What do you do when your little one has too much energy?

[frugalmama]

Today was our first day of school and it went pretty well, but DD just had so much energy she couldn't sit down and work. I think part of it was she was excited, but she was bouncing off the walls quite a bit.

What do you do when your kids just have too much energy?

[MissRubyandKen]

Try doing something physical first before settling in for any seatwork. Make lessons short and take frequent, short breaks. You could ask her to do some dancing, jumping jacks, or running in circles during breaks. Most little kids love this, lol!

[Love_My_Babies]

I found a silly book of kids poems, and I have the kids act out the poems to help get their energy/sillies out. They are short, so it works well. We also checked this out at the library last year, and they loved it. They are short, funny exercises. So, you can do one or all of them depending on what you need...

http://www.amazon.com/65-Energy-Blas...3&sr=8-3-fkmr0

[MommaJayla]

I like to have exercise time right after breakfast. We have a kids exercise dvd or a small trampoline or we will dance crazy to music and sometimes have "races" where the kids just start running crazy everytime I say "ready, set, go." But I try to keep them really moving for as long as possible before we even try doing anything else.

[mimaja]

How about teaching while she's active? For example, let her do jumping jacks or jump on an indoor trampoline while you read a short story, then ask questions about the story. Or if she's practising their addition or multiplication facts, she could do it to the rhythm of the jumping: "3-hop-times-hop-2-hop-equals-hop-6-hop."

Or, tickle time? Kids get so spent when they're tickled! Plus it's a great parent-child connection and doesn't take long to be effective.

Maybe she could do worksheets in teh car coming home from a physical activity like being at the playground or a gymnastics, swimming, etc class?

[lisarussell]

Personally- I'd embrace that energy and hope it stays with her her whole life. Look at each thing you're "teaching" and see if it can be conveyed without sitting down. You don't want to teach her that learning is boring or against her nature. There's no reason to duplicate a classroom at home, homeschooling is so much better than that. My girls do most of their learning through conversation. Kids learn best by asking questions, not answering them. Let her be energetic, let it rub off on you- and go play. THAT is what life is about. Focusing in on a task is rewarding all by itself, let her feel that when the time comes, no need to fight with nature- it won't make her smarter and it won't make parenting easier- to fight with her natural energy. it's a good thing

[babycarrier]

Outside time or a few minutes of stretching time. Shel Silverstein poems on cd - where the sidewalks ends is super sweet and the kids "act" them out and it is a good release. Spontaneous dance parties in the living room are fun, also.