Children Who Just Can't Sit Still

Arnold was 7-1/2 years old and already in Grade 2 when his teachers called his parents over to school for parent conferences soon after school began. This was a repetition of an old story in as far as Arnold’s parents are concerned. He was just rather disruptive in class. He blurted out answers whenever the teacher asked questions and interfered with his classmates’ work despite not doing his own. He walked around class and hardly stayed in his seat. In spite of these behaviors, he was often able to answer his teachers’ questions when he was asked. His parents admit that he had been this way from the time he was in preschool, but they never thought anything of it.


Whereas there is some truth that some children tend to be more active than others, we do expect that most, if not all, children will be able to settle down for at least 15 to 20 minutes when they reach the age six or seven. When a child is unable to do so by this age, we start to suspect that the child’s development is not going according to what is usually expected.

By the time children reach the age of 7 years, there is a general expectation among experts that children have settled and developed in the following areas: attention span, impulse control, and the need to keep on moving physically. First, children passed 7 are better able to manage their own affairs. They are able to sit still and attend to a task at hand, whether that is play or work. Notwithstanding their interest level in the task at hand, they are generally able to sit still and focus on what needs to be done. Second, they are able to control their impulses better that they are able to socialize in a way that is acceptable. They are able to transition from one thing to another, and do not switch tasks haphazardly. They are able to start some simple activities and stop with some resolution to what they started. They are also able to wait their turn and plan their behaviors reasonably well. Lastly, they are physically more settled and may not demand to move all the time.

When children reach the said age and still have significant difficulties behaving in the way described in the previous paragraph, seeking the consult of a professional might be in order. Consulting a professional who deals with children’s behavioral problems might be appropriate. Clinical Psychologists are among these professionals that parents can consult regarding their child.

What often comes to the mind of the professionals when the behaviors described are not met by a child is Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or AD/HD. We do not really know the cause of this disorder, but the general belief about it is that it is a lifelong condition that children will need to cope with.

After identifying areas of growth of the child, appropriate treatment may proceed. Behavioral interventions are significant in helping a child deal with his/her difficulties. This can take the form of parent coaching, behavior modification techniques, and individual and/or group play therapy. Home-school coordination is also valuable in making sure that interventions are consistent across the places where the child spends most of his/her time. In some instances, medication can also help.

It has been a year since Arnold started attending weekly sessions with a psychologist. Although he still has difficulties in managing his focus and attention span, he has been able to do reasonably better in school, both in his studies and his behavior in school. He was also able to make friends with a few of his classmates and appear to be much happier.