Is anyone else's 2 yr old constantly on the go?

[uhoh2016]

Ds is 2yr 8m and is constantly on the go. He's forever climbing on everything and anything, jumping on and off things. Even if he sits on my knee he's got to be moving in someway either moving from side to side or getting up and down off me or even just twitching his leg up and down. He's got zero sense of danger will run off anywhere given half the chance and will attempt to climb on anything. The latest craze is walking along the top of the sofa standing on the lamp tables and getting on the window sill.
He has a good variety of toys but rarely plays with them in fact he loves nothing more than emptying the box just to throw each toy across the room or under the sofa. The only time he's still is if I put you tube on the tablet which I don't like doing but sometimes it's necessary if I need to leave the room to go the toilet or prepare a meal etc. There's a baby gate on the living room because it's just not safe for him to have the run of the house. It's tiring and draining me
He has 2 older brothers who he constantly wants to play fight with, he will regularly try to bite them (He's never tried to bite another child just his brothers). I've observed him at soft play and he often smacks other children - he's that wild child that you warn your children to avoid!
Hes also a nightmare to get to sleep - once he is asleep though that's him gone until morning but it can be getting to 10 o clock at night before he's asleep he's constantly in and out of bed throwing things round the room it's relentless.
Background he's reached all his milestones around average times. His speech and understanding is brilliant. He eats well too a varied diet. He's been potty trained around 4 mths took to it very easily rarely has any accidents. He goes to nursery 2 days a week.
Dont know what I'm asking really, is he just a normal boisterous 2yo old boy??

[BernardBlacksHangover]

Hi @op!

I was coming on here looking for help with a similar thing.

I have an utterly fearless, constantly on the go DD who is 2y10mo. She stopped napping in the day at about 19-20mo and even her nursery comments that she never stops. She doesn't listen to any sort of instruction; I know toddlers aren't known for their obedience, but she really is very strong willed and it's just the fearlessness which is so stressful! She is always getting bumps and bruises, but she's not remotely bothered.

I am beginning to worry what she will be like as she grows up. If I attempt to be stricter with her, she does not respond well to it at all, but some things I absolutely have to put my foot down on (dangerous behaviour, like insisting on walking along the road edge of the pavement in busy traffic). She has massive tantrums when I do actually put my foot down. It's horrible and I feel like I am constantly trying to preempt at the moment.

Like your DS, the only way to get her to sit still seems to be puttong something on tv for her to watch, but this is becoming too much of a habit tbh and I don't like doing it.

The good thing is that she usually seems to play well with other children when we're out and when she's at nursery. It seems just to be with me and DH!

Hopefully someone can offer some more useful advice, but I just wanted to let you know that someone else has the same issue.

[skankingpiglet]

I don't have an issue with hitting, but I have a 3.4yo and 15mo who never stop except to eat and (eventually) sleep. They are both climbers and the older one in particular stuggles to sit still even for short stretches. Even watching a film can usually only be done if accompanied by jumping on the sofa/climbing the back of the sofa onto the window sill/bouncing on the Bounce and Spin Zebra.
I exercise them much the same way I'd exercise a particularly energetic breed of dog. I get them out of the house as much as possible, which is every day for at least half the day. I walk the oldest to preschool even in the rain, attend toddler groups, swim with them, march them around the local zoo for several hours, visit the park, gymnastics club. It's not a complete solution as I'm currently laid up on the sofa with my legs feeling like they may fall off from over use, but it's a trade-off which is better than the alternative! I'm hoping, much like the 3yo's previously crazy appetite was and 15mo's currently is, it will settle soon. Please.

[BernardBlacksHangover]

I used to have big, energetic dogs and DD seems to require a similar level of exercise!

We've been to gymnastics this morning which we started last week and she LOVES. We used to do a quite calm, peaceful church group on a Wednesday morning, but I think the exercise is better for her. We then tramped round the woods a bit then had lunch and went to the (soaking wet) park. Had a nice play date this pm and I think it went better as she was so well exercised!

Tomorrow is nursery in the morning but we'll definitely be doing something active again in the afternoon.

[MummaDeeDee]

This was my son! He's now nearly 4 and is exactly the same. Yes just do as much as you can with him, tire her out. Don't worry though, my son is still the most active boy I've ever met but at nursery he takes part in story and singing time and he mixes well with other kids. I'm sure he'll be fine. X

[buckyou]

My daughter is similar - I just try and be out as much as possible and do as much physical activity as possible.

Do you discipline him much? My kid isn't very well behaved but the should be able to follow some basic house rules to keep themselves safe (like not climbing on the back of the sofa)

[uhoh2016]

buck short of pinning him down i can't stop him from climbing no matter what i do. I tell him to get down, I remove him s couple of thousand times at which point he thinks it's a funny game. I try distracting him to do something else lasts all of a minute before he's at it again. If I leave the room I know I'll come back to find him climbing somewhere he shouldn't.