Is this normal or should I bring it up with my pediatrician?

Question

My son has always been very high energy, since birth he would be awake all day even as an infant. Once he started walking it progressed to a RUN and he still runs everywhere he goes. He will be 4 in August. He is extremely active and wild but also very funny, sweet, and smart. However when we go to a store he can’t seem to contain himself and he runs off from me and refuses to sit in a buggy, hold my hand, or walk with me. He will scream if I make him do any of those things. He runs off and touches everything and will completely run away from me, he’s not scared at all to be out of eye distance. It’s absolutely awful trying to go somewhere with him. I just got back from Walmart with him and he was ALL over the place and would not listen, I would be calling him “Logan don’t touch that please. Logan come here please. Logan don’t run from me, please hold the cart or my hand. Logan stop running. Logan please come back. Logan please please please. If you don’t come back I’m taking away your iPad for the day.” And it is like he completely ignores me and doesn’t hear me. Is this level normal? I mean what can I really do about it?

Answer

Do you disaplin him when he acts like this? Because if your not thats where your problem is is a lack of disaplin. If you do disaplin him (it has to be an immediate consequence when your in the store though) for that age to be affective. They dont really get the concept of you will lose your tablet later etc. If he isnt gonna walk and hold mommy hand, or the cart then you place him in the seat and strap him in, he will scream throw a fit etc. And you ignore it. He will lesrn. Or if your embarased you take him to the car, get him buckled in let him calm down and try again.

Answer

High energy sounds pretty normal. Do you discipline when he misbehaves? Does he have his iPad pretty much all day? Do you follow through with your threats? Kids need discipline and it isn’t one size fits all. You have to find what works for the individual child. If he unlimited access to the iPad, I’d start limiting that. Follow through is also very important. If you don’t follow through, he knows that so knows he doesn’t have to listen. 
I would put him in the buggy and let him scream if he isn’t listening. I do it to my son. I tell him once or twice. The second time, I tell him if he doesn’t do what I’m telling him he’s riding in the buggy. If he doesn’t listen, he goes in the buggy. Then I ignore him if he pitches a fit. 
I will say I have the same issues with my 3.5 year old. He doesn’t listen to anything ever. To the point I’m tired of getting onto him. I went grocery shopping one day just to get away from him (left him with my husband). I just continue to correct him and make sure I follow through with anything I tell him I’m going to do. Eventually it’ll I stick… I hope! Some kids are just more strong willed (spirited) than others. Mine is definitely the most persistent child I’ve ever encountered and I’ve babysat a lot of kids. I practically raised two other boys before him too. 
The threenage year is HARD!!! I don’t know who said it was the terrible twos. Those were easy compared to this!

Answer

My 3.5yr old does grasp time really well so telling her no tablet when she gets home is very effective but honestly he should have a sense of fear and danger by age 4.
I try to use redirection mostly as I find it most effective.
"Our hands don't belong there, let's keep them to ourselves"
"We need to slow down our feet"
"Let's use our inside/calm voices"
And if it doesn't work, she can scream in the cart, her safety comes first. 
I also reward positive behavior so when she does good I tell her that it makes me very happy that she did so good and we got all of our shopping done and sometimes she gets to pick something out.

Answer

The high energy is pretty normal i believe, without knowing for sure how he is.
Also you can't discipline a four year old by taking something away later in a day. They can't grasp that something they do now effects something hours later..

Answer

The high energy I feel is pretty normal especially at 4. I have 5 kids (14,13,6,5& 1.5 years old) My older kids calmed down in age. My 5 year old (only girl) is the wildest. She’s starting to calm down in age. 
Do you discipline him at all? Do you stick to what you tell him your going to do? I know my daughter HATED time out and we have to be very consistent with her or everything falls apart.

Is this normal or should I bring it up with my pediatrician?

Let’s Glow

Glow is here for you on your path to pregnancy

25+ million

4.8 stars

20+

Getting Pregnant

Pregnancy

1st Year (Baby & You)

Baby Products