8 yr old with ADHD, calming activity ideas?!

My son is seven and has ADHD!. He also takes meds, which wear off around 5 or 6!. And I can definitely tell! He also takes a 3 mg Melatonin about an hour before bed - otherwise, he takes around 2 hours to fall asleep!. If he also has trouble falling asleep, you may want to try the Melatonin (it was okayed by the doctor and it is over the counter)!. Do you read to your son!? I usually read for at least 20 minutes before bed - this generally helps calm him down!. Otherwise, he plays nintendo, does kakuro (similar to sudoku), colors or watches a movie!. Even with ADHD, kids can concentrate on things that they enjoy!.!.!.!.like the nintendo or puzzles or legos!. Good luck with this! If I can help any more, my email is jlbouman@yahoo!.comWww@Answer-Health@Com

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I am a mother who had a ADHD child!.

Try keeping your child as busy as you can during the day!. Keep the child stimualted and on task!.

Try to be consistant parks and swings and building sand castles etc!.

At night have the same rituals!. If the toys are all over say its clean up time make up a song and have your child involved in this as well!.

Take night time baths even if they had one during the day at least 20 minutes with special plastic toys you both picked out for special night time!. Always make your kid apart of the rituals too!. IE we are going to buy you special night time bath toys! Only use them at night not morning bath or the child will associate this with WAKE UP and go time!.!.!.!.!.

Try also a night time snak of TURKEY sandwich and warm milk AFTER the bath!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

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well!.!.!. i am not a parent!.!.!. but you have to treat such patients very very patiently!.!. i know you have been doing it till now!.!.!. but still i want to remind you of that!.!.!. meds is just a temporary release out!.!. but i have seen that love can actually supercede all medicines!.!.!.
you are actually trying hard to get him calmed down!.!. instead if you become a friend of his and try to look the world through his shoes, it would really help you to understand what he is going through!.!.!.
the probelm with this case is that the child thinks that he is very insecure!.!.!. with everything!.!.!.
just try to be a friend and do what he likes to do!.!.!. he will understand sooner or later!.!.!. its just a matter of time!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

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I would have him chew hard things (it calms a helps focus) gum, frozen peas, and blueberries, pretzles!. And haveing him suck applesauce up through a straw helps calm!. and then blowing through a straw helps too!. I like to read a lot before i go to bed!. and doing hard activity before bedWww@Answer-Health@Com

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Have him lay off the sugar!. That will do wonders!. As for calming activities maybe sudoku puzzles, but if he can't pay attention then I guess that's out!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

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The one thing that worked well for my daughter, remarkably so (and I've since heard works well for many other parents) is a bit of caffeine!. Not a lot but perhaps what might be in a cup of tea or half cup of coffee!.

Someone suggested that to me and I thought they were joking and then clueless!. But, I did finally decide it couldn't be much worse and it shocked me how effective it was!. My girl went from talking a mile a minute without taking a breath or pausing between topics to relaxed, calm yet attentive, and happy but still very interactive!. We went to a show and she sat without fidgeting but very engaged in what was happening on stage!. Then she went straight to bed when we went home and slept 10 straight hours (when she'd rarely slept more than 7 even as an infant)!. When she woke the next day she was still calm I would bet from having had a good night's rest!.

Anyway, you have little to lose from giving it a try!.


The other thing that was very effective overall was going all organic (and vegetarian) so we no longer had any genetically modified foods in the diet!. She no longer takes meds and only occasionally gets super talkative!.
http://www!.feingold!.org/PF/wisconsin1!.ht!.!.!.
http://www!.organicconsumers!.org/school/a!.!.!.

All that has made me a calmer and more effective parent (with a bit more sleep of my own too)!. :)Www@Answer-Health@Com

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Hi---Caring for a child with ADHD can be challenging for the whole family!. Parents may be hurt by their child's behavior as well as by the way other people respond to it!. And the stress of dealing with ADHD can sometimes lead to marital stress and even divorce!. These problems may be compounded by the financial burden that ADHD can place on families!.

Siblings of a child with ADHD also may have special difficulties!. They can be affected by a brother or sister who is demanding or aggressive, and they may also receive less attention because the child with ADHD requires so much of a parent's time!.

There are no easy answers for struggling families, but many resources are available that may help!. Parents can get advice on raising a child with ADHD from a social worker or other mental health care professional or from a support group!. Support groups don't appeal to everyone, but they often can provide excellent information about coping with ADHD from people who know!.

There also are excellent books and guides for both parents and teachers, and Internet sites dealing exclusively with ADHD!.

Techniques for coping:

Many parents notice patterns in their children's behavior as well as in their own responses to that behavior!. For instance, your child might throw a tantrum every night before dinner, and you might routinely give him or her a snack so that you can finish preparing the meal in peace!. Although you don't mean to, you end up encouraging your child's behavior!. Both you and your child need to act differently!. But substituting new habits for old ones isn't easy

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