Busy 6 Year Old

My son is only 8 months old so I am no expert...but maybe he needs to get more physical activity. Maybe if he is able to run off some of his pent up energy he'll be more focused with his school work. Good luck to you.

Hi M. C.,

My advice would be to ask the teacher to give him something more challenging to do. Sometimes, children that are highly intelligent tend to get bored really quickly and they tend to get into trouble for silly things. So, I would suggest asking his teacher to give him something more challenging to do or to even be her assistant. This will encourage good behavior and make him feel more important.

He's still young and getting 6 yr. olds to focus can be a task sometimes. However, I believe he will do just fine.

Another key point is to monitor him at home, if he is having trouble focusing on his homework or any other activities maybe, consider asking his Pediatrician to suggest a Psychologist to test him for Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD).

I hope this helps. Take care.

D. B.

this should ease your mind a bit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112182442...

they have behavioral therapists that can help with the attention span thing at this age (which for this age is very very NORMAL). too often nowadays we want children to be miniature adults and they're just not. try behavioral therapy for help in him controling his attention and save the drugs for later if the problem gets completely out of control. 6 is just so young for that, and i'm pretty sure that's going to be the first thing some people say.

If he does well with his school work don't fret too much. Kids are kids. Many teachers throw out the ADD, ADHD, etc. stuff soooo much when they simply aren't very good or interesting teachers. They expect kids to sit like little adults, and many do sit that way because they sit for so long with their video games. My son is an active, outside kid. He plays. He does very well with structured tasks and his school work, but unstructured time he flakes out. With an active child excercise is a must. Mine plays ice hockey. I'm also going to start him in Karate or more skating lessons after Christmas. Active kids must have an outlet for energy and a place where they can feel sucessful and proud. Usually in school they get flak for not being a statue, so they need a place that is very positive while burning energy. We have been working on calming down inside and walking. My son has a chart. It's poster board, 1/2 envelopes (I cut one in half and taped the backs to make two pockets), and I printed on the computer different jobs and behaviors and glued it all together. He gets nasty and nice sticks and at the end of the week he gets a quarter for good sticks and has to pay back a quarter for the bad ones. Some of the pockets we have are Walking Running in the house, he'll either get a good stick for walking or a bad for running. Respect, Table manners, Big jobs, clean his bedroom, and for the bathroom he has to brush his teeth, clean his bathroom and take a bath without getting water all over the floor. This has helped him pay attention to himself and his behaviors and choices. He also learns about taking care of money.

I hope this helped, J.

Talk to the guidance counselor at your son's school. They can head you in the right direction and give you fact based information on options for your child. There are a number of possible causes for your little ones behaviour. You should also talk with your family doctor, as some of the causes may be health related. Good luck and be patient.

Hi M.

There are other issues out there than can cause hyperactivity other than ADHD. My son has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) and is considered a seeker. He is constanstly seeking sensory input and cannot sit still or do any activity for more than about 30 seconds. Drives me crazy, but with OT it has gotten much better. Just some things for you to read and see if it matches your son.
I am not trying to diagnose, just giving you other avenues to explore....

(also sugar and milk highly effect my son!) look into his diet!

(look under Vestibular Sense #2)
http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-proces...

http://www.kid-power.org/sid.html

Couple of routes you can take. The first might be to begin a behavior chart so both of you can track positive and negative behaviors. One GREAT place to go is www.activeallowance.com (it's free), they have formatted charts that you can enter goals by time of day (ex. ready for school on time, satisfactory completion of homework, chores, remaining seated at meals, etc). You can use them however you would like. We use them to track both "social" type behaviors (rudeness, fighting with siblings) as well as chores. In any given day, if they score over a certain number, they earn a choice of rewards (like staying up 15 minutes late, or playing a game with Mom or Dad). If they score below a certain number, they have to pick a consequence (like losing a reward, doing an extra chore, etc). It takes some time to decide what to put in the chart, and some time getting into a habit of filling it out, but then it's pretty easy. It's also easy to change and update.

The next thing you may need to consider is talking to your pediatrician about medication. You've probably been told by teachers that he may be ADHD. I had similar problems with a couple of my kids and was 100% against medication. I thought we could train (or discipline) it out of them. We tried some homeopathic supplements. We even spent a few thousand dollars taking one of them to special therapy. In the end even the specialists told me they thought he couldn't overcome his attention problem without medication. I reluctantly went to the pediatrician, and I'm so happy I did. Not only is he making better grades, but he is finally able to clean his room, and he's a much happier kid. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it.

Drugs may be beneficial, but beware of the side effects they have! Many of these drugs have only been tested for a few weeks or months before being put on the market for general use--what are the long-term effects they can have? How will behavior-altering drugs he takes as a child affect him as an adult?

Before trying drugs, check his diet--many kids respond to artificial substances (like food dyes, flavorings, MSG, etc.) with behavioral problems, including hyperactivity. Your 6-y-o probably weighs about 40-50 pounds--how do you think an adult-sized dose of caffeine (in one can of Coke, as an example) affects him, when he weighs 1/4 or 1/3 of an adult? Think about his sugar intake, or other foods that affect behavior.

Also, remind yourself (and your teacher) that he is a kid! Some kids are just more active than others! If he is doing bad things (like throwing, hitting, kicking), that should definitely be stopped; if it is just talking out of turn, or wiggling in his seat, you can work on dealing with it, but c'mon, he's only six! Maybe you can put him in kindergarten another year, or somewhere that he can exhibit his energy. Make sure you don't let him watch too much TV or do other sedentary activities after school--let him get out as much energy as possible playing ball, running around the house, etc. Go for a walk with him, and let him run to the end of the block (or a tree, light pole, etc.) and back, while you're walking towards him, and see how many times he can get to the corner and back to you before you reach that point.

I now have a 10 year old boy. When he was 6 years old he was having trouble paying attention to the teacher. He was also disrupting the class and I would often get phone calls from the principal. I went to the pediatrician and he preceeded to give me a medicine for my son called Concerta. It has been an absolute blessing for my son and for ME. It has made a tremendous difference! I will warn you, you CAN tell if he doesn't take it. He is very hyper and busy when he misses his medication. I suggest you try this medicine, it really works!! Good luck.

My daughter had the same issues at this age. She is now 14. He may not be challenged in school. Sometimes when your child is ahead of the other children, he may become bored. Talk with his teacher & see if there is a way to give him extra jobs at school. Have him tested. My daughter is gifted and that was what her problem was. SHe is also BORDERLINE ADHD. I did try Concerta, at the lowest possible dosage. She was on it for about a year. Only during school. It gave her the tools she needed to teach herself to focus on the task at hand.

As also suggested, I got her involved in physical activities. Now, at 14 she is no trouble at all in school, and on a few sports teams.

Patience is key. He needs to learn to focus. It's something that will take time. But he will. Hopefully without medication.

Don't fret. He is a normal boy.

Good luck!

I've taught for 40 years - my son did the same thing and after several trips to the school, I asked that he be tested. The law says the school system will meet his needs. My son was tested and read on the 7th grade level with 98% comprehension. He was given library privledges, put in first grade for part of the day, and then put in a special school for gifted students. Your child may be bored beyond belief like mine was - you must find out! I observed at school when I got called and the teacher was talking about stop signs, shape, and the color red - he was going nuts! He may need this - find out.

He could be ADHD as all the doctors like to say everyone is these days... but have you thought that he may be really smart and is just board in class?
Talk to your pediatrician. Experiment and observe and figure out what he is doing and when.