My one-year-old daughter is in a playgroup with a few other babies her same age, and I feel like she is by far the most active kid in the group. The others seem totally content to sit quietly playing with a toy or in their mothers' laps. Then there is my daughter crawling all over the place, going through 76 toys a minute, taking them from the other babies, etc. I never really notice her seeming particularly overactive when we're at home (she is certainly busy but not ridiculously so), so I never really thought of her as a hyperactive kid -- that is until I saw her next to these other babies. She's very social and outgoing, and I think she tends to get a little overexcited by the group, but it just feels weird to have her be the only kid grabbing toys while the others sit there calmly allowing it.
I know that all kids are different and they all have their own little personalities, but I guess I'm just wondering, is my daughter really that unusual, or have I happened to find a group of extraordinarily serene babies? And for moms of babies like this, how did your kids turn out personality-wise?
Thanks, everybody! That makes me feel so much better to hear about your kids. Kathy G, that's funny that you mention that your daughter is so thin. Mine is too, and we always joke that it's because she works those calories right off! I don't think she has ADHD because when she's home, she is able to focus on tasks, like sitting and "reading" books by herself. I think she is just very busy and high-energy. Thanks also for the suggestions about playgroups. We actually have a playdate with an older baby this Saturday at an indoor playspace, so this might be more up her alley.
Sounds like my son. He is an explorer and acted just like her at that age. We found a playgroup with older toddlers and it worked much better. He is 22 months now and he still plays with 3 year olds. They play much more like him. He gets very bored with toddlers his age.
My almost 2 1/2 year old daughter was and still is like that. She was almost always aware of what was going on, described as an old soul in a baby's body. Very interested before she was mobile, and active. She was a rigid baby, rarely seemed to relax enough for snuggling (almost to a fault, I was a bit worried about her). She has almost no fat on her, very agile, coordinated and BUSY. She is now a snuggler when she gets sick or tired, and she is developing normally. She is able to focus on tasks (per her teachers at daycare, not me :) so I would be aware, but not stress. Sounds like her normal.
My one year old daughter is also super active. Not only is she all over the place but she likes to climb everything. We call her "danger girl"! She has some little friends her age who are much more mellow and some who are also active. I think you just happened upon a group of mellow children by chance (those lucky moms!!). :) My son was also extremely active. He is 6 now and is still active, but not hyperactive. He does great in school so I know he does not have ADHD. Every day he loves to play soccer and is always outside riding his bike/scooter. He's is just go go go all the time. I suspect his sister is the same. I've learned to have lots of active kid toys around the house for our son (and our daughter will grow into them)...a mini trampoline, those sit and bounce balls, etc. We have a toddler slide in the livingroom. Our son has a swing/ladder mounted on his ceiling! I'd love to put in an indoor climbing wall but I'm not sure where. When he was 3-4 he loved for me to make him an obstacle course through the house. Anyway....those are some active kid ideas for you :)
I have three kids and none of my babies ever sat still for a minute! I always envied those moms who had babies who would sit and quietly play with toys!
But all three of my kids have turned out to be perfectly normal kids. None of them have attention problems, they all do well in school, and they are all well-mannered kids.
It's probably just her personality. You can't change that. But if she is getting overly "grabby," you may want to start disciplining that in a very soft way. Just so it doesn't become a habit.
My daughter is going to be 1 next week and let me tell ya she is CRAZY!!! My son is very active and she wants to keep up with him. We are going to have our hands full with her. She was walking at 8 1/2 months and almost running now. She is into everything and very independant. She will sit and play with toys once in awhile for a few minutes and then its up and running again. She likes to climb and drive trucks, and be chased and play peek a bo. She just wants to learn all she can. I stay very busy with two active kids but i wouldnt have it any other way. I just plan to put them in whatever sports they excel in and keep them active. I would not worry about it. Your daughter just wants to learn and explore and at 1 her personality may change a lot over the next few years. She will be just fine. I figure i am just going to enjoy being busy with them and unless it starts to affect thier education down the road i am not going to worry about it.
If you're only seeing it in social settings, I can reassure you I'm not seeing an ADHD "red flag." Our son has severe ADHD and we could tell when he was very, very young (long before we suspected ADHD or were facing challenges requiring input from medical experts). But he was hyperactive and unfocused to the extreme 100 percent of the time. It wasn't an on-off thing at all and it remains that way now that he's older.
Sounds like you just have a very curious, happy child and I think that's a great thing! Always preferred the active, inquisitive ones to the blobs. :)
That sounds just like my son! He's very high energy, very curious, and eager to learn. (That's the nice way to put it.) Your daughter has a very inquisitive nature, and she is learning more about her environment than the kids who sit obediently in someone's lap. My son is 3 now and he's even more active. I put him in gymnastics class to help challenge him physically, and he loves it. You may need to find some kids for your daughter to play with who are more evenly matched. Maybe even older kids. My son gets the most enjoyment from playing with a set of twins who are 2 years older than him, and they're the only ones who can wear him out! Good luck.
Edit: Please don't consider ADD at this point. I recently learned that ADD can't be accurately diagnosed till about 1st grade. All toddlers are ADD by definition, it's just part of their development. Don't discourage your daughter from being active, embrace it!
All babies develop differently. Once babies can crawl or walk on their own, they're generally not happy to sit & play. They want to be up & about practicing their new skill. Some children, even at that age, tend to be quieter & more unsure when in a group. They may sit & seem calm when you're around, that doesn't mean that they're that way at home. Some kids are the opposite & can get overstimulated by groups. Either way, it's absolutely nothing to worry about. I would say both situations are perfectly normal:)
