How can I stop DS1 (3.5y) from touching everything when we're out?

[schroedingersdodo]

DS1 is 3.5 and has always been very "active" as people used to say (meaning "he crawls/toddlers/runs non stop, poor you"). He is always everywhere, doesn't stay still, it's hard to keep him sitting in the doctor's room, for example. (He can concentrate when he is playing, sometimes he spends a good amount of time playing by himself so I'm not worried about attention span or concentration).

Every time we go out his hands are everywhere, fiddling with the windows of the trains, licking mirrors, playing with supermarket displays... The worst part in when we go to a public toilet and he touches the loo, the rubbish cans, the drain in the sink... Today he unscrewed some metallic thingy in the sink! The moment I get my eyes off him he does something.

I know curiosity and restlessness are to be expected in young children (and these are healthy traits!) but isn't he old enough to know better, at least in some situations? How do I make him slow down just a little bit?

Reins?

How will it help in a public toilet or in a train? Unless you mean using the reins to tie his hands, which probably would work...

I think his curiosity should be welcomed - but maybe carry some hand sanitiser round with you?

Google 'sensory seeking'.

Some children are naturally inclined towards sensory seeking. It doesn't necessarily mean he has a 'disorder' as such, but it might help you to understand why he's doing it.

If it's really becoming a problem there are strategies you can use - the google search should throw up some ideas - a good book which includes strategies is 'The Out of Sync Child'.

Binewox, thanks for the suggestion, I will look up. I am a very tactile person as well, different from DH, who is very visual. I like to touch things in shop and etc, but I've learnt when it's acceptable or not. I need strategies to teach DS1 to behave, at least a little. And if nothing helps, I will take some hand sanitiser with me :)