no concentration..... is this normal?

[littleweed]

can anyone help or reassure me please?
my 17m old DS has the concentration span of a fly. he doesn't play with anything or do anyhting for longer than 15 seconds at a time(yes I'm sad enough to have timed him!) I've tried limiting the toys he has out incase he was over stimulated, but he just got bored even faster. I've tried playing with him, building towers and so on but he just knocks them down and wanders off. I'm finding the littel time we do spend at home exhausting because I'm constantly chasing him round trying to field him away from stuff I don't want him to do. Is this what toddlers are like? is ther any light at the end of the tunnel?

Completely normal!!!! Our ds1 was like that - we noticed when he was about 1, our friends' dd of a similar age would sit and play with stacking cups - could put them all together etc., or look at a book, and there's no way he'd sit still for long enough to do any of that! He's 3 now and still couldn't do the stacking cups (!!) but does concentrate for longer periods - will 'read' books and do art - probably for about 20 - 30 minutes at the longest. And of course watch telly! So there is light, but it's completely exhausting when they're at the age yours is at...!

our ds is 20mths and is the same. honestly, DW looks absolutely shattered when i get back from work and she spends the entire day trying to entertain DS. she takes him to loads of soft play things, swimming, park etc etc just so he doesn't go bonkers with boredom in the house.

yes it's sounds normal - my ds was exactly the same and still is sometimes - he's 3 now and whilst he is no angel when it comes to his behaviour he will sit down and do stuff like play doh for over an hour! I promise there is a light at the end of the tunnel!