[Parenting] How to drain the energy of a 4-year-old boy
Hello.
This time, I'm talking about parenting.
To all the moms and dads of boys out there, let's do our best together.
My son has turned four.
I thought things would get a little easier now that he can hold conversations and the 'terrible twos' are over, but that was just a fleeting fantasy.
Will I ever look back on this time with nostalgia and think, 'They were so cute back then'?
(Of course, he's still cute now!)
Lately, I find myself constantly thinking about 'how to drain his energy,' but I want to leave this as a record so that in a few years, I can look back and laugh about it with my wife.
The 'drive-by attacker' in our home
Being challenged to a Tomica race the moment I wake up
A game of tag that starts suddenly while we're just walking
Fighting, no matter what. Punching, kicking.
Being talked to constantly (never given a moment's peace)
It's at a 'drive-by attacker' levelwhere everything starts suddenly, regardless of the parent's preparation or fatigue.
I'm sure there are other parents who can relate to this (I hope there are).
It's so persistent that, in all seriousness, I once whispered to my wife, 'I wish I had a tranquilizer gun.'I meant it at the time.
My child isn't the type to sit quietly and look at picture books or encyclopedias; he's the type who spends his days racing toy cars and robots or fighting.
If my son had a brother
I've realized that the saying, 'Having twins is so hard you won't remember anything until they're two or three, but from about age three, they play together and keep each other occupied, making things much easier all at once,'
is true.
Trying to keep up with a 4-year-old's overflowing worldview, energy, and curiosity
is more than one adult can handle!
An hour or two is fine, but a whole day on the weekend is enough to make me feel sick.
If my son had a brother close in age, I can imagine that they would just play together all the time, even without us parents around.
My nephew has a brother two years apart.
I remembered that they were always playing and yelling together.
Their mother (my sister) would just watch over them.
I used to play with my two nephews sometimes, and it wasn't that much of a burden because
their energy was being consumed by each other.
I used to think it was impossible for us to have a second child when our first was two or three...
but I realized that a future awaits where, once you get through the tough times, the children keep each other occupied.
As a couple working full-time with family living far away, we didn't have the courage to have a second child right away, but I now realize that it is a valid strategy to pack the tough times into a short period and create a family where the children can have fun playing together.
Exhaustion through outside air, temperature differences, and baths
I've been thinking about how to drain his energy, and this is what works best for my child.
・Get him out in the fresh air (windy days are welcome)
・In winter, alternate between the cold outdoors and a warm room (the opposite in summer)
・Diving games in the bath (the kind that makes you sleepy after swimming)
On days when I think, 'He's tired and quiet, he went to bed early,' it's usually when I've combined the things above.
Windy days are tiring.
Temperature differences drain energy quickly.
Diving into warm water is tiring.
Also, he can play happily, and it builds basic physical strength and makes him tougher (I feel), so I think it's good. Of course, you shouldn't overdo it so he doesn't get sick.
It requires stamina from adults too, but if you take turns as a couple, you can manage...
I've realized lately that the need for stamina in childcare also means keeping up with draining a child's energy.
In any case, as they say that being overly energetic is cute, of course he is cute, and his growth is heartwarming; these days with my child are irreplaceable.