Some children squeal, while others bite. If you’re unlucky, your child will be a runner—where are they going? Nobody will ever know. Managing your active child can be challenging, as for some, the desire to escape food, shelter, and parental protection seems almost like an evolutionary anomaly.
My twins were runaway crawlers. We were once in the library when both twins ran in opposite directions. Max, my three-year-old, was a pro at this. He grabbed the one twin’s pants and ran while I chased the other twin.
Max was holding a pair of baby pants, and he looked shocked. Henry crawled out of the pants without any pause and was now scurrying through the biography section in triumphant style.
Tips for Keeping Runners Within Your Reach
It is my point that if you are dealing with a runner, I understand your frustration. Here are some tips on managing your active child and how to keep them within your jurisdiction.
1. Strap-in Method
Keep your child strapped in the stroller while you are out and about. Make their life a series of five-point restraint chairs: from car seat to stroller to car seat to high chair and finally, if you’re embracing the whole chairs-with-restraints thing, the bath chair. They can’t even be trusted to put their feet on the ground.
They’ll have to work out those legs sooner or later, lest they atrophy. So, I’d recommend taking him to a playground that is enclosed and letting them run around there several times a week.
2. The ‘Hoodie Handle’ Method
This is a method I’ve seen a lot in my neighborhood, and I find it brilliant. This is what you use to hold your toddler when you don’t have a toddler leash. It also has none of the stigma associated with a standard leash. You can also hold the hood of a hoodie to prevent it from running away. Restriction of movement tactics that are subtle but effective.
3. The Backpack Method
Some parents were delighted to find that backpacks for children have a handle built in at the top. This is similar to how hoodies are made. Hold on to the handle. This method is easily thwarted, however, by clever kids who simply pull their arms through the straps of the backpack and run, leaving you to hold onto the backpack without the child.
4. Use that Momentum to your Benefit
Pull-up nappies are a great way to encourage your baby to change their nappy without having to lie down.
5. The Illusion of Freedom Method, Also Known as a Tricycle with a Handle
Parents of stubborn children will be grateful for a tricycle that has a large handle on the rear. This gives the child the illusion that they are in control, while you can control them as if they were puppets. It also gives the impression that tricycles are controlled by the mind, and not the pedals.
6. This Method Involves Stating Your Requirements in Detail.
Stopping is too abstract for some children. What do you mean by stop? Being adorable? What do you think about butterflies? Picking my nose is it ok? What do they want from me? Instead of saying, “Stop!” when they run make sure you give specific directions.
Keep your feet on the footpath. ‘Don’t go on the road.’ Or, as a prelude to the walkabout: ‘Hold my hand while you are walking on the footpath.
7. The “If It’s Good Enough for Fido” Method
It’s the toddler leash. Sincerity be damned, I’m not judging parents who use the leash method. When you have a runner in your house, it’s both exhausting and terrifying.
Some children don’t quit when they should. They go crazy as soon as they touch the ground. A leash will be necessary if you want them to survive past their third birthday.
It is important to note that the experts do not endorse this method. It seems to stop them from learning to be aware of their surroundings. They only know two things about life: leash on and they can’t move, leash off and they can run like wind.
How to Encourage Your Child to be Physically Active
Did you know only one in four children gets the recommended 60 minutes per day of physical activity?
As children get older and move up in grade, their participation in physical activities drops. Physical activity should be part of the family’s daily routine. Here are some tips to keep your kids healthy and active.
Physical Activity has Many benefits.s
Physical activity is defined as moving so much that you feel hot, short of breath, and sweat. Children’s health and well-being are dependent on exercise. Exercise helps maintain healthy bones, joints, and muscles. It can reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease in later life. It can help children to fall asleep faster and sleep better.
Physical activity is not only good for the child’s physical health but also their mental and behavioral well-being. It boosts a child’s optimism, self-esteem, and school performance. Also, it reduces depression, anxiety, and tension. When it is part of an organized sport, it can foster teamwork and friendship.
Parents can help their children become more active
Encourage children to stay active in the digital age. By creating an environment where children can move and have fun, parents can encourage a passion for physical activity. Parents can encourage healthy habits by engaging their children in family games and outdoor activities.
Here are some suggestions:
- Speak with your child’s physician. Your doctor can explain to your child why physical activity is so important. Your child’s physician can help you and/or your child determine the best sports or activities for your child.
- Make sure your child is having fun. Find a sport she likes. She will continue the activity if she is enjoying it. Engage the whole family. This is a fun way to spend some time with your family.
- Select a developmentally suitable activity. For example, children aged 7 or 8 are not ready to lift weights or run 3 miles. However, soccer, cycling, and swimming can be great activities.
- Be prepared. Ensure your child can exercise at a time and location that is convenient for them.
- Create a safe environment for your child. Ensure that the equipment they use and the place where they play or practice are safe. Make sure that your child is dressed in comfortable clothing appropriate for their activity.
- Make sure that children have access to active toys. Children under five years old need balls, jump ropes, and other active toys.
- Be a good role model. If their parents are active and enjoy sports, then they will be more likely to participate themselves.
- Playing with your child will help them learn a sport or other physical activity. You can also go on a bike ride, hike, or jog together.
- Limit your screen time. This includes TV, video, computers and games. Spend more time doing physical activities.
- Schedule time to exercise. Many children are overscheduled, with homework and other activities, that they don’t have time for physical activity.
- Physical activity and exercise should not cause pain. If your child feels pain, they should either slow down or choose a less intense activity. It is important not to overdo any activity. Talk to your doctor if exercise interferes with schoolwork or other activities.
How to Deal with Children Who Don’t Listen?
No matter how well we communicate with our children, they may not listen to us or simply refuse to do what we request. Listening is a skill that kids learn over time. However, parents can encourage better listening by using strategies.
I hate cold weather. Multiple layers of clothing are a burden. Frozen fingers make doing things like playing the piano or opening a packet of biscuits tricky, and being touched romantically by my wife becomes an exquisite form of torture with her cold fingers on my warm skin!
I live for the beach, for the water… for that Endless Summer. I hate the cold so much that I’ve avoided ever going to the snow.
This little bit of background will help you to understand my frustration when, on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon in mid-winter, my youngest child skipped out and left the front door open.
“Emilie, close the door please,” I called after my 8-year-old. “Emilie please close the door.”
Emilie ignored my request. She heard me, yes. But she kept skipping towards her scooter with no intention to turn around and close the door.
I felt my body temperature increase despite the cold. I stood on the tiles of the entryway and strode up to the door with a deliberately serious face. “Emilie! I told you to do something.” You come back to the door and close it immediately.
But she was gone. My pathetic commands were carried by the concrete driveway to the curb Emilie just left. She was scooting towards her friends in the park across from the road.
Why Kids Do Not Listen
My first advice to parents of children who are chronic non-listeners is to rule out any medical problems. You can find the answers to your questions by visiting the GP. It can be difficult to get an appointment with the doctor, and it is a cost that many people would prefer to avoid.
You can do a cheaper test by standing at the door, and asking quietly if anyone wants ice cream (or money to buy sweets in the shop). Your hearing test will be complete if your child responds with a resounding yes.
If there aren’t any physiological hearing problems, there are many other reasons why our children don’t listen. The truth is, they can hear. They do listen. When we complain about our children not listening, we’re not telling the truth. Why don’t children listen to us?
Children Don’t Listen or Follow Instructions for Many Reasons
There are many reasons why our children do not follow our instructions. They can include:
- We don’t like to be told what we should do.
- Hyper-focused on what they are doing now
- Prefer to do something/anything else than what we are asking them to do
- Additional needs (like ADHD and ASD)
- The HALTS acronym stands for Being Hungry or Angry (Anger), Tired, Stressed, or Lonely.
- Our relationship with them is of high quality
- How many things have they already been asked to perform?
- It’s unfair that they aren’t asked to do as much work as their siblings
- It’s important to them.
- It’s still too early for the day
- It’s already too late to save the day
- It’s hungry
- There’s no room for more
- They don’t wish to share a job with their brother or sister
- How do we ask/tell them to do it
- They don’t have the skills or abilities to perform as requested
- There are so many other reasons…
It’s often a combination of factors. Knowing our children and their mental states can help us understand the right time to ask, the right question to ask, and the correct way to answer.
Sometimes, things must be done regardless of what everyone feels. We need to comply in those situations.
The Compliance
In the parenting blogosphere, compliance has become a dirty term. Many people think that compliance is the sign of a parent who is an authoritarian and expects their children to obey orders, regardless of what they prefer. Compliance is often associated with coercion or intrusion.
