2 Year Old's Hyperactivity

my daughter was like that until we took gluten out of her diet. She still has a lot of energy, but not in a hyperactive way. Look in to things that she could be allergic to, which doesn't necessarily mean allergy testing as they can come back as falst negative or positive at this age.

It could be normal, it could be early signs of something else. Our eight-year-old has ADHD and at two was the kid who couldn't sit still at circle time EVER. I was always chasing him across the gym while the other kids sat and participated.

My big question for you is whether the extreme energy is 24/7? If so, start writing down what you're experiencing. It will come in handy should you ever need to pursue medical guidance down the road.

I understand now that normal kids can have bursts of energy, but also have long patches of more mellow time. Our son was the Energizer Bunny and by two was climbing the kitchen counters the second I'd turn away, jumping off stairs, running across furniture. The only thing he sat still for was The Wiggles and even then, for short stretches. It was insane how exhausting it was trying to keep up with him. I'd pass out on the sofa at 8 at night.

Best of luck to you! Hopefully this is just a phase.

She won't sit still at that age until you discipline her to a couple of times. I started all three of mine in classes at that age and had to give a few firm consequences in the beginning until they got it. It's normal. She wants to do what she wants and she has no reason not to. It's also at the very youngest threshold for a structured class. If you don't want to discipline, you may want to wait until she's a bit older to follow the group. It seems other kids are better, but they're just used to the class, and might have easier temperaments or were disciplined in the beginning. I would give my daughter one or two quiet warnigs, and if she wouldn't behave, I'd sweep her off to the bathroom for a pop on the butt. Sounds inhumane, but I only had to do it like once, and then she minded warnings, and the fun she had in classes was worth it thereafter. The second time I went to remove her to the restroom, she quickly sat in the designated spot the teacher directed before I could get to her (clever).

My 3rd is now two, and I sit her on my lap while my older daughter practices piano, or I sit her on my lap during Meet the Press Sundays. I enforce that she must sit there for at least 20 minutes. This is great practice for when I need to have her sit on my lap in meetings or waiting rooms or classes or sometimes church visiting family. That way, if she squirms, I can warn her "no" and she knows to stop without it being a first time thing in the group setting.

My husband always travels and I have my 3 everywhere with me, so I had to take the firm approach. Now we can all go to the library or whatever with no problems. Even my two year old behaves. But it took discipline. She would be doing the same thing without-don't be frustrated!

Please don't label her "hyperactive." That's a medical diagnosis. Bear in mind, as you note yourself, she's a toddler and they are all go-go-go-- especially to a mom who likely is very tired due to having a four-month-old infant as well, right?

You seem to say her "hyperactivity" comes mostly during this one particular class, or at least that's where it presents an issue for you. This is a gym class -- how much time are they in circle time anyway? Shouldn't they be moving around in this class? Is she on the younger side for this class, or maybe just a little less mature than the other kids, hence her tendency to ignore "you must be in this one spot" rules? It all sounds pretty typical to me.

I think maybe it upsets you that she is "misbehaving" in these classes but frankly if the teacher is any good and in any way experienced working with kids this young, it does not matter. The teacher should be able to handle having one kid (or several) who are not doing exactly as they're told -- there are kids twice your daughter's age who do worse that she's doing. If the other parents are giving you glares, ignore them -- believe me, somewhere else, their kids are moving around when told to sit. Worry less about her not being perfect in this one class. If the class doesn't have her moving around enough, find a different one that really lets her burn off energy better.

If she is sitting still through a show she is doing fine. I hope you mean a live performance -- try her at a live show instead if you mean TV. If she can sit through a kids' puppet show, etc., she really is doing well for only two. And if she gets up and wanders around -- well, she is ONLY two.

food allergies can cause hyperactivity. My son (2.5) sounds a lot like your daughter in the way they act. We heard about this diet called the FeinGold diet. It's a diet that takes out certain things in foods that have been known to cause behavior issues. Some kids are affected by it and some are not. I've heard nothing but great things about it and we are in the process of starting it ourselves. It's worth a shot to check it out and see if it helps. I completely understand your frustration as I have had those same frustrations (I also have a 4 month old as well).

How is she... when there are NOT a lot of people around?
Meaning, is she just overly hyper when there are a lot of other people/kids around?
Hence, maybe she gets overly stimulated and can't self manage. She is young.
Maybe she is sensitive to all that hustle and bustle and noise and so many other things going on at the same time? Kids don't have filters, to filter out that stuff.

My son... gets more 'hyper' when tired or overly tired. To another person, they CANNOT tell that he is tired. But I can. I am his Mom and I know him. For some kids, when they are tired, they seemingly get more 'hyper' because they are forcing themselves, to push through the tiredness.
Do you have a quiet time for her? In the afternoons? Maybe she also needs just a down-time???? Kids need that.
Or is your child just constantly, overly active?
Speak to your Pediatrician.

What is her diet like?

One of my children was beyond hyper because of food allergies. It's amazing how much this can affect behavior. Gluten is one food that can effect a child (or adult) neurologically. Start cutting food out of her diet to see if you can see a difference. If you find she extra hyper after eating, then try eliminating those foods first. Good luck!!

I sympathize with you. My daughter (now 4 years old) has been extremely active since she became a toddler. Ever since then she has had a difficult time sitting still, but she's definitely calming down (only just a bit!) little by little as she is getting older. Her attention span is slowly growing. Preschool helped my daughter tremendously; she started when she was just over 2 years old (only 3 hours a day for 2 days a week). After the initial adjustment she loved school, and the routine, structure and socialization truly helped her. I have also found that routine at home is very helpful, too. We used to attend Mommy & Me classes (with circle time). It took her a few classes to adjust to that, too, but when she got used to the routine of the classes she was fine (with an occasional 'bad day' exception). Keep trying, and try not to worry or think that she's the only one doing that. Most of the other moms probably understand, and those who don't will hopefully keep any negative thoughts to themselves! Try to keep her as active as possible. I take my daughter to the park often to play & burn off excess energy. However, these days she exerts a lot of her energy in full-day preschool (which she loves)! I also try to limit her sugar intake, as I notice a definite energy spike whenever she eats something with a good deal of sugar in it. Good luck! I know that a toddler's extreme energy can mean extreme exhaustion (both mentally & physically) for a mom!