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Be hyper (6 years old) on a regular basis? He will run around shouting, singing loudly and sometimes throwing toys about or being heavyhanded. Would you as a parent be offended if a caregiver mentioned it to you? The child does not have ADHD.
A doctor has evaluated the child and determined he does not have ADHD or another disorder? Is he able to control his behavior with limit setting or, is he like this virtually all the time and, limit setting does not work? If that is the case, he needs a neuro-psychological evaluation. Many adults with bipolar disorder displayed similar behaviors in childhood.
He can turn it on and off. For example, at school he won't be as hyper and is able to sit and learn. In the home environment, it can be a different story. I described his actions in my first post but sometimes you have to really shout at him to get him to come out of it and calm down. He will display repetitive motions such as singing the same song or repeating the same word constantly. He will fling toys around, run about the house and jump up on any adults in the house.
Is that normal or cause for concern?
Honestly, if he's fine at school, then what it tells me is that there is not enough structure or stimulation in the house. I'm a dog person, not a kid person, but what I'm getting is that this kid needs more occupation at home and more exercise. As in, more trips to the park, light chores and responsibilities and more quality interaction with the adults in the house and play dates with friends.
At 6 there is no way of knowing whether he has ADHD or not, but I will say I have severe ADD and I did great in school. Outside of my classwork was where the problems were.
Sounds like my very energetic son at that age. We set consistent boundaries and enrolled him in lots of sports. He is now a happy, well-adjusted high schooler.
If he's controlling his behavior at school and there are no behavior concerns there, it sounds like he may be "saving it up" for when he's free to be more energetic. I really like that in a child, actually. There are children who very purposefully force themselves to comply with school rules even though it's hard for them.
Are there other details you haven't mentioned yet - a recent divorce, a recent re-marriage of a parent, a recent new baby?
Are you the girlfriend of the dad and he is competing for Dad's attention when you are present?
No, this is about my nephew. No changes or upheaval in the family or his life.
He goes to lots of sports clubs and holiday camps so has plenty of outlet for his boundless energy.
Maybe it's a case of having to follow too many rules outside of the home so he goes wild at home?
He says he wants to be good (Sister is using a reward chart) but can't be.
No, this is about my nephew. No changes or upheaval in the family or his life.
He goes to lots of sports clubs and holiday camps so has plenty of outlet for his boundless energy.
Maybe it's a case of having to follow too many rules outside of the home so he goes wild at home?
He says he wants to be good (Sister is using a reward chart) but can't be.
What you're describing is annoying, but there's no malice in it. It's just being a kid. They are awkward and intrusive and annoying while they figure out appropriate boundaries and behavior. Parents need to model the behavior and set appropriate boundaries. That's what parenting is about. It's messy and time-consuming and requires endless patience. Your sister sounds like she has problems many parents would kill to have themselves - an active and engaged kid who does well in school and only "acts out" by being noisy and somewhat needy (gasp! at 6!) and annoying at home.
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