10 parenting strategies for raising hyperactive kids

Nobody wants to be the parent who constantly gets told by teachers that their child is "slow” or is "lagging”. Be that as it may, it is important to remember that your child’s mind works differently than that of his classmates therefore you cannot allow such comments deter you from doing what you can to help him succeed academically. If you need to transfer him to a school better equipped to handle him, then do so. If you feel that your child just needs a tutor, look for one who's been trained to deal with hyperactive kids.

While taking medication helps, by no means should it ever be singled out as the sole reason why your child’s behavior may have improved. If your child does something wrong, don’t ask if he failed to take his medication.

Why? Because by doing so, you send the message that their behavior is dependent on external factors (their medication) as opposed to their behavior being the result of the choices that they make.

Let’s say you asked your kid to clean his room. 15 minutes later, you go up to check on his progress and find him playing with his toy cars. You may be tempted to scold your child but this is something parents of hyperactive kids should avoid doing.

Being easily distracted is a symptom of ADHD. So if you constantly punish your child for something he can’t control, he will eventually lose the drive to do what you tell him to do since he feels like you’re going to be disappointed with him anyways. Instead of scolding him right away, remind your child of your instructions and help him get started.

Don’t be the parent who points fingers at everyone but their kid. While there may be instances wherein you encounter people who intentionally trigger your child to behave inappropriately, there are many others who truly do not know how to handle kids with ADHD.

Besides, by constantly excusing your child and blaming others, you show your child that he can always transfer the blame and that he does not have to be accountable for his actions.

Learn to separate your child from their ADD/ADHD. When they commit mistakes, keep calm and never resort to name-calling or saying things such as, "What’s wrong with you!” or "You’re such a screw up!”

Instead, identify the wrong doing and ask for their input as to how they can resolve it. The more involved your child is in the solution, the more their self-esteem is built up and the higher the chances for a better outcome the next time around.

Sometimes, parents are so focused on pinpointing their child's mistakes that they overlook their good behavior. Retrain yourself and be on the look-out for your child behaving, and when you catch them in the act or hear it from other people, be sure to praise them. By doing so, you encourage them to repeat the behavior since the attention they get from doing so is positive.

A great tip for kids with or without ADHD is to come up with a routine. Children with ADHD thrive with routines because they know what to expect and can prepare themselves for what is about to take place. The same goes for parents, if you have a routine then you can easily pinpoint possible scenarios that may not be good for your child and prevent them from occurring.

But even then, unexpected situations might come up. When they do, make sure that you help your child process the situation and ensure that they understand what’s going on so that they don’t act out.

Parents are a child’s first and foremost role model so be wary of the things you say and do. Is the way you’re behaving something you’d want your child to emulate? If not, then don’t behave in such a manner.

Also, if your child misbehaves, do not lose your temper and resort to shouting. Your child may be led to think that that’s the appropriate way to handle the same situation with other people.

At the end of the day, no matter how hard one tries, there may be times when a parent of hyperactive kids may feel exasperated. Therefore, it is very important to build up a reliable network of family and friends that you can occasionally pass the baton to while you take a break to recharge.

Do you have any suggestions as to how to handle hyperactive kids? Let us know!

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!