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the explorer



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 4th 03, 01:36 PM
elizabeth emerald
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Default the explorer

a few questions have come to mind regarding the answers my post about
activities for the 15mth old. careful - this will be a long post!

DS (15 mths) seems to be a real explorer & extremely busy and different to
most of the other kids i see and also different from alot of the responses i
received to the post. we go to playgroup, swimming, mother's group & aust
breastfeeding assoc meetings where i see alot of other kids DS's age.

where other kids will happily play with/examine a toy or sit down for a
while, DS is constantly on the move. he loves to find out how something
works or what something does but as soon as he has worked it out, he's onto
the next thing.

he also has "ants in his pants". he loves reading books and if he wants us
to read one we have trained him to sit on his kid's sofa for it which he
does, but when DS sits he bounces up & down & you can just see the energy
wanting to be used. this is the same in the high chair, or if we stick him
in the stroller. if he watches a video, he likes to stand/walk around/dance.
when we are at other people's places, the other children sit & play with the
toys with the occasional walk around. DS likes to examine the electrical
equipment (pushing buttons, turning dials), rearrange all their furniture no
matter how large, try to reach everything they have put up high (he is tall
so they usually haven't put it high enough) and play with anything he can
find that he shouldn't.

at home he is constantly on the move and even running around all rooms in
the house gets boring for him before long. things like the idea of a
cupboard full of plasticware & kitchen utensils just for him whilst i'm
cooking just doesn't keep him interested for long at all. he ends up running
around the breakfast bar or trying to work out how to open the fridge or the
locked cupboards. it seems the only time he focuses on one thing for an
extended time is he loves to sit in his room & read books (he'll sit still
when he's reading them himself). he does like to play with his toys in his r
oom, just each one doesn't hold his attention for very long.

i know there are great positives to all this - he is wonderfully active &
won't be overweight, he has a sharp mind & loves to work stuff out & lots of
other things. he's very social, he's very cuddly with me and he is a huge
flirt.

but i'm wondering if other people have suggestions from their own experience
of an "explorer"? we try to go out as much as possible but i work from home
so it's not possible all the time. also my mother has dementia & DS & i have
to attend alot of long appointments with her (currently weekly) and she
lives 1.5hrs away. it is a real struggle keeping DS entertained at these
times!

i'd love to hear what other people have done with their active toddler to
keep them interested.

thanks for reading the whole thing!!!
--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS - born 20-aug-02



  #2  
Old December 4th 03, 06:31 PM
Ilse Witch
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Posts: n/a
Default the explorer

elizabeth emerald wrote:
a few questions have come to mind regarding the answers my post about
activities for the 15mth old. careful - this will be a long post!

DS (15 mths) seems to be a real explorer & extremely busy and different to
most of the other kids i see and also different from alot of the responses i
received to the post. we go to playgroup, swimming, mother's group & aust
breastfeeding assoc meetings where i see alot of other kids DS's age.


Well, if I had know that was what you were looking for... What you
describe sounds like a clone from our DS. The only time we get him
to settle down is when he eats, but I am convinced this is because
we are always sitting with him at the table, and have been doing so
since he was barely able to sit. Even then, he is constantly moving
around in his chair, making us eternally grateful for the little
harnass it has. DS also manages to play by himself for relatively
long periods, the longest time he spends with lego Duplo (easily
up to 30 min), but toys are discarded as soon as he finds something
else that needs his undivided attention.

We have found we need to put up some very firm rules and stick to
them continuously. DS is a quick learner, but TV buttons and remotes
are extremely addictive. So now he has his own computer keyboard
and second hand remote. Whenever he tries to get to ours, we ask
him to go and get his own, which he usually does with a grumpy
attitude. On the way he will find something else to catch his
interest, drop everything he has in his hands and start to explore
the specific item. Can you imagine him when we temporarily moved
into another apartment with different furniture? It's toddler
heaven for him.

Just let him do his own things, but you make the rules. That will
require you to have an almost constant eye on him, but form what
I have heard, that's not too uncommon at this age. HTH!

--
-- I
mommy to DS (16m)
guardian of DH (32)
TTC #2
War doesn't decide who's right, only who's left

  #3  
Old December 4th 03, 11:21 PM
toto
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default the explorer

On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 23:36:14 +1100, "elizabeth emerald"
wrote:

a few questions have come to mind regarding the answers my post about
activities for the 15mth old. careful - this will be a long post!

DS (15 mths) seems to be a real explorer & extremely busy and different to
most of the other kids i see and also different from alot of the responses i
received to the post. we go to playgroup, swimming, mother's group & aust
breastfeeding assoc meetings where i see alot of other kids DS's age.

where other kids will happily play with/examine a toy or sit down for a
while, DS is constantly on the move. he loves to find out how something
works or what something does but as soon as he has worked it out, he's onto
the next thing.

At this age this is not a problem really. It is true of most 15
month old toddlers.

he also has "ants in his pants". he loves reading books and if he wants us
to read one we have trained him to sit on his kid's sofa for it which he
does, but when DS sits he bounces up & down & you can just see the energy
wanting to be used. this is the same in the high chair, or if we stick him
in the stroller. if he watches a video, he likes to stand/walk around/dance.
when we are at other people's places, the other children sit & play with the
toys with the occasional walk around. DS likes to examine the electrical
equipment (pushing buttons, turning dials), rearrange all their furniture no
matter how large, try to reach everything they have put up high (he is tall
so they usually haven't put it high enough) and play with anything he can
find that he shouldn't.

at home he is constantly on the move and even running around all rooms in
the house gets boring for him before long. things like the idea of a
cupboard full of plasticware & kitchen utensils just for him whilst i'm
cooking just doesn't keep him interested for long at all. he ends up running
around the breakfast bar or trying to work out how to open the fridge or the
locked cupboards. it seems the only time he focuses on one thing for an
extended time is he loves to sit in his room & read books (he'll sit still
when he's reading them himself). he does like to play with his toys in his r
oom, just each one doesn't hold his attention for very long.

Don't worry about this. Just let him run. The thing is that he is
learning about his body and controlling it. Gross motor activity is
very important at this age. Kids often do this in spurts and then
have a quiet week or two where they are concentration on language.

Still most of the toddlers I know are almost always in motion.

i know there are great positives to all this - he is wonderfully active &
won't be overweight, he has a sharp mind & loves to work stuff out & lots of
other things. he's very social, he's very cuddly with me and he is a huge
flirt.

but i'm wondering if other people have suggestions from their own experience
of an "explorer"? we try to go out as much as possible but i work from home
so it's not possible all the time. also my mother has dementia & DS & i have
to attend alot of long appointments with her (currently weekly) and she
lives 1.5hrs away. it is a real struggle keeping DS entertained at these
times!

Try having different boxes of toys that you rotate. When he seems
bored with one box clean that up and pull out a different box with
different toys.

In the car, try music CDs or story CDs. I used to recite Dr. Suess's
ABCs while I drove or sing children's songs too. Bring along several
small toys that he doesn't get to see at other times when you go with
your mom for her appointments. He's a bit young for crayons right
now, but keep that in mind for when he is around 2.

Take him out in the hallway for a walkabout while your mom is in
with the doctor perhaps?

If you can afford it, you may want to get a babysitter for some of the
appointment time so he can stay home and play instead of sitting with
you in an office. If you can't afford the money consider trading
babysitting with another mom of a toddler. Two are often easier
to entertain than one because they do like to see each other and
imitate each other.

i'd love to hear what other people have done with their active toddler to
keep them interested.

thanks for reading the whole thing!!!


Good luck.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits
  #4  
Old December 4th 03, 11:33 PM
Ilse Witch
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default the explorer

toto wrote:

Kids often do this in spurts and then
have a quiet week or two where they are concentration on language.


LOL! Concentrating on language = quiet week....
Define quiet please? :-D

He's a bit young for crayons right
now, but keep that in mind for when he is around 2.


Under strict supervision, DS is having a blast with his crayons.
We already have several 'works of art' displayed on our fridge,
but he didn't have an interest in them until a month ago or so.

Thanks for the tips Dorothy. We've done several of these things
by ourselves already, but there were still quite a few we hadn't
thought of yet!

--
-- I
mommy to DS (16m)
guardian of DH (32)
TTC #2
War doesn't decide who's right, only who's left

  #5  
Old December 5th 03, 01:35 AM
toto
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default the explorer

On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 17:33:34 -0500, Ilse Witch wrote:

toto wrote:

Kids often do this in spurts and then
have a quiet week or two where they are concentration on language.


LOL! Concentrating on language = quiet week....
Define quiet please? :-D

Hehe.. Should have said *less active* not quiet..

He's a bit young for crayons right
now, but keep that in mind for when he is around 2.


Under strict supervision, DS is having a blast with his crayons.
We already have several 'works of art' displayed on our fridge,
but he didn't have an interest in them until a month ago or so.

Thanks for the tips Dorothy. We've done several of these things
by ourselves already, but there were still quite a few we hadn't
thought of yet!


My gd has also used crayons and markers under supervision,
but she doesn't put anything in her mouth so it's easier with her.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits
  #6  
Old December 5th 03, 09:38 PM
elizabeth emerald
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default the explorer


"Ilse Witch" wrote in message
...
elizabeth emerald wrote:
a few questions have come to mind regarding the answers my post about
activities for the 15mth old. careful - this will be a long post!

DS (15 mths) seems to be a real explorer & extremely busy and different

to
most of the other kids i see and also different from alot of the

responses i
received to the post. we go to playgroup, swimming, mother's group &

aust
breastfeeding assoc meetings where i see alot of other kids DS's age.


Well, if I had know that was what you were looking for...


i did kinda put it in the post, but i was after all responses as well so i
could get some ideas. which i did!
--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS - born 20-aug-02


  #7  
Old December 5th 03, 09:39 PM
elizabeth emerald
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default the explorer


"elizabeth emerald" wrote in message
...
a few questions have come to mind regarding the answers my post about
activities for the 15mth old. careful - this will be a long post!


thanks for all the suggestions! they are helpful.
--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS - born 20-aug-02


 




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