Parents of 6 yr old boys - how on earth do you get them to calm down?

[Othersideofthechannel]

when they are overexcited?

Please suggest all tried and tested methods.

put them in the garden and shut the door

good run round the park

Tell them to sit down and be quiet (in different rooms of course)with a film or book or they will be staying inside their rooms after school for the next week/the Wii will be removed for a week/the hamster will be given to next door - you get the idea! Then sit inbetween teh two rooms with a bottle glass of wine and a book and below like a bull everytime you hear a peep out of either of them.

Seriously though? I have no idea, my ds seems remarkably calm and requests followed by a threat usually works. However it is very clear to me that this would never work with some of my friends sons so what do I know?

Yes, we do sometimes tell DS to run to the end of our very long garden and back until he feels calmer.

I think actually my problem is getting far enough as to grab his attention in order to suggest he needs to run off his excitement.

How on earth do you grab their attention when they are overexcited?

Wait till they are 10? (DS is only 8 - slightly better, but a long way to go still )

what Tilly said...