fairfarmhand Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 My 7 yo is a great little boy. Creative, energetic, and social. Most days he is fine. Other days, he's determined to drive all the rest of us out of our ever lovin' minds. He can take almost any activity and use it to annoy others. Sometimes it's deliberate, Sometimes it's not. He's loud, never does anything quietly when it can be done noisily. He's wiggly and in constant motion. Pencil tapping, chair wiggling, flopping in the floor. He's overly dramatic. His older sister tossed a sweater at him and he fell in the floor yelling about it. On the good days, he's funny, cheerful, and entertaining. On the bad days, he's loud, obnoxious, melodramatic, and exhausting. I do my best to engage him and let him have plenty of play time. School's about 1.5-2 hours for him per day. He does need more outside time. His trampoline blew off in a storm and it is SORELY missed. I used to tell him to go jump on the trampoline when he was getting punchy. All of us miss it for the release it gave him. Any more tips for managing these little tornadoes? It's almost like having a toddler in the house sometimes, with a bit longer attention span and more social savvy to know which buttons to push with his older sisters, (BTW, I prefer methods to redirect him rather than punish him for pestering. I do call him on pestering and annoying people, but I need to fill the void he's feeling when he's pestering rather than simply punish. Punishment tends to put us in a downward spiral that snowballs, worsening the drama) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I have one of these as well, although now he's 8. Honestly, for him he just needed more personal attention from me. He's still loud & dramatic but that has taken away the pestering part. I'm sorry I don't have anything better to offer, but I understand how disruptive this can be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hkpiano Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 My 7 (almost 8) year old can be like this too. One on one time with parents (Dad in particular) has helped a lot with this, as well as ways to channel his energy, like outside time as you mentioned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RioSamba Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 DS9 can be like that. He does lots of sports and outdoors stuff, but nothing fights the button pushing tendencies like swimming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Playing with siblings is a privilege, and we don't have fun at someone else's expense. When mine were like that I'd send them outside. If it's raining wear a raincoat. If it's cold & snowy, wear snow clothes. In very extreme weather he could go play in his room or the playroom by himself. He can join the rest of us when he can behave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 No answers, just empathy! I have a boy like this too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Sounds like my six year old son! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfern Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 My 7 yo is like this too and she eggs on the toddler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 well, at least I'm not alone.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Threatening to sell them is probably the wrong answer. I think. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Send them outside. Make them run laps to burn off some energy. I've also been known to suggest jumping jack challenges. Brotherman can do over a hundred without pause. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 My ds is like that, and I agree sometimes I can chill it with some really focused time with me. For inside, have you thought about a kindle? My ds listens to his kindle fire hdx HOURS every day. Awesome investment. He can use it with earbuds and it's small and light enough to travel around with him as he plays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I think you know the answer... get a new trampoline. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Oh, and, I guess, weight it down for storms? I'm picturing the trampoline taking off like in The Wizard of Oz. I hope it didn't hurt any one/thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymonster Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 You are **so** not alone! I have days when I offer to pay DS6 to be quiet for five minutes because my head hurts so much from his chattering! I love the kid but my. goodness. DH gets so tense after work listening to DS6. I try to give him extra one-on-one attention, and it doesn't really seem to help much. He can play independently for a while, but he really is just a high-touch, high-interaction chatterbox! It looks like we might need a trampoline. And noise cancelling headphones. And wine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Many children, boys and girls, but often boys a bit more, crave big, hard, sustained active play. Running around and building tents/forts, digging, climbing, putting boards across dirt pits, swinging from ropes and tire swings, looking for buried treasure, making mud etc is creative, physical, and exciting. My family is/was lucky to be a part of a mixed age hsing group which had space ( some of us lived on land with trees, and dirt, and able to trim branches to drag about (3 or 4 good branches make a hideaway). This summer, we had a couple of reunions. There was a lot of wild & good play. Manhunt, flashlight tag, pitching tents, playing on an old canoe on land. (Not crazy, but satisfying and in the end, exhausting. A good puppy is a tired puppy and all that.) We used to have a bamboo grove on public land in our town, but was torn town to make a regular park. The kids mourned that. I'm reading that people don't need playgroups etc., but ime, some kids really do benefit from old fashioned play with others. Real work is good too. But little children still need chunks of time for sustained, imagitive, exhausting play. Streams, stones, mud, sticks, swimming holes, open fire hydrants, skate ramps, bike adventures in the neigborhood, ball in the street and more. Jumping alone on a trampoline is fun enough for a bit, but it doesn't take the place of doing and creating something as you communicate and argue your ideas with some friends. It might be a pipe dream to be able to offer that, but it doesn't mean it is not valuable to a growing child. Our modern lives may not be conducive to such play, yet it's a fact the brains, bodies, and imaginations of our young children haven't yet adapted to more the sedate and controlled environments in which many of us find ourselves. I'm not at all surprised that children are so drawn to exciting video games. Living vicariously is all some have left. These are my extrapolated thoughts, and not directed specifically to the post. I know she lives on a farm, so it's possible he gets to ride horse and coral cattle. :) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue daisy Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 This describes my 5 year old daughter. Every day. Loud, obnoxious, annoys others on purpose, very dramatic and emotional. Very attention needy. It so frustrating! I'm following along for ideas but I think in my case, I just need to give her time to mature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Awesome post! I'm rereading Last Child in the Woods and it makes the case for this type of (outdoor, mostly) play. ITA. OP, can you give him more to do outside, preferably with someone? LOVE the "dig a pit" idea and lots of large, loose parts to create with--tires, branches, a mud kitchen, rope, etc. Many children, boys and girls, but often boys a bit more, crave big, hard, sustained active play. Running around and building tents/forts, digging, climbing, putting boards across dirt pits, swinging from ropes and tire swings, looking for buried treasure, making mud etc is creative, physical, and exciting.My family is/was lucky to be a part of a mixed age hsing group which had space ( some of us lived on land with trees, and dirt, and able to trim branches to drag about (3 or 4 good branches make a hideaway). This summer, we had a couple of reunions. There was a lot of wild & good play. Manhunt, flashlight tag, pitching tents, playing on an old canoe on land. (Not crazy, but satisfying and in the end, exhausting. A good puppy is a tired puppy and all that.) We used to have a bamboo grove on public land in our town, but was torn town to make a regular park. The kids mourned that.I'm reading that people don't need playgroups etc., but ime, some kids really do benefit from old fashioned play with others. Real work is good too. But little children still need chunks of time for sustained, imagitive, exhausting play. Streams, stones, mud, sticks, swimming holes, open fire hydrants, skate ramps, bike adventures in the neigborhood, ball in the street and more. Jumping alone on a trampoline is fun enough for a bit, but it doesn't take the place of doing and creating something as you communicate and argue your ideas with some friends. It might be a pipe dream to be able to offer that, but it doesn't mean it is not valuable to a growing child. Our modern lives may not be conducive to such play, yet it's a fact the brains, bodies, and imaginations of our young children haven't yet adapted to more the sedate and controlled environments in which many of us find ourselves. I'm not at all surprised that children are so drawn to exciting video games. Living vicariously is all some have left.These are my extrapolated thoughts, and not directed specifically to the post. I know she lives on a farm, so it's possible he gets to ride horse and coral cattle. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 This sort of describes DS12 and is one reason he is trying public school in the fall. :leaving: We have had conversation after conversation about not annoying people on purpose. He always turns on the water works and acts remorseful...we end up having the same conversation again anyway. Typically, I give him a job to do, a book to read, something that removes him from the room. Good luck, OP. Clearly I haven't come up with any good solutions. :( Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Awesome post! I'm rereading Last Child in the Woods and it makes the case for this type of (outdoor, mostly) play. ITA. OP, can you give him more to do outside, preferably with someone? LOVE the "dig a pit" idea and lots of large, loose parts to create with--tires, branches, a mud kitchen, rope, etc. Oh, we have gobs of that kind of play. Plenty of trees to climb, dirt to dig in, logs to roll around and boards to hammer. Got a new puppy too who is good for wrestling and chasing balls. In thinking more about it, the most challenging time is when his sisters are still doing school and he's already completed his work. The next sibling up is in the 5th grade and it takes her quite a bit longer to complete, and with a middle schooler and high schooler in the house too, school can last for 5-6 hour total. Once his sister is finished, he's nowhere near as annoying because his playmate is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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