Please help- very active/ahead on physical development

[riab]

I'm hoping someone can come up with some new suggesitons for me.

i have an incredibly active 15 month old. Its a relaly weird mix, he can't relaly walk yet but when I (worried mum) called the HV in she said it was because he was so physically advanced in other ways he didn't NEED to walk - ie no frustration about not being able to get at things.

The 'problem' is he wears me out and if I don't keep the pace up all day long he won't sleep at night.
He sleeps 12/13 hrs in total, 10/11 hrs at night and 2 hrs at lunchtime. In order to get this much sleep we have to do two active things each day, ie morning, crawling races and tumble time with big floor cushions piled up high and a crash mattress then swimming in the afternoon. He has incredible amounts of energy, if I take him to storytime all the other kids are tired(ish) after an horu of play and craft - he is still absolutly buzzing - and this is at 11am after being up for 5 hrs.

Its summer hols soon and 4 of the playgroups/soft play he goes too will close. I desperatly need things for him to do that will physically wear him out.

HV has said he is behind on lagnuage (average 12 months) and ahead on all physical ie gross motor control and fine motor control (2 yrs). She warned me the combination was one reason we were getting early temper tanrums as he wants to do MORE, FASTER alot of the time! Any ideas for new activities?

[AllieBongo]

my dd is like this. she cannot concentrate on one this (she is nearly 18mths) she doesn't understand why she cannot do certain things so lashes out, or throws herself on the floor. She has to be constantly amused, won't play with toys and wants to be doing what i am, or eating. tbh this is quite normal, you just have a very bright little button who is intelligent but has not developed the emotional side yet to understand why things are the way they are (both of mine were like this, ds is 6 and his brain is ten steps ahead of his body) we go to the park to expell energy and I try to distract her when she gets the hump by looking at the birds or flowers etc. hth a little. I know how exhausting it is. My niece is the same age as my dd and will sit and look at books quietly for an hour. My dd usually bowls in and face rakes her. v embarassing!

[sparklemagic]

riab, my DS was incredibly similar at this age though he was also very talkative so what with physical and mental activity WE were on our knees, I do sympathise!

Swimming is/ was a lifesaver for us, and pools don't close for the summer luckily! I find swimming is the one exercise that really does use up lots of DS' energy. You could do this a couple of times a week at least!

You MAY just find that when he does start developing his language, that this effort surprisingly uses up some energy..he will enjoy the new freedom of being able to tell you things too so will certainly lessen his frustrations and tantrums, hopefully...

DS and I are always at the park too, this can use loads of energy. Do you have a local farm or somewhere he can hare around but look at other things too? Sometimes you can buy season tickets for this sort of thing which make it possible to go as often as you need. DS will hare around in the park at our local farm but seeing/feeding the animals also uses up some energy - I think it's a mix of giving him physical outlets combined with stuff to think about that will keep your DS happy - hopefully!

Does a leisure centre near you have a playzone type place, lots of these are open year round too.

[riab]

thanks for the reassurance. he was at the ads club this mornign and other children just sat and played quietly and ate biscuits while he was haring off round the bowling green on all fours!

I like the idea of farms - I'll have to look up what is near us. I'm hoping that now I've resigned from work I'll be able to spend the time I think he needs giving him appropriate outlets for his energy and curiosity.

[AllieBongo]

riab, my dh had to stop dd from diving into the pool whilst watching ds at swimming lessons.. that was a challenge

[riab]

giggle yep that sounds familiar, DS insisted on standing on the lip of the drain so he could see over the edge to see his dad doing lengths and kept trying to cclimb over the railings to jump into the big pool and join him!

PLEEEEEEEEEase tell me it gets a bit easier once they can run around.

[ilovecaboose]

Just to say I've a very active 21 month old who doesn't stop unless he's asleep. And yes I've found it does get easier once they've learnt to walk. Walking tires him out for at least 5 minutes once we have gone quite a way (for about 1hr and so). And its not so tiring for me.

One thing I have found recently is (depending how much they understand), I sit down and get him to follow instructions, like fetching and carrying or finding things. He does them at full speed while I sit on the sofa. IT sounds terrible writing it, but he enjoys helping mummy. Also I get him to put things in the bin and help me with cleaning/tidying. Or just tell him to run up and down the corridor. All things he can understand and I can supervise.

Don't know if this will help yet.

[mariel]

sorry but imo it doesn't get any easier once they are running around - my ds is 15 months and has been walking - no, running! - since he was 1 and he never sits still. i find he is well entertained in the garden with different things - slide, paddling pool, climbing frame etc, and especially so if we have other kids round (my dd's friends (4+) - he thinks he's the same age as them). he was at the zoo for the first time last week and i was amazed by his reaction - whooping and pointing at things, really excited by it. toddlers also use up energy being mentally absorbed by things, and new experiences, i think you have great energy yourself for keeping up with the crawling races and tumble time - but some children are much more physically adventurous/active than others and it just comes down to personality - try to get out to the park and together with other mums and tots, and try not to worry about him but just to enjoy!