes: sports, scientific clubs, “tinkering”, etc.
- Avoid watching films and TV shows with scenes of violence and cruelty.
- Help your child find friends, teach him to communicate with peers. In joint activities, children will quickly learn the norms of generally accepted behavior.
- Don't resort to physical punishment.
- Provide your child with a personal example of effective, kind behavior. Do not allow outbursts of anger and rage, insults of your colleagues, development of plans, revenge.
Treatment of aggression
Approximately the same methods are suitable for treating aggressiveness as for preventing it. For a child of this type, just one kind word can remove his anger. Do not consider such a child spoiled. If you start to think this way, you may experience a feeling of alienation and rejection of the child. He will definitely feel this too, and the feeling of loneliness among those closest to him can lead to the child becoming very difficult.
The child himself suffers most from aggressiveness: he is in a quarrel with his parents, he loses friends, he lives in constant irritation, and often fear. All this makes the child unhappy. Care and warmth are the best medicine for such a child. Let him feel at every moment that his parents love, appreciate and accept him. Let your child see that he is needed and important to you.
Hyperactivity is a special condition of the central nervous system, in which there is a clear predominance of excitation processes over inhibition processes. The central nervous system simply cannot cope with a significant increase in mental and physical stress, as a result of which the child experiences certain difficulties associated with the perception of the world around him, interaction with peers and adults. This form of behavior disorder manifests itself most clearly in children who have reached primary school age (7 years and older). This is due to the beginning of a new learning activity for them.
The main signs indicating the presence of hyperactivity in a child are:
● inconsistency;
● fussiness;
● anxiety;
● restlessness;
● excessive emotional activity and instability;
● increased motor activity;
● impulsiveness and outbursts of uncontrolled aggression;
● non-compliance with norms and rules of behavior.
It is naive to believe that over time the symptoms characteristic of childhood hyperactivity will “pass” and cease to bother both those around them and the child himself. On the contrary, without promptly provided professional help, the situation will only worsen, and one of the most pronounced complications will be aggression expressed verbally or in the form of physical force towards peers and close circle. Also, aggression can be hidden if parents suppress it with incorrectly chosen methods of education. Reinforced by mistakes in upbringing, it often turns into aggressiveness as a character trait.
There are psychological and neurological causes of hyperactivity and attacks of aggression in a child 7 years old and older.
Psychological reasons:
● emotional incontinence of parents (quarrels, conflicts between father and mother, aggressive behavior not only at home, but also in society);
● indifferent attitude of parents to the affairs and interests of the child;
● child abuse;
● high demands and high moral responsibility that are inappropriate for age (as a result, the child is afraid of not meeting the expectations placed on him);
● the presence of bad habits in one or both parents (alcoholism, drug addiction in the family);
● strong emotional attachment to one of the parents;
● loss of a loved one;
● excessive care and control and, conversely, permissiveness, lack of prohibitions;
● inconsistency, lack of unity in education, etc.
Neurological reasons:
● organic brain damage during pregnancy or as a result of birth trauma;
● functional underdevelopment;
● injuries of the cervical spine;
● hereditary predisposition, genetic diseases;
● infectious diseases;
● stress experienced;
● exposure to certain medications, etc.
How to help a 7-year-old child overcome hyperactivity and attacks of aggression?
Providing assistance to such children should be comprehensive and combine various methods of neuropsychological and psychological-pedagogical correction.
Often parents do not understand the nature of the behavior of their hyperactive children. They begin to be annoyed by the child’s constant problems with academic performance and discipline. If parents seek psychological advice about a child’s hyperactivity, then he needs to be prepared for the fact that the specialist will largely work not with the hyperactivity itself, but with its psychological causes. A psychologist will help to establish the causes of a child’s hyperactivity and aggressive behavior, identify and neutralize marital conflict, determine the optimal style of raising a child, and give a number of useful recommendations that will help correct his behavior.
The actions and actions of parents, first of all, must meet the requirements for the child, and the educational process must include uniform requirements and the personal example of both parents - only in this case will correct and harmonious development be observed.
