Hyperactivity or is this just normal behaviour for an 18 month old?

[springbelle]

My DD is nearly 19th months old and is on the go literally from 7am until 7pm apart from 1 hour lunchtime nap. She sleeps well at night thanks goodness although we often co-sleep. I try to ensure we have plenty of activities, rotation of toys, childrens centre, park trips etc etc but she doesn't seem to want to do any single activity for more than 2 or 3 minutes. She is very lively wanting to jump and climb and has a big vocabulary and is already linking words, singing songs and has a sense of humour : ) She gets bored very easily.

However, she is also now throwing tantrums and biting when she can't get her own way. If we go out for a walk she will never go in the direction we need to go and hence screaming and throwing herself to the floor in the street if I try to encourage her to go the other way.

I am soooo exhausted! I suppose I want to know if this is normal (my mum looks after her two days a week when I'm working and says she is much more of a handful than either myself or my brother ever were) and when it might get easier? Is it normal that they never want to sit down of stay in one place just for a few minutes? Do any of you have any coping strategies for parents of high energy tots?

Yes, normal .

Not walking in the right direction is completely normal at this age- they can run for ever in the park but not walk the way you want to go to get anywhere . So... suggest taking her in buggy to park then giving her free reign there.

Re not much concentration, wanting to move about- yes completely normal. I think toddlers this age divide into those like your DD and those who do sit and play/look at books a bit more. Both types very normal. My kids were more the sit and do for longer types, but many friends and my sister in law have the other sort who do seem to be constantly on the go.

Yes, recommend plently of time outdoors! Do you take her to playgroup? That's often a good respite (!) as it is a different (interesting environment) for them and they are less Mummy orientated with lots of other children and adults there.

Am sure others with lively toddlers will have more tips! She will gradually settle down, give it a year or so!

Normal.

DO you ever let her chill out though? DS is 2.7 and we had to work on teaching him to calm down - a few minutes of CBeebies won't hurt. We also sit down with books.

Swimming also worked wonders for tiring him out.

It will get better, really!

Normal, I'm afraid! I can totally empathise with the not wanting to go the same direction thing!

Good suggestions above re chill out time - my ds is 22 mo, and it's only recently that he's started wanting to sit and be read to, and now he'll sit through 8 or more books in a row and often asks to be read to which is lovely.

Ditto swimming being good for tiring them out, and about playgroups, time with other kids being good in all sorts of ways

Also, sleeping sounds about right - my son has a lunchtime nap (between 1 and 2 hours depending on how active he's been) and sleeps 8 till 8.

yep, normal! DD is now 2.3 and hasn't even had a daytime nap since November (unless unwell)...sleeps about 12 hours at night. Planning some downtime into the day like BikeRunSki suggests is a good idea - too much TV makes her hyper, but we do let her watch In The Night Garden (she is obsessed by it atm); plenty of time outside, structured activity, lower your expectations - DD is pretty good and will do one thing for a max of 30 minutes (e.g. taking all her toys out of the box and putting them back in again...)

Sorry but its very normal. My son was the same at that age, bar the tantrums. He's just about to turn 5 and still only has them in extreme cases

My DS did calm down once he started nursery, so there is light at the end of the tunnel for you

Fairly normal - my DS1 was like this -v tiring - Cbeebies did help -as did outside as much as possible - the garden was good - he like picking up worms!!
your mother was a lot younger when she had you so she is not comparing like with like -
You can get those reins with a backpack that can work quite well and other other children and toddler groups as above also good - did settle down quite a lot by 2 and loads by 21/2

I seem to remember posting a very similar post when DS was about 15 months old.. Make the most of the nice weather and let her run around a lot outside.

Ah thanks ladies! This is what I wanted to hear :)

We are making the most of the lovely weather in the garden and at the park. She was chasing bubbles and looking at caterpillars today!

I normally take her to playgroup but it shut at the moment for the easter hols. Swimming is a good one and does seem to tire her out. I will keep trying with quiet time and daytime stories.

Thanks again for listening x

Very normal, my DS is still like this at 2.3, needs a lot of exercise.

Sounds like my son! He is always running, never going in the direction I'm trying to go and hardly ever plays at the playground. Just likes the walks and runs through the park, I'm just grateful is a big park and we have plenty of open space to use.
He will stop at times to read or play with his cars, when at home, and than he will have bouts of energy when I have to really work hard at what else we can do to entertain him :-))).
He takes aday nap, for 1-3 hours, depending on the day and he also sleeps through the night.
Again, sometimes i think to myself if it's just me and DD that are in this, but it's a relief to see we're more in the same boat. So I know how you feel.
On the other hand, I just thank God he's healthy, as I take his backets of energy as a sign that all is good with him.