Parents of energetic children, how do you

[december2020]

wear them out?

DS has always been go go go since he was 3 months old - desperate to roll and then crawl.

He's coming up to 16 months and is constantly busy and up to something, racing around and exploring. At the moment I can see this is definitely going to be a more long term trait.

I love it about him, he's so curious and active but I'm running out of ways to wear him out. He's a bit too small for sports and long walks/bike rides but too big to let him roam the house and he wears himself out.
The obvious one is soft play but is there anything else?

Any tips or tricks?

Park, garden and softplay. I have 2 like that and it's exhausting.

Swimming is good for tiring kids out

I see exercising my 5 year old like exercising a dog. He needs 3 good sessions of exercise a day! It is pretty exhausting. You also need a good bank of ideas where they exercise while you sit- like dance along YouTube videos (while you sit on the sofa and watch), playing 'fetch' (they pretend to be a dog and you throw a bean bag/ ball/ straw for them to run after while you sit on the sofa), exploring games (run upstairs and count the wheels on mummy's office chair, oh you have done that, run upstairs and tell me how many toilet rolls we have left etc.)

DS is just over 2.5 now and I think it becomes noticeably more manageable around the 2 mark. Covid hit just after he started walking at 9 months so we were stuck inside for a lot of that period. We did lots of obstacle courses, which worked a treat. He really enjoyed sensory play, which sounds counter intuitive when they're all about the gross motor skills, but it did really engage him. We also had a lot of baths with things like bath paints.

Oh I'd also add that DS has always gets more tired when other kids are present, so play dates are a quick win for us.

My two are energetic, especially my older one though oddly he was quite a calm baby and only became a livewire once on his feet.
I recommend:
Swimming
Playpark regardless of weather
Trampoline
Splashing in puddles
If interested in vehicles, walk to the nearest roadworks or busy road and watch the diggers/traffic
Make peace with the fact that you might struggle with eg cafes, cooking, craft or other indoor sitting down activities for a while and be realistic with what you commit to... That's not to say don't attempt those things, just don't feel like a failure if they're tricky.
At preschool age I signed mine up to a taught sport class to burn off some mental and physical energy. Doesn't really matter whether football/gymnastics/dance, just something to channel all that energy in a positive way!
My older one is now in primary and flying at school and will sit and read books etc despite never having sat still age about 1-5 years so it does change over time...

Swimming, park, running up hills, scooting, balance bike, pikler triangle, dance and running games, ‘nature walks’, pouring water (in the garden or shower), walking around the supermarket and new environments.

Some kids are very puppy like and need 3 walks a day.

He is not too long for long walks. A wide balance bike will help. Also a trampette.

Parks in any weather, swimming, playdates with garden time included. Scooters
Now mine are 8 & 6 so lots of sports but the best thing has been the trampoline in the garden. I recommend a trampette for you and trampoline in next few years. Its saved my sanity!

Absolutely- he's definitely the exhausting energy bomb kind of kid, but I love him for it.

Some great tips! I have probably underestimated all the things he could be capable of at this age (vigorously googling trampolines and balance bikes).

We just had a hardcore all systems go 45mins in the playground and he's successfully tired himself out.
I think once he gets a little older he'll really enjoy some sports clubs.

Please tell me it gets easier? Or I'll get really fit and healthy during this!

My oldest was like this - either full on or full stop. Plus he rarely made it til 6am, though he went down well and slept well.
It calms down once in school. The effort to behave and having activities he needs to concentrate on plus the other kids, though I was still told he struggled to sit still! He's now 18, gets up at 6am and heads to the gym on his bike before work, bikes home and may even do another gym session. So he has figured out how to get the extra energy channelled. He was always a doer rather than a thinker.

Running challenges

Hop to the tree and touch it, then run back to me and give me five

Run around the swing 5 times and then come back to em and give me five.

Jump five times, run and touch the gate and then walk backwards to me and give me five

Soccer ball on a leash so he can kick it and it comes back

Bosu ball balance thingy (good for you too)

Trampette

Walks up hills are better than on the flat

Push Mummy on the swing

Swimming, swimming and more swimming

Gymnastics class

Bath play on a rainy afternoon

Running on a beach (sandy surface tires them out faster)

Old favorites like chase and duck duck goose

Borrow a friend and take them somewhere to run around with each other

Almost 2 year old here.

Bought indoor climbing frame for Xmas - pikler thing. Means he can still climb about at 7pm or 7am when it’s dark and wet.

Balance bike for upcoming birthday

Outside every morning and afternoon, even if it’s just a walk around block (10 mins for adults -1hr for him picking up stones every 5 seconds). Play park, walking out and about

Garden has outdoor play bits like sandpit, mud kitchen. He goes out even when it’s freezing in snowsuit.

My son is like a road runner, the kid never sits still. Hes now 5 and still the same, soft play helps he just runs and the park he loves taking walks . He has a mud kitchen that he likes in the garden he will run up and down making mud pies. He dresses warm and off he goes he doesn't sit still. Hes always making shops with me outside and u have to follow him around.

I also used to take the little tikes climbing frame into the living room. I got it from gumtree.

What about a pikler triangle or those soft play shapes that turn into a sofa (big assumption you have space..)

These are great, thank you!!
I'm so glad there's so many of you who have been through it or going through it, so reassuring and helpful.

He's definitely an outdoorsy kid for sure!
Hopefully I'll get fit and healthy trying to keep up with him - could be a bonus going through all this.

My DNephew is like this. Outdoors in park at least once a day but also quiet and calm down time.

He loves long walks but also a variety of activities so everything from football classes to baking with parents.

We live in the park, basically. Twice a day, rain or shine. DD runs sprints, climbs the big log, scoots or balance bikes. Intersperse this with muddy puddle time, and my least favourite, but just as effective: clamber all over the furniture and bounce on the bed and race from one end of the house to the other and back again and jump on the sofa.

Also dance parties. And putting away the mountain of washing – takes 10 times as long as involves throwing, jumping, hiding it, lying on it, etc, but very effective.

@piglet81

Swimming is good for tiring kids out

@piglet81 - how do you cope with a child who doesn’t like getting their head wet?

This was DNephew with me and his DF in family splash today which was less swim more splash!

Surprised by all the swimming suggestions. My feral kid wouldn't ever stay in the damn pool! Wanted to run around the outside!!

I have a 10 year old like this. She needs a lot of exercise and entertaining. Always wants to be doing stuff. It’s exhausting.

I guess we'll be living at the playground and parks all year then! Ha!

I don't think I'll ever be able to fully exhaust him but if it means he'll sit still for 10mins afterwards, I'll take it!

@ReeseWitherfork

Surprised by all the swimming suggestions. My feral kid wouldn't ever stay in the damn pool! Wanted to run around the outside!!

You need a child friendly pool, slides, pirate ships, waves and floats.