Plush toys are one of a child’s first best friends. They’re cute and fluffy — and recently, it’s found that some plushies may help kids with ADHD and anxiety disorders — weighted stuffed animals (that weigh around 2 lbs to 5 lbs).
Who would’ve known that these cute stuffed animals can do that?
How Weighted Stuffed Animals Could Help Your Child
Seeing a child suffer from a learning disability or anxiety disorder is never easy. Luckily, weighted stuffed animals have been known to help some kiddos with their problems.
ADHD
ADHD makes kids and adults feel anxious and uneasy most of the time — in one journal, it’s found that about half of the people (not just kids) with ADHD have anxiety disorders. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), almost 10% of children in the USA have ADHD.
People with ADHD have lower dopamine levels than an average person. In order to feel content, relaxed, and to be “fine” overall, many of those with ADHD incessantly seek activities that are sometimes harmful to them; this is said to be the reason why ADHD sufferers seek dangerous levels of thrill and why they are hyperactive most of the time.
When a person with ADHD doesn’t get their dopamine fix, they can get frustrated and agitated. If your kid is one to snap randomly, it might be the ADHD talking — weighted stuffed animals can help you turn your kiddo into an angelic being again. Other weighted objects that are used in Deep Pressure Therapy can also help your child focus on their surroundings and provide them a better quality sleep.
Anxiety
Anxiety Disorders oftentimes go unnoticed in children. We sometimes think that it’s just that the kid is shy or that they are apprehensive about the new environment they’re in — but sometimes it can be an undiagnosed Anxiety Disorder. In the CDC’s census, about 9.2% or 5.6 million kids suffer from anxiety problems.
Many who suffer from anxiety find difficulty in creating a safe space for themselves. They often seek security in (what some would think) irrational ways. From the outside perspective, people only see that they’re being unreasonable — as sometimes, they still don’t feel secure even in their own homes.
Weighted stuffed animals can provide a sense of security for children who can’t find their safe haven or the person that they’re comfortable with. These weighted stuffed animals can soothe a child by calming their central nervous system that’s on overdrive — weighted stuffed animals are also less bulky compared to a weighted stuffed blanket; this can prevent the feeling of suffocation that many of those with anxiety feel when they’re in “panic mode.”
Other Calming Aids
In one of The National Center for Biotechnology Information’s journals, it’s stated that “Sensory over-responsivity in ADHD is associated with anxiety. These children have a higher level of anxiety than those ADHD children without sensory overresponsivity and non-ADHD children.” Thus, it’s important children with ADHD and anxiety get to have sensory-soothing aids.
Here are a few others.
- Sensory swing
- Sensory socks
- Sensory tunnels
- Noise-canceling ear muffs
- Weighted blankets
- Stress balls
Finally
ADHD and Anxiety Disorders in children are finally being recognized. There are now multiple studies that can help parents understand that their children aren’t just being “difficult.” As such, many sensory aids are now emerging in the market to help their parents calm their kiddos — like weighted stuffed animals and other calming products. However, these soothing products are not magical “cures” for these disorders. It’s always better to have your kid regularly seen by their therapist.