When my boys were little, we took a lot of car trips. We would stop at almost every rest stop, and have the boys run races with Daddy. Sometimes they would throw the ball or chase the dog. The exercise seemed to get them settled down again, for another long stint in the car.
We used the same strategies when the boys were doing high school work. We had them become involved with sports: soccer, swim team, and for a time, baseball. They would work hard at the school, but then work hard on the soccer field. When they got stuck at math, they would go for a long bike ride, or take the dog for a run. It helped get the energy out of them, so they could settle down for another session with the books. It can really help to expend some of that energy – especially on beautiful spring days!
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Christy says:
I did this when they were younger. I’d have them go outside and run around the yard X times.
Thanks for the reminder that I can still have them do this to get the wiggles out and the brain fog cleared.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Lee says:
Hi Christy,
I’m sure these strategies would work with kinesthetic girls, too, but it does seem like the majority of boys really do need this kind of outlet!
At church yesterday, one of my 80 year old friends was talking about her grandson. He was a mixed up young man, but once he started his job at a Gravel and Bark seller, and began working hard at physical labor on a daily basis, he really turned his life around. She is convinced that boys need physical exertion to avoid the boredom that causes trouble. I like to listen to older, wiser women. Now in MY home, we didn’t need hours and hours of physical labor. But we did do soccer, swimming, baseball, etc. over the years. They were never on the best teams, and they were rarely the best players, but that didn’t matter. It was the physical exertion that helped them keep their act together.
Blessings,
Lee
May 19th, 2008 at 8:48 am