What is a normal activity level for a 5 month old boy? My son is constantly in motion; thank goodness he can't crawl yet! He doesn't seem to ever have "quiet time." If he's laying down he's kicking non-stop or if he's in his walker he's moving non stop? Is this normal?
LOL! Thank you for all your thoughtful/helpful responses. There is some grea advice I will definitely heed! Thanks:)
Get used to it! I recently saw a little boy about 18 months old just running in a circle in the hotel lobby where we were staying. I was reminded of the days when my two boys, now 6 & 8 would just run in a circle, just to run. It's just something active kids will do (although I saw it more in boys than girls - it's not absolute). My boys are still pretty active and a lot of fun too.
Well, I don't have any advice, but my 7.5 month old daughter is the same way. She is always on the move. It's very hard to have quiet time reading with her. I'd like to know too if this is "normal" or not.
Have you spoken to your dr about him? He can also be evaluated for free thru developmental pathways for deveopmental needs free thru your school system. It is thru child find grant and you donot need drs referral. P. dybinski
I don't know what's considered "normal", but my son was/is also high energy. He moved around a lot, crawled all over the place and was very curious. He is now 4 years old and is still extremely high energy. He needs lots of time outside and activities inside to keep him busy. Good luck and have patience [sometimes easier said than done ;)]
A. in Aurora
I think it is for some kids. My first son was, and still is, high energy. I always knew he was busy, but when I started constantly getting comments from other parents and watched him around other kids his age I knew he was a lot more spirited than most kids. He is always moving and always talking. I found that he needs playtime every day where he can just go and use up some of that energy. He's a great kid and a lot of fun, but he sure can wear us out!
You aren't to this point yet, but the discipline that worked best for him was a time out where he couldn't see or interact with anyone. The lack of attention for a few minutes sure curbed any bad behavior.
If your son still has a bunch of energy as he gets older, you might try doing activities where you have him sit and focus. Things like coloring, crafts, play-doh, or other activities that don't involve running around helped my son's attention span and let him know there were other things to do than just constantly be on the move.
Hi J.!
Had to chuckle when I read about your very active 5 month old. My daughter was a premmie, you would THINK she'd want to sleep a lot...WRONG! She didn't sleep thru the night until she was one, only way to get her to take a nap was to put her in the swing, and then she'd cat nap for 30 min. if I was lucky. She too would kick her legs and flap her arms like she had places to go (and watch out when the crawling, walking, running start!). It was ''normal'' for her (and she was sooooooo different from her brother...who is 19 yrs older by the way). She was just an alert baby that thought she was going to miss out on something if she slept! She had a bouncy seat she loved, and I'd put her in it, with her jungle gym thing over her so she could kick at and bat at the dangling toys, that seemed to occupy her. By the way, she is 17 yrs old now, and a typical teen....ALWAYS wants to SLEEP now! So is it normal for your son? Probably! Take advantage of family/friends to babysit so YOU can nap, shower, clean, relax, whatever! Good luck!
That is great and a sign you will have your hands full when he is a toddler. It is great that he is so active, using those leg muscles and getting geared up for crawling and walking. My son was the same way, and lordy it was wild when he started walking. Now at 3 1/2 the activity level is still high however more constructive and not bad! :)
I too hope it is normal! I was asking the same question about my son who is now almost 8 months. He began flipping from front to back when he was 4 weeks old! He is crawling all over the place and cannot stop moving when changing his diaper. I literally have to hold him with one hand and change the diaper with the other hand ;-) I have a step son that is 4. My husband says that his son was the total opposite and was much easier to control. His son is very mellow now...at the age of 4. He is not active and loves to sit and read. I am guessing they will just be extremely active....we just need to keep them busy with healthy activities....lots of sports.
It sounds normal, but if you have concerns, check with Early Childhood Connections. They function through Child Find, but have even stricter timeframes to work with. We will have been started in the process, evaluated, and had our first therapy in less than 45 days. Evals are with every stripe of therapist, so if there are concerns in any area, even that you may not be aware of, you get the help. I have contact info if you're interested. We're in Denver County, but I have State info, too.
I hope he is normal becasue My 5mo. DD is the same. He is just learning to use his body parts and he is practicing for the day when you can't catch him long enough to wipe his nose! As long as he is meeting all him develpmental markers: cooing, squeeling, rolling....he is fine. Relax, and give him lots of tummy time.
PS I get quiet time out of my daughter by going swimming. knocks her out for hours!
