Following our last article about a minimalist approach towards toys and how having too many toys may overstimulate our kids, this article goes into a deeper understanding of overstimulation. The causes, effects and striking a balance.
While a stimulating environment helps kids discover the world around them, overstimulation is when a child is swamped by overwhelming amounts of experiences, sensations, sounds, or even activities where it is just way too much for them to cope with; essentially, sensory overload. Considering the way some (most) of us pack our kids schedule, it is not uncommon to find our kids overstimulated.
Effects of overstimulation
According to studies, a child’s brain is 80% developed by the time they turn 3 and 90% (nearly full grown) by age 5. So it is no wonder (kiasu Asian) parents try to optimize every opportunity to have their child’s brain develop to their fullest potential before the child’s 3rd or 5th birthday. But by trying to optimize every opportunity, parents tend to over-schedule to a point they feel swamped and overwhelmed. Some of the characteristics we can observe from an overstimulated child includes:
- Intolerance to being alone.
- Inability to wait or delay gratification.
- Children are unable to overcome boredom and lack creativity.
- Mental exhaustion, which results in reduced mental capacities.
- Narcissistic attitudes, resulting from the misuse/abuse of new technology
Signs to watch out for
Some of those effects are indeed scary and we do not want to get there. But when a child is overstimulated, they do not know how to deal with their feelings. In fact, they do not know how to verbalise and communicate their emotions. So they will only respond in a way that they know - by acting out. And this is when most parents like ourselves start feeling our temperatures rise to a boiling point. But with this list, we hope it will help you recognise when your child needs help instead of allowing our temperatures rise. Children from different age groups will act out very differently, but here is a general guide.
- Aggressive, wild and/or hyperactive behavior
- Tantrums, throwing a fit or meltdowns
- Heightened excitability
- Crankiness or grouchy demeanor
- Tired, sleepy and overwhelmed
- Increased irritability, nervousness or anger
Striking a balance
Balancing activity time and quiet time is important to ensure the kids have sufficient amounts of stimulation and downtime to avoid over or under stimulation. However, it is never easy to know where to draw the line. As every child’s needs are different, it is important to take your child’s cues. Observe their reactions and behaviour and notice the signs of overstimulation shared above. Over time, you will learn your child’s limits and know how to engage your child without overstimulating them, and when to put your foot down for some downtime for them. Learn more about downtime in our next article, or swing by our shop to explore how stackies modular play couch can work great as both a sensory and a downtime tool.