My son is hyper help?

Question

I have been to the docs and they say theres nothing wrong with him,He never sits still is always moving about, doesnt sleep all night, He is very over dramatc. I was called to the school they say he is not badly behaved its just he never sits still etc. any advice on what i can do when the doc wont listen.

Neil my son eats mostly organic products and you don't no anything about me so how can i be a bad parent, get a life.

He is 8 years old.

Answer 1

Your son's school is clearly unsure how to deal with him. You are also concerned by his restlessness. Since the doctor you saw could not identify a specific problem then I think you must assume that his behaviour is within normal boundaries.
There is some comfort in thinking that it is just a phase he is going through (a well-worn cliche!) Young boys do have lots of energy and many enjoy physical activity to the point of exhaustion. This might be helpful for him. It would benefit the family too if some of the activity was done together. Being physically tired would certainly help him to sleep soundly.
Whenever I encountered children who could not sit still I found that engaging them in a challenging task helped a great deal - there was no chance of them being bored. They had less desire to fidget or move about. If they did I was quick to reprimand them.
I have included below a reference to ADHD for your information. You might find the links at the bottom of this page interesting:
http://premium.netdoktor.com/uk/adhd/childhood/behaviour/article.jsp?articleIdent=uk.adhd.childhood.behaviour.uk_adhd_xmlarticle_004620

Answer 2

All kids behave differently. He will grow out of it. Some kids are more hyper and more active than other kids. I was one of those kids and I've grown out of it. He'll be the guy at work getting bonuses because of massive productivity. If you do convince a doctor to prescribe medication for him you'll be taking away who he is. The medication will change him in a way that he will rethink what he perceives and how. He will also be needing something for the rest of his life. Ignore all those rude *** comments too. At least you care to get peoples advice before you push it any further which means YOU ARE NOT A BAD PARENT. Only a concerned one. You may already do this but one thing you can do is not let him have caffeine. I cannot have caffeine or I still can't sit still. That means chocolate too. P.S. about the school thing, those teachers should be happy that he's not a bully/discipline problem, tell em so. He will grow out of it, just give him time.

Answer 3

Make sure he gets some quiet time. There are so many distractions these days such as tv, dvds, computers, games, etc. This constant stimulation which is just part of everyday life may cause hyperactivity.

I have found when looking after very active, fidgety children that just one to one conversation helps. This combined with regular healthy meals and fresh air and exercise to induce a natural sleep helps. Last thing at night it is better to just talk and not start anything new such as watching dvds or playing games etc as these over stimulate the mind just as they do in adults. Sticking to a routine also helps as the child's body clock gets used to going to sleep the same time each night.

I found that rather than drawing attention to this behaviour, distraction is a good tactic- such as saying come and sit here for a moment and tell me what your favourite toys are etc when the child starts to get restless.

Some children have more energy then others. I'm sure if this energy is put to constructive tasks and hobbies such as sport, learning and fun it will soon even itself out and be simple healthy energy rather than hyperactivity.

Answer 4

My son was the same way at 8 yrs old. He is probably over intelligent. He has to have his brain stimulated most of the time till he is exhausted. My son used to sharpen his pencils so much because he would always get his work done first and didn't know what to do with him self. He would come home with his pencils shorter then your pinkie finger nail. Anyway he is 12 now and he is much better. Please don't put him on med's. I put my son in Karate and basket ball to keep him busy. I also had him in the after school program where they play a lot of games and sports. It is going to take some work on your part but let the teachers know when his work is done give him something else to do if it's making copies for the teacher or running errands for the teacher or even helping clean black board. He must feel like he is accomplishing something even if he dose not understand it himself. I promise it will get better as he grows up. Hang in there.

Answer 5

We all too often assume that if a child doesnt fit the normal range there is something wrong with them. If he is always moving about channel his energy into something constructive like sport or helping with the cleaning. If he is over dramatic get him invovled in a drama club. As far as the school is concerned dont worry if he is well behaved what is the problem? Suggest to them that as they have to cater inclusively they allow him to get up and move at regular intervals as suits his needs. As far as sleep is concerned everybody has a different need anywhere from 4 - 12 hours. So dont worry about him he is normal for him love him and encourage him and he might just turn out to be an olympic athlete.

Answer 6

I am sure you are wonderful mother and its so good to hear that you feed your son organic foods. I imagine you check all the additives in everything you buy..there could still be something that disagrees with him, it wouldnt hurt to check.
Failing that, my son who is now 10 was exactly the same as your son, I fed him the caveman diet for about 9 months but it made no difference to his behaviour. He is starting to calm down a little now although he still has bouts of not being able to stay still for a moment. I contacted the local 'family centre' and he was tested and talked to as were myself and his father, there was nothing wrong wiht him at all. I have come to accept that this is how he is and work around it. I am sure you son will calm down in time too. It can be very tiring when they are like this but dont lose heart. Keep him occupied as far as possible and take him out for exercise in whichever way he enjoys as much as you can.
If doctors say he is ok in every other regard, then just enjoy your special little boy. He will grow out of this in time. Best wishes to you both.

Answer 7

Sorry to hear about your Son,you didn't say how old he is which could be a Help.

Could all be to do with what you are giving him to eat.

Try bringing up the WebDoc on the Internet and looking into hypo active Children.

Hope you can get some help from it or tell your Doctor to refer your Son to a Hospital Consultant that can.

Some GPs can be a Pain in the Butt so don't let them Fob you off.

Good Luck.

Answer 8

My son is like an energizer bunny as well and keeps going and going. He won't sit still and keeps rocking his chair when in class. Fortunately the teacher isn't as strict as others.

Outdoor physical activities (i.e. playing at the park, walking at the mall) should help release some of that energy and tire him out, so he can sleep like a baby a night.

Answer 9

I have a hyper child as well and it does where on the nerves, but what i have found is my child just gets board really fast. Keep him really busy and it helps bike rides, crafts, and running outside really helps. You are not a bad parent and it isn't appreciated when others think that way they are not the ones who deal with this everyday it is hard. Remember your not alone pay lots of attention to him with a good diet and it should help.

Answer 10

I know you wrote that he eats mostly organic foods but checking the ingredients might help, we had to remove anything with red # 5 and most dairy from my sons diet, he has calmed down alot and is even in gifted classes this year.