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How to Calm a Hyperactive Child: A Gentle Parent’s Guide

  • sakalyawisdom
  • 17 minutes ago
  • 2 min read
Image Credit Stock Photos
Image Credit Stock Photos

At Sakalya Wisdom Early Years, recognised as one of the best preschools and best kindergartens, we work closely with young children every day. Over the years, one truth has become clear: Hyperactivity is not bad behaviour — it is unprocessed energy.

This blog will help parents understand why children become hyper, and how simple environment-based strategies can bring calm naturally.

Have You Noticed? When the Room is Calm, Your Child Feels Calm Too

Children mirror the environment more than we realise. A noisy, rushed, or overstimulating space quickly reflects in their behaviour. But in a calm room, with gentle voices and predictable rhythms, even the most energetic child begins to settle. Their bodies respond to the emotional atmosphere long before they respond to instructions.

Hyper Behaviour = Trapped Energy, Not Misbehaviour

Years of observing preschoolers at Sakalya Wisdom Early Years has taught us that hyper behaviour often appears, after arriving from outdoors, after transitioning from home to school or school to home, after exciting activities and during times of emotional overwhelm. This isn’t defiance. It’s the nervous system being full. Children don’t yet know where to put their feelings or their energy, so it comes out as loudness, running, or chaotic movement.

The First 60 Seconds Matter Most

A hyperactive child instinctively scans the room the moment they enter. They watch adults tone, body language, speed of movement If the adult energy is rushed, they speed up. If the adult energy is calm, they soften.

Children copy rhythm faster than they copy instructions. That’s why saying “Calm down!” rarely works — the child copies how you are, not what you say. Match Their Energy First, Then Guide It Down Gently Instead of trying to stop the hyperactivity abruptly, offer an activity that channels it safely.

Tasks that work wonders:

  • pouring water

  • transferring beans

  • moving blocks

  • matching and sorting objects

  • short clean-up tasks

These activities have a clear beginning and end, helping the child’s brain organise itself. When their hands have a job, their emotions find a place to rest.

Watch Their Breath — That’s Where Calm Begins

Hyperactive children often breathe in quick, shallow chest movements. You can help regulate this without calling attention to it. Try speaking slowly, pausing between sentences, moving gently and silently, lowering your own breathing to your belly Children subconsciously mirror this slower rhythm. Within minutes, their breathing softens, and calm follows.

Hyperactivity Is Not a Personality Issue — It’s a Regulation Issue

When adults set the emotional pace, children follow. A calm environment helps the child:

  • feel organised

  • feel emotionally safe

  • slow their body naturally

  • reduce impulsive behaviour

  • regain control over movements

At Sakalya Wisdom Early Years, we design our classrooms, transitions, and routines to support this natural regulation. This helps children not only calm down faster but also build long-term emotional resilience.

Because when you're choosing a school, it’s important to choose the best for your child — a place that understands behaviour through the lens of development, not discipline. Enquire now https://sakalyawisdom.org/#enquire


 
 
 

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