I am way out of line responding to this because I have no kids or expertise but I do have a thought.  Please forgive the basis for this thought--it comes from dogs.  Sometimes, especially smart, athletic dogs like labs and German shepherds become really a pain if they do not get exercise.  You have to wear these critters out. I have always suspected that some hyper kids or anxious kids need wearing out physically. 

THEN add the meditation. I do believe in meditation. I am having menopausal induced anxiety now and meditation does help me a lot.   However, with kids (and, once again, please forgive me) and smart dogs, exercise first.

[QUOTE=BeerLover;583675][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]
Hi all,

Forvgive me if this issue has already been discussed here.  I have an 11 y.o. son who sure could use a little centering in his life.  He has numerous issues, among them being stuck in "fight or flight" mode, no peace or calm in his life ever.  Some professionals have tagged him with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).  I"m not sure if this is true, but he is in this neighborhood at least.  Needless to say he fights with us all the time, makes the simplest things into a power struggle, and has zero empathy, none, zero, zilch.

So I was thinking a little meditiation might help to get him out of his continual amped up state.  He knows about breathing exercises, but doesn't do them.  I was thinking about a biofeedback device to help him calm down.  Much as I would love to try conventional techniques- soft music, clearing the mind, chanting, etc- I don't think they would work.  Too little attention span, too much suspicion (yes, he has ADHD as well).  Any suggestions?  Maybe something that's not presented as meditaion but a game or contest?

He is 11 and crashing into puberty.  He really needs some tools to deal with all the stuff going on inside and drugs can only do so much.

Peace,
BeerLover
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Hello, BL.  I have a teenage daughter that is not ADHD, but I can relate to some of what you are talking about, especially the 'not making it seem like meditation, a game or something' proposal.  There is WAY to much bullying from peers at that age, and the last thing any teen wants to feel is like they don't fit in, especially if there are already social issues they are dealing with.  Here is what worked for us, and I hope it will be of help to you and your family.....

I consciously made an effort to remove the outside stimuli (TV, internet, playstation, cell phone) once a week, year round, to get my daughter back to basics. It started with a walk around a lake once a week, just time for us to "chill" and enjoy nature.  She really enjoyed this.  Then, we went one step further, and got her involved with a group that meets once a month to do volunteer work at an equestrian center.  They do tack for two hours and ride trails for two hours (year round).  She thinks it's fantastic, muck and all. The one hour walk evolved into a one day a month personal journey, just her and the horses and taking it all in, both good and bad. She is a different girl when we come back home.  This past spring, she quit two groups at her school ( other girls had way too much drama, something I thought I would never hear her say).  She asked me if I would be really upset.  NOPE, too much drama and negativity in the world already, no need perpetuating any more in hopes of fitting in with the drama queens at her school.  I am very proud of her, and she has been a lot more focused and relaxed, both at school and at home.  She never had disciplinary issues at school, but I was really afraid that was where it was going to be heading if I didn't intervene soon, just because of the whole peer pressure/ fitting in thing.  If your son enjoys the great outdoors, you might check with local park district or conservation centers to get him away from all the amped energy that seems to come with adolescence, especially in the YouTube/reality TV age.

Warm regards,

ITM

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]
Hi all,

Forvgive me if this issue has already been discussed here.  I have an 11 y.o. son who sure could use a little centering in his life.  He has numerous issues, among them being stuck in "fight or flight" mode, no peace or calm in his life ever.  Some professionals have tagged him with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).  I"m not sure if this is true, but he is in this neighborhood at least.  Needless to say he fights with us all the time, makes the simplest things into a power struggle, and has zero empathy, none, zero, zilch.

So I was thinking a little meditiation might help to get him out of his continual amped up state.  He knows about breathing exercises, but doesn't do them.  I was thinking about a biofeedback device to help him calm down.  Much as I would love to try conventional techniques- soft music, clearing the mind, chanting, etc- I don't think they would work.  Too little attention span, too much suspicion (yes, he has ADHD as well).  Any suggestions?  Maybe something that's not presented as meditaion but a game or contest?

He is 11 and crashing into puberty.  He really needs some tools to deal with all the stuff going on inside and drugs can only do so much.

Peace,
BeerLover
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