Anyone brought up little boys?

We had a similar scenario with my 2 eldest DGSs when they where in school,the elder one (by 13mths) sailed through everything he did with flying colours and was always top of class in everything he did,his brother also a bright boy just made a joke of everything he did and revelled in the attention it brought him,he was never in serious trouble but his name was well known with the teaching staff,things settled down when he went into Grammer School he passed the exam with good grades and has gone on to become an Electrical Engineer at Land Rover,his elder brother meanwhile gave up his Law degree studies and works in a bar so maybe this little man is in awe of his brother and stamping his feet to get himself noticed,he sounds a normal little boy to me.

PS Nelliemoser my youngest GS starts school tomorrow too. He has been very reluctant to go to school but his wise teacher to be visited him at home on Friday. He decided to get dressed in his school uniform to greet her, however he only wore it for about two minutes as he said the tshirt was too big. Anyway the meeting went well and he has agreed he will try school

Good luck to your GS too.

When we take our two active DSs to the park I set them to run against each other and I time them. The youngest by two years is given a head start. It is even better if you can find a hill because they expend more energy that way

Indoor Keep Fit is good where you sit and give the instructions eg hop on one foot for as long as you can, do 10 press ups, do 20 star jumps. Maybe with a few tiny sweets as a prize. You get my drift.

My son even at five was clever but was a constant nuisance to teachers and spent a lot of time outside the headmasters office.
Fortunately this head teacher was brilliant and always talked through DS's behaviour with him.
This head fully understood DS and his potential. DS really liked him despite so often being in trouble.

My DGS1 (First proper day in school tomorrow) can get very over excited and noisy. He always has been, but he is going to have to learn how to stay calm and quieter and not show off. I think his teacher will have a handful there.

He does seem interested in lots of things and can hold a decent conversation about them.
His little brother is a lot less excitable, but they can both concentrate when needed and they both like to cuddle up with a book.

Luckygirl I'm sure he had a great time and probably didn't think it at all like you imagine. You are bound to be shattered. It is so difficult to adjust to GCs of the opposite gender to your own. I have a GD, such a surprise after 3 DSs! She regards me as slightly loopy and is constantly tidying up for me and making sure I brush my hair! Much easier than a boy/tank charging everywhere!

Thanks or those suggestions.

I had only daughters then five granddaughters. The one little grandson is inherently different from all the girls. He's quiet and well behaved, no whirling dervish, but fascinated by how things work. He loves Minecraft, Lego, science and technology. luckygirl's grandson may like finding things out, magnets, making models, computer games.

I am sure you are right trisher and one thing I will suggest to DD is that she leaves him with us on his own so he is not feeling in competition with his super-bright brother. Both of them are fine here individually. I can see it is hard for both of them - they are what they are and are really very incompatible.

I understand his frustration at school - I had a similar situation with his Mum who followed her very bright sister on through the school and comparisons were made. I used to get very cross about it.

It is not a solution to play board games etc. with him as he just does not get it!

I also agree that there are some boys for whom school is just not their milieu and who need to be more active. He is not noticeably behind at school; but he is within the family which is tough for him. All his local cousins are brainboxes. We love him to bits and I feel quite sad that the weekend has been so difficult - I do not think I was able to meet his needs at all - but I was feeling quite tired and OH was unwell and it was b****y raining of course! I will have to think through a strategy for doing it better next time. It has not been a major problem when they stayed before.

luckygirl it does sound a bit as if he is trying to make his mark and show he is as important as his big brother (if I can't be better I'll be badder). Perhaps a few encouraging things- like "you are much better at football/games than x was when he was your age.". "you are a really fast runner" "you can probably get your shoes on quicker than me"
As for the teacher-a detention at 5!? What sort of school is it?
There may be a problem because he is a physical child and he is being forced into learning in a very passive way. Boys especially find too much formal teaching too early very harmful and react by rebelling. They need to have short bursts of physical activities between the more formal teaching.

My BF has two grandsons like this. The older one is very quiet and intelligent - the younger one is a noisy whirling dervish. Nothing wrong with either of them. You just have to let them be who they are. My DS was an engine of frenetic activity throughout his childhood. He was miserable to his very core if ever he had to stay indoors and "do something quiet"!

They have gone!!!!!

I explained to DD the problems we have had, which were not just about over-exuberance and being demanding, but with the younger were about defiance, refusing to listen to what you are saying, pretending he can't hear you, looking you in the eye and just staring at you when you are trying to ask him to do something (e.g. put your shoes on if you are going out). It seems that his teacher has been having similar problems, which I was not aware of. She told him he must stand outside the door when he was being naughty and he just said - that's fine, I like being outside. He was in line for a detention and he told her he liked doing that - just generalised stroppiness. So I do not feel that it was personal! Something is troubling him I guess. At least I did not also have to deal with a classroom full of other children!

DD and her OH had a lovely weekend and that is what matters.

Thanks Miss Adventure, made me laugh out loud (love a bit of slapstick!)

I had 2 boys, 2 years apart, and it sounds normal to me. They would always want to walk along the street in the most dangerous way, possible climbing on walls etc. Never nicely like my friends little girls. They were always falling over and getting a split lip. I always carried tissues,cream, spare top etc.

They need wearing out. Mine also loved making dens, indoors or out.

I did make a treasure map for them to follow round house. But as one is older that might not work.

I took them to an indoor soft play sometimes, that wore them out quite well. You sit and have a cuppa, although it is rather noisy.

Is it worth asking the younger one what he'd like to do? Within reason lol.

Good luck. I'm sure your daughter is VERY grateful.

My two grandsons have lots of energy and their parents take them on long walks and "expotitions".

When I visit they love to play board games with me: anything from snakes and ladders to chess.

Reading stories seemed to be popular with my 2 DGSs. Their busy parents didn't have time to do that. Of course this would be after playing outside or something physical. Just sitting quietly listening seemed to have a calming effect.
Just having an adults undivided attention seems to be a treat so we spend hours playing 'what's the time Mr Wolf' or 'Grandmother' s footsteps'. Even a game of Snakes and Ladders can last for ages and helps with concentration and counting practice. It's all fun (for me if no one else!) The poor cat hides in the wardrobe until they've gone and I can pass out to recover!

We have five sons who took a lot of tiring out!! We always went out every day somewhere or other. They enjoyed walking in the countryside, swimming, climbing trees, soft play , bikes , parks, museums,etc. They liked treasure hunts in the garden. I used to cover lots of little stones in silver foil and hide them all around the garden. Aaah those were the days!!

"Love jigsaws" - don't know where the "very " came from!!

I certainly wouldn't looking for any sort of "assessment" (norose 12.25) just because a boy doesn't like jigsaws! Some people do, some don't. I remember sobbing my heart out when I got my present from Santa at the Edinburgh Press Club's Christmas children's party.
Yes it was a "gender neutral" jigsaw. I really really wanted a doll
My 2 Birmingham DGSs love very jigsaws and are very good at them. They are also inexhaustible when it comes to playing outdoors, sport, any sort of physical activity, fighting with each other etc
Luckygirl they sound like entirely normal little boys (or girls!!) to me!

That made me laugh MissAdventure! Thank you

My nephew, when he was about four, asked my sister if he could dig a hole in the garden. She said he could, and off he went with his little spade. Some time later my brother in law arrived on his bike, having set himself a challenge to gradually reduce the time it took to get home from work. He flew around the corner, and disappeared, still on his bike, into an enormous hole!

Little Women without John Bunyan! Sounds like fun!
A cousin, who could later be described as intelligent and intellectual, dug a deep and wide hole at the bottom of his parents' garden. I loved going there as did all his mates. I'm not sure whether Australia was the aim!

Possibly the younger boy feels overwhelmed by his clever brother, and by adults who know a lot of things he doesn't, so he makes no effort with something like a jigsaw as he doesn't expect to be any good at it.

Could you give him your full attention, for a while, doing something he wants to do, while his big brother does something else?

My DGD is a bit like this 6 year old, so it's not just a boy thing.
One problem her parents have found is that too much physical activity sometimes leads to more agitated behaviour, as her brain seems too tired to concentrate on anything.

My youngest DS was very fond of digging holes in the garden in the hope of making a tunnel to his best friend's house. Never got there but it did tire him out! I had 3 DSs. A favourite game for wet days was "explorers". They took a rolled up blanket and a box of jam sandwiches and set off round the house, the stairs were a mountain to scale etc. Every now and then they stopped to camp,unrolled the blanket and ate the sandwiches.

I'm afraid I allowed the rampage and they had games like Crocoldiles where you put all the cushions on the floor and they jmo from one to another, Bashacars in the hallway (self explanatory) and Treasure Hunt, where you get a picture of the "treasure" and have to go all over the house to find it. Next to it is the picture of the next treasure and so on... It was a big old house.

he sounds like a normal 5 year old boy to me,they have enough energy for 10 adults.Just try to find things he's interested in and he'll happily do them...preferably something that he doesn't have to sit down to do