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“How can
parents and educators deal with
youth who are hyperactive as a
result of the situation in
Palestine?”
The
question is about hyperactive
behaviour. ADHD (Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder) is not the
subject of this question. Still I
want first to say something about
ADHD.
ADHD
is a developmental disorder. About
5% of youth have ADHD, more boys
than girls. It has a genetic
component. After diagnosis, best
help includes medical treatment,
cognitive behaviour therapy and a
clear and structured situation at
home and at school.
The
hyperactive behaviour pointed to in
the question is a reaction of the
child to a chronic stressfull
situation - life in the West Bank
under occupation. There are problems
with providing basic needs (food,
house, money) and experiencing a
basic lack of control.
Others - soldiers, the Israeli
government – use force. People don’t
live in freedom. Children know no
other situation.
This
kind of stress makes life difficult.
It becomes more difficult to
concentrate at school, to learn, to
do your homework and so on.
Hyperactive behaviour implies that
the child’s brain is overly busy;
that the brain works overtime.
Children living in a chronic
stressful situation are at risk.
Children can get serious health
problems; they are tired, have a lot
of headaches and / or other
psychosomatic diseases. Next to
these physical problems children can
also go into behaviour problems -
they may misbehave at home, at
school, on the streets.
If
children experience stressful
situations, one or more of the
following actions can be of help:
-
sport
-
talking about it, getting
recognition
-
creative activities
-
experiencing good examples by
adults
-
structure and clarity
-
experiencing a positive way of
social interaction.
Sport
It’s
important for staying healthy in
general and countering stress in
particular that children sport a
lot. For example: football,
basketball, athletics, and so on.
It
would by very helpful if it is
possible that schools put sports on
their curriculum during school time
not only once but several times a
week.
Because of physical effort the body
becomes tired. Sports is good for
the balance between mind and body.
In
addition, I would recommend going to
school by bike or walking. Adults
can support this. I know it’s not
common to do so in your country, but
you can make a start... As a second
benefit: any kind of physical
activity is good to prevent
overweight.
Talking
Stress, sadness, being in distress,
having worries don’t necessarily go
away after talking. But translating
mental things into words can clarify
problems. Others getting admission
to your problems is important.
Somebody is telling you: “Your
problems are real. What you say is
true.” The seriousness of a child’s
difficulties is determined by
personal experiences. Children will
experience the same problems in a
different way.
Listening to children’s stories is
very important. It will give
children a chance to learn solving
problems by themselves. If children
feel accepted by finding a
listener’s ear to their stories,
their possibilities to find
solutions are increased.
It is
important to understand that
children are able to find solutions
to their own problems only if adults
give space. From this point of view
it is essential to prevent the
pitfall of being hasty with giving
solutions and advices to children.
Listen carefully and let the
children express their problems, so
that they learn to solve them.
Creative activities
Drawing, painting, handicrafts,
music, singing, theatre or drama are
helpful to express emotions.
Creative activities are important
for children, because they are often
unable to express in words what they
worry about. It is very good when
those subjects are part of the
school curriculum.
Children learn especially from the
behaviour of adults (80%)
Children look at adults and imitate
their behaviour. When parents want
children to arrive in time, eat
nicely, talk quietely (don’t
scream), they must give the right
example.
When
adults are upset because of
incidents such as in Gaza, their
children will react to this
behaviour and also get nervous. This
will affect their safety and they
may lose their self confidence.
The
children are thinking: “It must
indeed be a very bad situation when
my father, mother, grandmother,
teacher… is so afraid and cries.”
Also
the dreadful news pictures on
television about Gaza and the West
Bank will create a lot of commotion
in their mind. Confrontation with
pictures full of blood, crying
people in panic, etc., can create
stress and panic in a children’s
mind.
That’s the reason why in a country
like the Netherlands there are
reservations about the use of
gruesome pictures on TV. There is
here a news program specially for
youth, presenting the facts of a
political situation adjusted to the
child’s level and understanding. Of
course adults have the right to feel
their emotions, powerlessness,
distress, but it is not advisable to
share those feelings with children
but rather to share them with other
adults.
When children have questions, give
them the right answer
“Yes,
there are children killed in Gaza”.
Talk and discuss with them. Say,
that you and your family do
everything for your children’s
safety.
Structure at home and at school
It is
very important that children know
that there are rules at home and at
school. Parents and teachers must be
clear about the rules. Rules have to
be followed any time, also when
parents are tired or when the
children don’t like the rules.
Rules
should always be reasonable and
suitable to the situation and
adjusted to the age of the child.
Sometimes children have problems
with unexpected situations or
changes. When it is possible prepare
them for future situations such as
when changes are coming up - for
example another school program
because of illness of a teacher, the
cancelling of a visit to grandmother
etc.
It is
very important that parents and
schools cooperate and handle the
behaviour / problems of the children
in the same way, offering structure
and safety.
Communicate positively with children
Give
compliments to children even when
their behaviour is normal. Children
learn more from compliments than
from criticism. If children are
doing an effort, respond with a
suitable reward (material,
immaterial, activities). It is
always better to give an award than
to deliver a punishment.
When
an award is well-chosen, the desired
behaviour will show up more often.
When the chosen punishment is
reasonable, undesired behaviour will
decrease.
Last
but not least: learn from each other
and adopt a successful approach.
There are parents and teachers in
Bethlehem who cope in a positive way
with children. They give children
the opportunity to learn how to
manage their problems and develop
their talents.
Janny
(July 2009)
P.S.
To understand the different aspects
to hyperactivity among children you
may use the competence model as
introduced when I was here.
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