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Parenting

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Original poster

too much energy!!

13 replies

Spandangle · 06/03/2011 20:58

I wanted to get some thoughts on my dd and her 'behaviour'. She is 5 1/2 and she is lovely, shes kind and good at sharing, shes a bit bossy but no more than the other bossy sorts! she is absolutely full of energy and really enthusiastic about everything. This can make her great company but it is completely exhausting and can be very draining, to me and anyone else we spend time with. She talks incessantly (I mean she barely draws breath). she loves 'make believe' games but even those are manic. we were at my parents today and we all had to be the customers in her cafe; it was a very busy cafe and she had to run around taking orders and shouting to the chef, the cafe was attached to her garden centre which she also had to man and sell us plants, she also had anothe job-she was a doctor in a hospital, so we all had to be patients, she had 2 childen-a 10 year old who's birthday it was today and she wouldnt get out of bed for her party and what was she supposed to do because she had to look after the baby too????/......and on and on and on AND ON...for hours!! its comical to a point..she is really like a whirlwind...I feel like she creates G-force when she is in a room and everyone gets pinned back into their seats.

Should I be trying harder to calm her down??? how can I do that? she's not being naughty- what can I tell her? dont be so happy and enthusiastic about life? dont involve everyone in your games, they dont always want to play??

Last time I got her to sit down with paper and pens and glue etc- she built a 'robot' as tall as herself out of boxes and decorated it with all sorts of stuff..I absolutely love her creativity and enthsiasm but it is FULL ON.

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cheekeymonkey · 06/03/2011 22:27

She sounds just like my DD. Bet she is really intelligent. Exhausting yes, but I think it is a sign that you have done a really good job and she is articulate, has loads of imagination and above all is confident. How is she with reading? Would that occupy her thoughts? I am teaching my DD to read now even though she has only just turned 4 as I think it might help to channel her thoughts? You probably already know the answer to this. Will she sit and play with dsi's, I find the ipod touch games aimed at learning use her attention for a short while until she learns all the anwers and then you have to find a new game.

wearymum200 · 06/03/2011 22:35

Sounds like fun?! Ds1 is a bit like this, certainly talks even on without drawing breath, does lots of imagiantive play games, but spends much of that time "acting out" with lego/duplo characters. He also loves to read, which gives me some respite (i love him, love to play with him, but also have dd2 age 2 and a house to run, likeeveryone else)
Also loves what we call "activity books" ,which are maths/ wordgames aimed at ks1.
We are gently instilling the idea that other people have needs, including for some quiet time!

cheekeymonkey · 06/03/2011 23:02

How old is ds1 wearymum?

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Spandangle · 06/03/2011 23:39

hi- she wont really sit and read. we have been struggling with this since she started school ( I wrote another thread about this!) she has been asking for a ds, maybe i should think about that. she will watch the TV, so I have always got that up my sleeve but its more about her interactions with everyone else

she likes to play schools and likes it if we set her sums etc- but it will always build up into a full blown make believe school- all the dollies come down, set up in rows, classrooms, activity areas, pens and papers, lunch halls, school trips out! of course shes the teacher.....

i do tell her about the need for peace and quiet and that adults need adlt time and she must let people chat etc. she listens and agrees with me and gives me a heart felt apology...but she just cant help herself-she gets sooo excited and she escalates- which leaves me with - should I be disciplining her for it?

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cheekeymonkey · 06/03/2011 23:49

I don't feel that disciplining her would help. I feel by what you say she has a very active brain, I don't feel she can help it? Does she sit during classes at school? DSi's and ipods have good educational games and you can download a lot for free on ipods and they might grab her attention and focus her when you need some you time in company.Sounds like you are long overdue some.I don't like to bring this up but do you feel that she has an attention problem, have teachers showed any worry about it or is she just destined to be an entertainer/teacher?

Original poster

Spandangle · 07/03/2011 00:00

no, i'm sure she hasnt got an attention deficit- its almost the opposite IYSWIM. Shes really well behaved at school (she hates being told off-she gets really embarrassed) and she tries really hard.

If we are in company which includes other kids then I'm OK-she plays with them. She wants to be 'doing' ALL THE TIME... maybe she is destined to be a teacher or a dancer or summat! in which case I owe it to her to encourage it emoticon!

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Spandangle · 07/03/2011 00:02

thats a bit confusing - she works hard in school but we cant get her to do homework (which isnt too much of an issue at the moment as she is only 5)

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cheekeymonkey · 07/03/2011 00:11

Oh ok (relief) no offense taken I hope. Oh she's fine then just a performer. Mine is the same with me but will sit and watch a film with dh. I think maybe we give too much do you think? I am including myself in that comment btw.

Original poster

Spandangle · 07/03/2011 00:17

no offence taken I was aware it was sounding like thta..

yeah possibly give too much...i'm thinking we have encouraged her behaviour to some extent, because in the beginning everyone enjoyed all that energy....but I really noticed this afternoon, that it was wearing on my parents...shes spent so much time with them and they have great relationships...I just starting thinking maybe I owe it to her to try and rein it in abit?? for the sake of her relationships with others? but it would feel like I was trying to break her spirit...and like I said, she isnt actually being naughty....

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wearymum200 · 07/03/2011 22:12

DS1 is just 5. He has always been good at looking at books by himself, but his school homework bores him, so he doesn't do it.
I agree that discipline is not really the issue, she sounds like one of life's natural enthusiasts/ show-offs (in the nicest possible way...) Drama classes? But learning respect for others' needs is important in so many ways. Do you have other DC? Cousins to share time/ attention with?

Original poster

Spandangle · 09/03/2011 15:33

we have a 3 month old dd as well and apart from a month or so at the beginning when she seemed hurt and angry she has been soooo good at sharing us with her; very very understanding of the babies needs and shortness of our time. so yeah, maybe as she grows it will be really good for dd1.
i relieved really, that you both dont think discipline is in order. i just wanted to check whether we were raising a brat and wearing rose tinted specs, cheers

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BoysAreLikeDogs · 10/03/2011 13:33

what exercise does she get?

can you walk to/from school, detour to the park on the way home, get a trampoline, does she do swimming lessons?

just to burn off some of her energy

Original poster

Spandangle · 10/03/2011 14:35

haha- i've tried to burn off her energy- its endless. we walk to and from school, we have a trampoline and a pogo stick, she does swimming, gymnastics, dancing, horse riding and we go to the park probably every other day and are outside for most weekend or holiday days unless it is absolutely freezing or pouring down

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