Calling all parents with Super Energetic toddlers

[Supermum]

We have a super energetic three year old. He’s up at 5 and runs until his head hits the pillow at 7. He goes to daycare four days a week and runs all day there as well. A few days a week we go to the park and he rides his bike roughly four kilometres and still has energy to spare.

We are looking for something else for him to do. Auskick doesn’t start until 4, Little Athletics 5 … does anyone know of an athletic program (of sorts) for toddlers? We’ve considered Gymboree and similar programs but they’re quite structured and I’m pretty much just looking for something where he can run and use up some of his seemingly endless supply of Benergy.

Help. Am knackered.:D

[Peaceangels]

Deb, does he have swimming lessons?

Our kids are always sooooo tired after swimming........just a thought.........

[Supermum]

Hey PA - we tried swimming lessons ... he was a bit too spirited to deal with it at the time and perhaps even a little confined. It was 12 months ago so perhaps we should look at it again as we've been to the pool a number of times and he seems ok.

It tuckers out your boys you say .....

I'm onto it:D

[Rell]

Swimming lessons and playgroup are the only things that tires my DD out.
Kinder dance is another option, although i haven't tried it.

[Supermum]

I was kind of hoping for a run class :o or a jump class :o where that's all they do. Yup - tell her she's dreamin'.

I recall when Benergy was swimming though it didn't tucker him out like running does but we will start him again soon.

I refuse to believe that I am the only parent out there whose child likes to run ALL DAY LONG!

Hmmm ... maybe this is a business idea in the making.:rolleyes:

[Goosie22]

My son (8yo) plays Walla and they let the little kids join at 3yo, just for trainings on friday night. They run around like mad things and the dads sit around talking to each other about " secret mens buisness":rolleyes:

[Supermum]

My son (8yo) plays Walla and they let the little kids join at 3yo, just for trainings on friday night. They run around like mad things and the dads sit around talking to each other about " secret mens buisness":rolleyes:
Pardon my ignorance Goosie ... what's Walla?????

[sugar n spice]

i used to take my son to kinder gym when he was 3 it was structured and i didn't go for long as he always ran off and did his own thing and wouldn't listen but there was a younger group where it like a playgroup and the kids just go for it on the equipment. i should have gone with that but either way it did wear my son out.

[Lee75]

It's not an activity to go to, but we bought a jumping castle. When DD is a bit too energetic and I need a break I send her out to have a jump and it exhausts her. I also find that just going to the pool is exhausting. Even if we don't have a lesson just playing/splashing in the toddler pools, playing on the slides, and climbing on the play equipment ensures a good midday rest.

[pthalokitty]

hey supermum-
my boy's the same (started at 4 mths and didn't stop)- we just started at our local PCYC which does a class called gym tots- brilliant as there's stacks of activities, and the kids can initiate where they want to go, with a little bit of structure with dancing and jumping to playschool songs thrown in. Try there- he also was no good at swimming lessons- too excited about being at the pool and seeing other kids to pay attention. But we went to Forte Jungle music which is structured, but again, with activities and singing and instruments. Have to say I always have to do combinations of different things in the day to really wear him out- swimming just at the pool with him on my own or letting him go mad at a local park works wonders. Where we live we have mud flats at low tide and he can go for ages splashing in puddles and running. Or going to the museum in town to see the dinosaurs....
and playdates are good too...
good luck!
em,
mum to 2.5 y.o. cy.

[Goosie22]

Pardon my ignorance Goosie ... what's Walla?????

Sorry for not explaining myself its a scaled down version of Rugby union. No Tackel, No Scrums ect not the big boy game:D

[draught]

Deb - the PCYC run a toddler gym which isn't as structured as kindergym (and is cheaper) - there is singing and dancing and running around like crazy and climbing things - haven't been for ages but you can go and check it out without paying a joining fee for the first three sessions. We went to the one at Suncorp stadium - $6 a session and $16.50 a year membership, on every weekday, no bookings required.

[Ky]

My dd was exactly like Ben ... in fact I got accused of abusing her when she was 12 months old as she was so covered in bruises! I told the chn that she could look after her for ½ an hour and walked out! In that time she climbed bookshelves, jumped off the desk, ran into a doorframe, tripped over numerous times and added to her collection of bruises! I was sent home with an very profuse apology! ;)

They tried the same at about the same age with Daniel, until I showed them the notation in Bella's book and they shut up!

Bella is much better now ... pre-school seemed to put paid to her excessive energy - all of the waiting for turns, having to sit still and needing to be part of a group seemed to do it. She can still be nutty at times!

Daniel is constantly on the go and a very fast runner with it! He is often a couple of blocks down the road before I catch him and I am not exactly slow myself!

Apparently, I was just like this as a kid ... and I believe my Dad as most of my toddler photos feature me in reins! :eek:

I have found that the best solution is to have a selection of activities in the back yard ... trampoline, seesaw, climbing frames, bikes, skateboard, wheelbarrows to "help" Daddy, moon hopper balls, ordinary balls to kick and throw, swing set and tonka trucks to run round with at great speed! My mil commented when she was over for a holiday that I should open a daycare centre as I had all of the toys! :rolleyes: All she sees is that we are spoiling them - not the "parent sanity" measure that they are! Never mind that I got most of them for free or really cheap - check eBay and the likes!

Good luck ... and remember, they do slow down eventually! Most of them are just really intelligent children that need to keep their minds and bodies occupied!

[Ky]

I forgot to say ... my sympathies to you with a 5am start every morning ... I couldn't cope!

My kids have slept from 7:30pm til around 8:30am for a while now and we are now having to adjust to getting them up at 7am to go to school and pre-school! And that is hard enough for us!

[melissa cade]

:hair:
We have a super energetic three year old. He’s up at 5 and runs until his head hits the pillow at 7. He goes to daycare four days a week and runs all day there as well. A few days a week we go to the park and he rides his bike roughly four kilometres and still has energy to spare.

We are looking for something else for him to do. Auskick doesn’t start until 4, Little Athletics 5 … does anyone know of an athletic program (of sorts) for toddlers? We’ve considered Gymboree and similar programs but they’re quite structured and I’m pretty much just looking for something where he can run and use up some of his seemingly endless supply of Benergy.

Help. Am knackered.:D
My daughter was born running; she drove me :hair: . Other mothers would look at her with disdain because she always wanted to be out and about and climbing the fence or in the road and wasn't too pleasant if she was made to stay inside. I put her in swimming lessons and she basically could already swim so they moved her to advanced lessons. We moved to coastal North Carolina when she was 6 and their she could climb trees and run everywhere. Someone had the suggestion to put her in soccer and this was the greatest idea because she could run constantly then. She is now 14 and what you would call a "super athlete" She excells @ all sports. Her passion however is soccer and her dream is to play for UNC. I am grateful that my child is who she is, a true athlete. Please respect your child for the athlete that he is and do all you can to encourage it; it is a wonderful source of self esteem for him.

[draught]

The OP doesn't come on the forum much anymore but I can report that she continues to find new and wonderful ways to keep using up her son's energy, and he continues to be a delightful, and still energetic child!