Running in The House

[daycare]

when I was in college, they taught us that if running became an issue, that you needed to change your floor plan.

So if the kids have a wide open space, then you need to rearrange your furniture, gate, or device to prevent them from having that open space to run a muck..

If I see the kids starting to get a little hyper, we dance, jump, or go outside if the weather is permitting....

[Unregistered]

I used to say no, but now unless someones gets hurt, I just don't care, If there running like crazy, and little ones are around, I'll send the older ones down stairs to run, I try to pick and choose my battles, kind of like with my husband, and running I realized was a never ensing battle not worth fighting. There not really hurting anything by running, Same with screaming, as long as no one is sleeping, scream away, doesn't bother me.

This is my sisters philosophy (she does not do daycare). And her house is known as the crazy house. Every kid we know assumes you can act as you please in that house, wrestle, run, scream, go crazy. She allows it all. Her kids can not behave at all in her house (or any other public place for that matter). They do however know that running and acting like that is not tolerated in my house, period. I think it is important to teach children how to behave and control themselves as it is not ok to just run and scream etc whenever wherever you choose. I think you are setting yourself up for trouble if your kids can run and do as they please.

[sharlan]

I haven't found a way to stop it, yet.

My 3 and 4 yo love to chase each other. I try to slow down the chasing, but also allow them scooter (razor scooters) all through the downstairs.

[dave4him]

just dont trip them.... they like that

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

Same problem here. I've tried everything I can think of, too. I had also heard about re-arranging your set-up so they won't run as much. So we made the wide doorway (about the width of two doors side-by-side) into the width of one doorway so it wasn't as easy to run the length of two rooms. Also arranged furniture, etc so they didn't have as much open space to run. It helped cut down on the running quite a bit for the past year, but lately they haven't let anything slow them down... And once one child runs, they all start running back and forth, back and forth, from one room to the other, around the tables, through the (now smaller) doorway, and back and forth again... I can't allow running either, because it is not safe for them to run indoors (outdoors there's more wide open space and pea gravel, so if they fall, they aren't usually hurt. And with more space, they aren't as likely to run into each other). Indoors, however, they are always running into each other and knocking heads, or one child's head bangs into another child's nose, or they slip and fall on the hard flooring and smack their head, elbows, knees, hands, etc into the floor. Or slip and fall against a table or other piece of furniture, banging their head on it... It's a given, as soon as someone starts running there's almost immediately someone crying because they got hurt. But they don't seem to learn from it.
But you obviously already know this otherwise you wouldn't have asked! So all I can advise (what I do) is time-outs after the first warning (I look at like this: If they continue to run after you've reminded them of the rule and told them to stop, it has then turned into deliberate disobedience. Plus, if they can't stop on their own, they need "help" stopping), also if you can arrange your set-up differently (or put obstacles in the running path) so there isn't any wide open space, it may help at least slow them down. Also, outside on the way to the playground (the fenced in play area), when they run I have them walk back to the door, and then back to the playground. this has helped a lot when they're outdoors in an unsafe area for running, so maybe it could help for indoors also?Someone mentioned having them crawl if they want to chase someone... I'm going to try that. After all, the professionals say to re-direct them rather than disciplining them... But I really like the idea too. I always feel guilty for putting someone in time out just because of running. And it only slows down the one child anyway. The rest continue running until I physically stop them and sit them in a chair, too. I begin feeling like a traffic cop in a busy intersection where no one's paying any attention!
I think this cold weather is what's causing it. No time spent outdoors to get their energy out. I can't wait til summer! :: They use up so much energy playing outdoors, that when they come in, they're much calmer and quieter! But in the winter they're stuck inside more often that not, and therefore can't get rid of their energy in appropriate ways.

[MissKim]

I have a problem with this too. So I'm going to type up "Speeding Ticket" with a cute car by it and print off about 5 and have them laminated. If a child is "speeding" (running) they get sent to a parking space (which will be an area that looks like a parking space with the lines made of colorful duct tape on the carpet). They will get one warning and then the second time they get a speeding ticket and must go sit in their parking space.

I LOVE this idea! I am always stopping a kid from running. I am going to implement this next week!