Calming Tips for Hyperactive Children

Try these quick relaxation techniques  to calm a hyperactive child down during temper outbursts or unusually rowdy days. They take the same amount of time as yelling and scolding but produce incredibly different results in hyperactive children.

• Deep breathing is one of the simplest ways to calm the body. Teach your children to take deep breaths (in through the nose, out through the mouth) when they begin to feel frustrated and out of control. Parents, you do this too!
• Give your hyperactive child a mini-massage. Touch is very important for stressed or hyperactive children. A massage on their temples, a shoulder rub or lightly running your fingers through their hair can calm children quickly.
• Draw a warm salt bath or bubble bath (Calgon, take me away!) to wash away the hyperactive child's stresses of the day.
• Put together a "Boredom Box" for a creative outlet. Hyperactive children bore easily and their fast spinning minds need extra stimulation. In the absence of nothing better to do, hyperactive children will lean on their own devises and you don't want them doing that. Better that they draw than set the cat on fire... Fill this box or plastic storage bin with coloring books, paint sets, crossword puzzles, modeling clay, jewelry making kits and other artistic areas of interest.
• Take your hyperactive child for a walk or send them around the block on their own if they are old enough. Walking burn off excess energy and the repetitive thumping of feet hitting pavement brings the mind back into focus. ***This author regularly sent her exceptionally bouncy boy for laps around the house and timed him to see how fast he could go. He thought it was a game.   :-)

These calming techniques work to sooth the hyperactive child in the midst of a stress or being overly active. There are also  techniques that parents can teach their hyperactive children to help them get the "stuff" out before it builds up and explodes.

Create a calming environment: If you play music in the house, opt for soft music or classical music instead of rock. Subliminal CDs are also an excellent way to cover the house in calm. A good subliminal CD will provide a backdrop of calming music layered over positive phrases. These positive phrases are not discernable to the conscious mind but readily picked up by the subconscious mind.

A Place to Relax: Develop a designated relaxation space. It does not have to be a large space but it does need to be away from high activity areas. This little corner (or even a portion of a walk-in closet) can have a beanbag chair and a few books, coloring books or other quiet time activities. Encourage your child to go to this space when they become angry or out of control, but never make this a place of punishment. This is a special, positive place where they can go to settle down, sort things out or just hang out when they need to be alone. ***This relaxation space is not just for hyperactive children. I know one mom who uses the relaxation corner of her house more often than her children.

Journaling: For the child old enough to write, journaling is an excellent way to untangle frazzled minds and get things off their chest. This technique allows the frustrated child a chance to spill their internal stresses onto paper. For optimal maintanence, develop a daily habit of journaling with your child. Encourage them to write about anything that comes to mind. They can write "I hate school, the dog just drooled, my baby sister drives me crazy..." - whatever comes to mind. Eventually, they will get to the guts of what is going on inside them. These thoughts are private and not for you or anyone else to read, ever. Please respect their privacy. After they are done writing, run the paper through the shredding or throw it away. This is an exercise to get the built up crud out of the child, not to find out what lurks in their frustrations.

Taking a mini-vacation with Guided Imagery: Remember Happy Gilmore's Happy Place? Guided imagery is something like that. Guided imagery is a powerful relaxation tool that takes the child out of the moment and far away from their problems to a peaceful place. Guided imagery directs focus to positive thoughts while encouraging creativity in your child.

With soft, soothing music in the background, ask your child to close his eyes and take a few deep breathes in and out. Walk them down an imaginary path into the quiet woods, through prairies and flower gardens or on a beach in the warm sunshine. Use as many descriptive words as possible on your journey and incorporate as many senses as possible. If you take your child to the ocean, ask, "Can you smell the salt water and hear the waves gently lapping on the shoreline? Can you taste the ice cream cone you bought on the beach? Look at the palm trees near the beach, can you see them swaying in the breeze?" During this little trip to the ocean, for instance, say phrases like, "You are feeling very relaxed," "The warm sun on your shoulders makes you feel so happy and peaceful." You might want to jot a script in the beginning to help you walk them through their journey.

Last, but certainly not least, diet: Starting the day out with a healthy breakfast balanced with proteins, fats and carbs goes a long way in smoothing hyperactivity. An egg sandwich, peanut butter toast and fresh fruit, protein shakes and fresh fruit smoothies are great ways to start the day for hyperactive children. Sugar cereals are quick and convenient but should not be used as a breakfast mainstay. Fruit juices are high in calories and sugar and not recommended for the child that is prone to hyperactivity.

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