Jumping Jellybeans

I took my son to the park the other day and I met a woman sitting next to a small bouncy house. She was relieved someone had brought it to the park because her son loved jumping. He loved jumping so much that he constantly jumped on every bed, couch, chair, and dresser in her house. He even bounced when he was supposed to be standing still. Nothing seemed to quite take the bounce out of that kid. When I asked her what a normal day looked like for them, she replied, "We just hang out at the house. I'm on my phone or watching TV and he is always jumping off of everything. I tell him to get down and he stops for two second! I yell, swat, and nothing works." This is common in a lot of homes. I love laying around my home too. Unfortunately, my son is not able to regulate his own behavior, so I utilize some of the skills I've learned in the field to make us both happy.

The first thing I recommended to the woman was to give her son alternatives to jumping. If he is jumping around and needs to stop, give him 2 or 3 options to choose from to do instead. The more appropriate to his interests and sensory needs the better. The second thing I recommended was to find a consistent outlet for his desire to jump. Though kids may be able to redirect and even suppress energy, they deserve an outlet as well. The last thing I suggested was to create more engaging moments between mother and son. It helps to create a fun visual schedule. Block out meals, play time, alone time and more. This helps move the day along and gives good structure for the kiddo. A few adjustments like these will make a huge impact.