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@DesertDreams88: I can commiserate with you at the very least. My son is 2y1m and goes non stop. He also isn't in daycare (was fired at 9 months), he now has a nanny/babysitter whatever you want to call it. His sleep schedule is pretty similar to yours, but usually goes to bed a bit later than that but gets to sleep later than your son because she comes to our house to watch him.

He runs and wrestles with our labrador non stop, he climbs and gets into anything he can reach, he hops in place if he's standing still, wants to be outside as much as possible. When she takes him to the park or zoo or activity center he goes nuts, won't stay still. Here recently he has started hitting and throwing things way more than he used to, so I don't know if that just comes with his age developmentally. He listens well for the most part, he's just energetic all the time.

Hello! What does your mom instinct say? Do you friends avoid play dates because of the hitting and biting? When you are on I have a 3 year old girl and teach kindergarten so I'm coming from the early childhood world but I would think hitting and biting is not pent up energy but a lack of skills in managing emotions. I would go forward with seeking help? At a minimum you might learn some strategies that make you home life more enjoyable.

@DesertDreams88: Ahh ok! I hope you find your sanity somehow. Every kid has something they are great at and something to work on. Parenting is way harder than I thought it would be. If only we had a crystal ball we would make all of the "right" decisions!

Yeah I have a kid like this. It was just born in him to some degree so I feel you! I do think his attention span has improved now that he’s 3. He’s gotten wilder in some ways and impulse control is a disaster, but if you can direct him (usually in the morning) with certain types of play he’s now interested in building and in coloring/drawing/etc. I keep hearing impulse control improves around 4 and we’re hoping that will make a huge difference. Mostly I just live with it because all his bad behavior is saved for us ... he does 2 day preschool and is fine there. But it’s hard! He also has low sleep needs (dropped nap most days by 3yo and sleeps 11 hours at night if we’re lucky - less than his 6yo sister!) and we’re having another baby this summer so I’m REALLY looking forward to more sanity

Have you looked into sensory processing disorder? My DS has it. He's a seeker - so he enjoys crashing into things, jumping from high things, etc. At school he wasn't able to control himself to sit still for circle time. He also couldn't or wouldn't participate in most activities - he was always running from thing to thing.

He has been in occupational therapy for 7 months and he is like a different kid. His impulse control is much much better. He is able to stay at circle time at preschool, focus on art activities, etc. Just something to consider!

@DesertDreams88: At 2.5 it was hard to know what was "normal" toddler stuff and what was SPD. We still struggle with it! I'm glad you are at least thinking about it - they say the earlier you work with an OT the better because their brains are so pliable! I wish that we had started him at OT a year ago but early intervention thought he was just struggling with transitions and impulse control. That being said, there are plenty of high energy little ones out there without SPD! I hope your pediatrician takes you seriously - ours did not because a lot of pediatricians don't really know about SPD (or don't acknowledge it unless it is in conjunction with ASD - which my son doesn't have)

@oskarsmommy: I'm no expert - but I will say that very often, SPD kids are super good at "keeping it together" at school and then get home and lose it. My son is actually very much like that. Our weekends were a wreck for a long time - but he was doing pretty well at school. Plus school often provides kids with some of the "sensory breaks" they need - sometimes without even realizing it - and that helps them get through the day. So we have had to incorporate sensory breaks into our time at home to help him reset. So long answer to your question - not necessarily something to cross off even if he is doing well at school.