To wonder if all 2 year olds are like this?

[WhyTheHeckMe]

Ds is a nice boy. Very affectionate and a good sense of humour. Never been put in a naughty corner in his life and has only ever gone into time out once at nursary and he's been there since he was 10 months (he's now 2 and a half). We do get told he's often 'silly' and more so since the arrival of his baby brother 3 months ago

It stuck me today just how different he seems to act compared to others his age.

We were at the barbers waiting for his trim and there were 4 other kids all around his age all sat nicely.
My ds literally didn't sit down once despite repeated requests. He ran around. Messed on the floor in the dirty hair. Ran outside (quiet road thankfully). And he doesn't shut up. Ever. It's constant waffle waffle waffle. Sometimes I love it and others it literally drains the life out of me.
The only toys he's interested in is jigsaws. He has so many toys but he just won't get involved. He won't colour, paint, watch TV for longer than 2 mins. Nothing holds his attention for more than a few mins.

I felt embarrassed today at realising that he seems so full on. I've always justified it to dh by saying that it's because other kids will sit with phones or tablets to keep them quiet but today none of these kids has that and they were just pretty chilled.

Does my 2yo sound normal? !

Your post is contradictory, all in all it sounds like he pushes boundaries and you don’t discipline him?!

Well my 2 year old wouldn’t sit still I that situation (my elder two would have done) but if he didn’t come back to me when asked I would have picked him up and sat him on my knee and distracted him with a story or looking at cars outside or whatever.

It doesn't say that the OP didn't do those things though?

My oldest two year old just never stopped. Climbing, running, messing with things he shouldn't. Of course I parented him, but it was ALL I did. I had to stop him doing stuff all the bloody time, it was wearing.

He grew out of it and turned into a very well behaved boy.

Funny I had the exact same wobble with my DD a few weeks ago but she's 4. Same reasons as you. She just doesn't seem to act like other children her age. She doesn't sit still, ever. Fidgets and talks all the time. She does classes (ballet, gymnastics and swimming) and although she loves them and is very good at them, unless they are doing anything active at the time her concentration just evaporates. She starting reception in September so I'm hoping the structure will help her focus a bit.

Sorry I have no constructive advice, just letting you know you're not alone!

Mine was like this. He has adhd. He drove me bonkers. In fact even now as I type he is listing all the things he used to make with duplo despite us giving the duplo away 3 years ago. You have my sympathies.

I think that’s pretty normal for his age. My DS1 has only just started in the last few months to be able to sit down and listen for short periods and he’s 3.5. He waited patiently enough in a garage while we were waiting for my car to be fixed... for 20 min. I was impressed!

If OP had sat him on her lap then he wouldn’t have been playing in hair or running out of the door to the road he would have been on her lap.

Two year olds are hard work and they are full on, some will sit still and some won’t. If you have one that doesn’t sit still and you are going somewhere where they need to wait have a plan to entertain them so they are happy and safe.

My three year old never stops moving, climbing, jumping, running, has no sense of danger and can have huge meltdowns.

I take a bag of things to occupy him. A baby tablet (yes I know some judge), a toy, some paper and pens usually does it. Also some food as without food he can get grumpy.

Mine is likely ASD though.

If OP had sat him on her lap then he wouldn’t have been playing in hair or running out of the door to the road he would have been on her lap.

I think it was obvious from OP's post he won't just sit nicely on her lap -and be distracted by a book or toy car - I'm sure she's tried that!

OP: I do think some kids are just more naturally full on than others as to whether or not it's normal you can't really tell. At 2,5 it's quite common and unless it's really extreme they'll probably grow out of it.

Sounds like normal toddler behaviour to me. To be honest I think two is too young for naughty chairs/corners. They can barely understand cause and effect and are trying to fathom out the world. The tantrums are overwhelming emotions, generally at this age. I wouldn’t worry.

Could be ADHD or could be neuro typical only time will tell. If it’s any reassurance a bright child with ADHD can be very high achieving and there is never a dull day! :)

My dd is the same, she's exhausting, generally does what she's asked but she literally is on the move constantly. For the poster who said he wouldn't behave like that if he was sat on mum's lap, If only it was that easy! My dd is very strong and if she doesn't want to sit on my lap she would squirm her way off somehow and we'd have a meltdown if I tried to fight her. Just waiting for the replies to tell me I shouldn't let her get away with that...

So then he goes in a pushchair or on reins @icecreamface it isn’t safe for a toddler to be running around a barbers and getting out onto the road. I don’t think the little one is badly behaved they are only two but if you know your child is likely to run around you need to make sure they are kept safe.

He’s 2. Believe me it’s perfectly normal!

So then he goes in a pushchair or on reins

My DS won’t tolerate reins and can open the clasp on his pushchair. That does not work for every child

Thanks for the info and opinions.
I can assure you I do discipline him, to ds a firm 'no' usually stops whatever he is doing. I always follow up on any threats. Last week we went to the park for an ice-cream with the double buggy and i saw him reach and hit his baby brother to wake him. I said if you do that again we will go home with no ice cream. He of course did it again so we went home. He screamed none stop for over 2 hours! He apologises without ever being told to and he knows when he's wrong. He's not naughty he's just very busy and like i said hes more silly than badly behaved. He's like a duracell bunny. He's really affectionate. When I asked him to sit with me today he would and then he would get straight back down again. He's not distracted by snacks anymore unfortunately. I've had to buy small jigsaws to take on the go to keep him occupied.
I've raised my concerns to nursery in the past and they've said they have no concerns and he's just a normal 2 year old. My mum however says that me and my sister were never like this! And I compare him to my friends little girl of the same age who will sit and colour for a whole morning then watch frozen all afternoon while my ds is like a whirlwind around her

Mines like that.

My mum however says that me and my sister were never like this! And I compare him to my friends little girl of the same age who will sit and colour for a whole morning then watch frozen all afternoon while my ds is like a whirlwind around her

This is an unpopular opinion but most girls I know are less boisterous than boys the same age. You get one or two who are, but at DSs nursery it’s normally the lads who are the majority of the energetic kids.

MrSpock what do you do so your toddler isn’t running around? Like I say I have my own toddler who won’t sit still, I go for distraction because that works for him. Some will use a pushchair, some will use an iPad or whatever.

I wouldn’t let him run around somewhere where there are scissors and razors, where he could be tripped over and be hurt or hurt someone else. Where he was able to run out of the door to the road. It’s the same as people complaining about children running around a restaurant, there are regular posts on here about that.

It is normal op and your mum probably has rose tinted glasses!

You have described my oldest from the age of 2 until now (he is nearly 9). Funny, intelligent but cannot stay still for one second and cannot concentrate unless he is actively doing something he is interested in or has something to fiddle with. He was diagnosed with adhd 2 years ago. No biggy, we just understand his behaviour more now, which makes it easier all round. Dd, on the other hand is a massive fidget, always running off, will not sit still. She is just a defiant little terror. I think you can tell the difference but that is only my personal experience so I could be wrong. Either way, you have my sympathy x

MrSpock what do you do so your toddler isn’t running around? Like I say I have my own toddler who won’t sit still, I go for distraction because that works for him. Some will use a pushchair, some will use an iPad or whatever.

I have a bag with a few items in that will distract him and if they absolutely won’t work then I have to just take him out the situation. Usually the baby tablet will work if nothing else will.

My current toddler is a total whirlwind. She exhausts me. Nothing entertains her for more than 5 minutes maximum. Is constantly doing dangerous things and in search and destroy mode.

My eldest was a shy quiet toddler. Needed constant entertainment but didn’t have a death wish like my youngest.

My middle has Aspergers. As a toddler she would sit and do the same thing over and over. Didn’t interact with me or her elder sibling much at all really.

All very different.

We are in agreement MrSpock I suggested distraction with toys/what’s going on outside in my first postf, if not use a pushchair/reins or iPad or whatever works for your child. Like you say if it isn’t working leave the situation. Whatever works but you can’t just let them run around in that environment.