Dr. Komarovsky about hyperactive children
Some babies are so active that mothers wonder if this is not a sign of some kind of pathology of the nervous system. Indeed, there is a so-called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, shortened by doctors to ADHD. How can a mother find out if she has this syndrome and how to raise a hyperactive baby properly? Let us turn to the opinion of a popular pediatrician, which all parents can learn from the program “School of Doctor Komarovsky”.
What is ADHD?
So called the violation of the brain, which is manifested by a deterioration of attention and increased physical activity. According to Komarovsky, 1-7% of children have hyperactivity requiring treatment. Moreover, in male children such a violation is detected 2-4 times more often than in girls.
In the people of these children are called "awl in the pope." Hyperactive kids do things without thinking, hardly concentrate attention, act impulsively. Instead of walking, such children prefer jogging, ask a lot of questions and do not listen to the answer, break lessons, move a lot, fuss, break or drop things.
Although, as Komarovsky notes, ADHD is usually diagnosed in children over the age of 7 years, this problem may appear much earlier. A hyperactive baby will develop faster than his peers, hurry to learn how to sit and walk, sleep badly, quickly switch attention and lose interest in toys.
How to distinguish an active child from a hyperactive
To understand whether your child is just a very quick and noisy kid because of his character or he has ADHD, Komarovsky recommends that you contact a specialist. Only a psychologist or a psychiatrist who is well versed in the problems of the child's psyche is able to find out that this is only a property of character and that treatment is not necessary here, or one cannot do without medical assistance.
The main difference of just active children from a child with ADHD Komarovsky calls this moment: if hyperactivity does not prevent a child from communicating with peers, learning and developing normally, then most likely this is not a disease. If, due to increased activity and problems with attention, the child cannot get along with the team and cope with school loads, this is more like hyperactivity, as a diagnosis. At the same time, the doctor must finally confirm the existence of the problem.
In the following video, the doctor highlights some of the symptoms that indicate the presence of ADHD in a child.
How to behave with a hyperactive child
Komarovsky advises all parents of hyperactive children to use the following rules in the educational process:
- If you want to bring something to the child, it is important to establish contact with him. If you address your child when he is busy with something, you will not achieve anything. First, remove everything that prevents contact (turn off the cartoon, hide the toy, go to the other room from the grandmother), and if you need to touch the child and unfold it to yourself.
- Your rules should be permanent. If you forbid something today, such a ban should be tomorrow and in a week. In this case, your bans must be clear and clear. In addition, it is important that all rules are feasible for the child.
- Pay attention to safety as well as order in the baby’s room. It is important to protect the hyperactive baby from injury as much as possible. Cleanliness and orderliness is also worth moving to other rooms. You will not be able to get order in the nursery if your table is cluttered up with papers and dishes are scattered in the kitchen. The parental example will always be the best for any child.
- Stick to a certain mode. It is very important for children with hyperactivity to perform all actions at approximately the same time every day. Even at the weekend, wake up when you get up on weekdays, and always read the story in the evenings at the same time.
- Divide complex tasks into simple ones. Phased implementation is given to children much easier. For clarity, you can draw or write a plan of action for the child.
- Try to find from your child what he is best at. Always praise for such qualities and actions. Komarovsky calls this the "sandpiper rule."
- Use the Olympic principle, focusing on participation, not on victory. Even if your baby did not wash his plate completely, praise for zeal, because he tried to wash it yourself.
- Find a sphere in which your hyperactive child will be able to manifest himself well. Some kids draw well, others - clean the room, and others - collect puzzles. Be sure to support the desire of the child to do what he is doing great. According to Komarovsky, it is very important to create all the conditions for such activities.
- Direct the energy of your child in the right direction. If you care about a night's sleep, go for a walk in the evening, ride a bike or do something else so that the baby can spend his energy and get tired enough.
- Learn to gather with a hyperactive child to visit, to shop or to other places. It should carefully consider all the nuances of the upcoming "hike" - decide what we are taking with us, tell the child what not to do on the spot or on the way, think about what you will buy the baby and so on.
- Take care of your own rest. Komarovsky emphasizes that parents must rest, and with hyperactivity in a child it is doubly important. And if there is an opportunity to temporarily entrust the baby to a nanny, grandmother, neighbor's eldest child, do not miss it. For a hyperactive baby, it is very important that dad and mom are calm.
Learn the rules of behavior of parents of hyperactive children from the mouth of Dr. Komarovsky himself in the next video.
