Hyper Activity

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Some kids are more enthusiastic about life than others. I can't see that labeling a child as hyper is helping them. They use diagnosises to prescribe medication. I am not a fan of popping pills to fix every issue, but some people are. I would spend time outside every day with him to allow him to expend some of his energy. If you have problems with getting him to settle down at night this helps. You can also give him a bath right before bedtime. Using lavendar bath products, making chamomile tea for him, and even relaxing candle scents can help too. I always read to my son before lights out. This helped him settle down and since he loved to hear the stories was a great incentive to get into bed, so that he would have more story time. I also enrolled him in Head Start, so that he could play with other kids. Hope this helps.

Hello K.,

My husband was hyperactive when he was about that age and his mother found out about a diet called "The Finegold Diet." This diet targets salicilates; which are in fruits such as strawberries, peaches, raspberries etc. It also states that you should stay clear of artificial colors and flavors. After his mom cleared the house of those types of foods he calmed down and could concentrate. Granted this was in the 70's, but it turned him around. He could sit still. They were going to hold him back in Kindergarten and he went from being behind in reading to reading at a 3rd grade level in first grade. Today, they are so eager to put boys on medication for ADD. Let me know if you need more information. Good luck.

Hi K.,

ADD/ADHD is considered a sensory integration disorder. These can range from very mild high functioning kids (and adults) to people with pretty severe deficits. There are many apporaches to treatment, including meds, but often the root of the problems comes down to the development of the neurosensory pathways, proccessing outside stimulation (balance, taste, vision, hearing, touch...) and intergrating it into the brain properly allowing for the proper response.

Sometimes kids who are, overactive actually have systems that are overloaded and require more stimulus than the average person to experience the same response in the brain. (hence your son needs to run around to get the stimulus he needs) This can be QUITE complex and I can't really go into the details of testing all the neurosensory pathways here, but it might be something to look into in more detail. Someone who is experienced in working with kids with SID (sensory integration disorders)is your best bet. By doing a very thorough exam, testing neuro pathways with differnt tasks and exercises, they should be able to determine if SID is even an issue for your son and/or what specific areas need work.

My approach for kids with these types of issues involves: nutritional modifications/detox, sensory integration homework/exercises for areas that need work and chiropractic care, as needed, to stimulate the areas of the spine that are involved with those particular parts of the brain. Sorry I can't go into more detail, there is just too much info. If you are interested, please feel free to post again and I'll try to be more specific and send you some resources that you can look into.

I am a massage therapist and I heard some studies while I was in school about children with ADD. There was a study that if you rub his back for 10-20 minutes before he goes to be and when he wakes up, it helps him to stay focused longer and stay calm. I don't know that it will work, but I hope that you try it. If it works please let me know.

Hi K. -
This is where my soap box kicks in. My youngest son, now 14, was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 5 and I fought using the medications until he was in 2nd grade. At that point, I caved in because I didn't know what my options were. Now I do. I took my son off the medications at the end of 4th grade and the biggest problem was getting past the mindset of the public school district. I went back to school and received a degree in Mind-Body Psychology and now use guided imagery and meditation to calm the body and mind. Sometimes that's not enough though - and so I returned to school and am completing my second degree in Western Herbalism. As a Certified Herbalist, I have learned that there are a number of factors that can contribute to "hyperactivity." Step 1 is to ask your pediatrician to do blood work and determine if your child has "heavy metal" toxicity. You can get Chlorella or Spirulina at Sprouts, Whole Foods or Desert Sage Herbs (and probably other health food stores). Both are blue-green algea and bind to any heavy metals in the blood and digestive system and remove them from the body. They also contain a large number of easily digestible vitamins and minerals. The removal of the toxins often eliminates or reduces the symptoms of ADHD, bi-polar and other childhood diagnosed behavioral disorders. There are also a number of herbs that can calm, aid focus and restore health. They include: Gotu kola, Ginkgo biloba, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Licorice root, Eleuthero, Hyssop, Red Root & Echinacea (Lymph cleanser), Rosemary, Amalaki and there are others. Use organically grown or wildcrafted herbs.

I hope this information is helpful. I don't want to see other mothers and their children to go through the same experiences I have so if I can help in any way, I am happy to do so.

You can find out more about my businesses at www.hypno4kids.com and www.wellnessgardening.com.

My son is 8 and has similar problems- possible ADHA. He has been involved with martial arts for about 9 months, and it helps him with his focus and concentration. He also started a HEROS group about a month ago. Heros is through one of our counceling centers and is for children that have a hard time focusing and that are distracted easily. That has also been helping. I will not medicate my son but am more than open to other methods of treatment. So that is my advice, Groups that help to teach new behaviors before you would think of meds at such a young age.
Good luck.
C.

Hi K.,

I have some very active children as well. They have settled tremendously since taking them off of refined sugar and red and yellow food colors. The effect was so dramatic for one of my boys that he is very careful to check labels at 9 years old, this is amazing. He explained once that now that he knows that it is these particulars, he wants to stay away from them. Specifically, red food coloring makes him very hyper and he feels "jittery".

I hope this helps :-)

My sisters son is six and he is also very hyper,she put him in every activity she could to try to balance him out.Nothing has worked for her,the doctor told her that he is fine and it will just take time for him to calm down.They don't know how much time maybe years.

I know for a fact that my son that is now 18 has adhd and my 5 yr old daughter and 13 yr old daughter have it too when I first took my son to the dr they said he is a tactile learner meaning he needed to touch things to learn and also they advised me to give him lots to do like give him chores to keep his mind busy as his mind was going faster than his body could keep up with I thought it sounded stupid but I notice that if my kids are busy not running but just keeping themselves occupied with something they are not hyper they are happy if your son is advanced for his age this could be like my son give him a few small chores and see what happens or give him stimulating activities for his mind good luck...A.

I think I would have my child seen,although,I don't fall for the ADD labels they seem to hand out too easily. Check into putting him in soccer or basketball. A sport where they might do a little more running. Try everything you can to keep him off ADD drugs and labeled. My oldest son was labeled ADD and I found out that half of his 5th grade class was on ritalin (apparantly the teacher didn't want to teach) I was angry and did everything I could for my son in a positive way. He is a huge skier, baseball and basketball player and now a law student in college. Please read all you can on ADD and ask YOURSELF if he is ADD. You live with him, you know him best.

Hi there! You are describing my 4 year old daughter. She doesn't know the meaning of sit. Even when she has to sit, she fidgets. My family calls her the high energy child! My husband and I have wondered about ADD at times, but I am not willing to have her labeled at such a young age, so right now, it's just high energy, which it might be. I have noticed that when we do run the heck out of her, she is very different. On the weekend, we like to do up to 10 mile hikes and she really seems to benefit from it. Being around the house doesn't seem to let her exert enough energy. Is your son in sports or any group physical activity? We went to sign her up for soccer, but she was 6 days too young. Don't let other people talk you into the testing route until you know that there is no other way to handle it. Once he is labeled, it's there forever. Best of luck to you, I know how frustrating it can be!

Hi there K.

I have seen documentaries that recommend fish oil (capsule or choosing omega type) food products and cut out products with preservative 232 (especially the blue pop tops). Feel free to check out the benefits of fish oil for hyperactivity.

All the best

J.

Maybe he's allergic to sugar, or just getting too much in his diet? Try cutting down sugary foods and see if it might help. Also too much tv can cause that too, too much mental stimulation. My nephew is verrry hyper and at times out of control. His parents recently cut back his tv time and replaced with reading and is helping a lot. Oh ya, a little yoga, meditation with deep, slow breathing you can do together would help calm the mind, a proven reducer of the stress hormone cortisol, which can make one hyper. Check out a yoga for kids book or video. Good luck with whatever you find that helps helps!

ADD is hard to diagnose. Really do your research on it. My 5 year old is hyper, I feed him some soda sometimes, let the sugar wear off and then he is fine. He can sit and do homework and help me around the house

Hi K.,

I have a 9 yr old boy who is the same way. He is a good boy; very loving and sensitive to others, does wonderfully in school, and is starting to make some good friends. He gets up before everyone else in the house, even if he goes to bed late. I have taken away sugars, sodas, chocolate and any other stimulants. He gets them once in a great while as a treat, and only when I know he will be in an area to run off the extra energy. red dyes really send him over the top also. He really likes to build things too... K*Nex, Legos, Bionicles or Lincoln Logs. Any outdoor activity too; football, soccer, baseball, RC cars. I have never taken him to a dr for this and pretty much refuse to medicate him. So far, he is doing really well, and he understands why he can't have the sugar and soda. (doesn't stop him from asking though :) I hope this helps some!!

Hi K.,
ADHD ( there is actually a difference between ADD and ADHD) is lot more than just a high energy kid. Most diagnoses start coming when kids are having a lot of trouble in school and not socializing properly with their peers. If you're really concerned that this is the problem, talk to a child psychologist so they can do an evaluation. But if your son is doing fine in school and seems to be able to make and keep friendships, then you may just have to find a creative way of re-directing his energy. Good luck!

Hi, don't have time to read all the responses..but my children are very hyper and active.. They must get their wiggles out someway....so it's either off to the park, the pool, the swingset, bicycling, scooters, rollerskating or loud dance music inside. My kids need at least 1-2 hours a day of this....then, and only then do we have peace in the home.
However, I must tell you, we don't eat junk food. The only treats I buy are from Trader Joes or organic things. I only let them eat junk cereal during the summer, NEVER during the school year.
Hope this helps.
Jennifer

If you are really worried that your child might have ADD then maybe you should take him to a doctor. One of the teachers at my son's school thought he might have ADD and I decided to get an opinion from a professional. Dr. States has done special training on Childhood disorders and will be honest and straight forward with you.

Sometimes diet and an overabundance amount of yeast in the body can cause this along with many other problems. With all of the antibiotics our children are on each year this causes a problem with candida. It may be worth seeing a nutritionist who can check him at a cellular level and figure out the root of the problem.
I am an independent Shaklee distributer check out my website www.shaklee.net/K.. Shaklee sells non-toxic cleaners(great for children with asthma) and supplements for the whole family! My 2 children 2 and 4 years old have been so healthy since the have been on the Shaklee supplements. Best of luck with your little one.

I would take him into to get checked for it because you have a 50/50 chance. He could have it or he could be a hyper 7 year old boy. I would get him involoved in activities of some sort whether it's sports or karate. Something boys have a lot of extra enegry anyways so he just might be bored and needing to be stimulated more. He sounds fine to me having two nephews and growing up with a brother just like that, but I would have him checked out just to be on the safe side. Also, have activities for him to do at home as well that will keep him busy and entertained. Building something, craft kits, etc..
Hope these ideas help!