Living in Cheltenham every March we have the biggest festival of the year, the Cheltenham Races. It attracts a whole host of newcomers to town, you could be mistaken and think you’re in Ireland there are so many foreign voices and different dialects. It’s fun and exciting and brings lots of life to town, so much so that locals often stay away for fear of things being too busy but mostly being unable to get anywhere fast because of the lengthy traffic queues from all directions.
When you have a strong horse and he/she can run well in certain conditions, it allows an owner or expert on horses to be able to single out a ‘winner’ or a ‘good’ bet. Now I don’t know much about horses except that it hurts if you fall off one. ☹ I’ve done this twice, one was a wooden horse and the other a galloping horse. I landed in A & E both times with broken bones and ended up having plates fitted to both bones in my arm, this happened when I was 14. In truth I’ve always been a bit afraid of horses. My sister loves them and so does her daughter, I prefer skiing myself and like to go fast. 8
If you have a young child who is a fast mover or never sits still, it’s a constant worry when you go out. The onus is on you to keep your child safe and out of danger. In my experience these children need lots of attention coupled with strong boundaries. Attached to reigns helps keep them in sight, without them a toddler in particular, will run circles around you. It’s utterly exhausting, these children may be the same at bedtime too engaging you with lots of ‘horse play’. No matter how much you’ve tried to wear them out in the day, they simply keep going. If your energetic child were in a race, you’d be so proud, but when your youngster is regularly outpacing and draining you, it is a different story.
What can you do to improve matters and keep your child safe and happy? If old enough, you can teach about the dangers of running out on to the road, jumping on the sofa/bed and explain what is likely to happen. The idea is that you cause you child to exert their own boundaries, so they can learn to self-regulate and build up a sense of danger. Admittedly, a toddler needs lots of reminding to stop or slow down, they often act excitedly, jumping up and down in the heat of the moment, just like the punters at the races. Grown men and women less so, flail their arms about, shout at the top of their voice and cheer loudly when they have a win.
It’s all good fun until someone falls or gets hurt. Racing and parenting is a game and we all have to learn the rules, know our own limits and stay within our boundaries, this way life is more fun both you and your child. So stay in your lane and don’t let your child run wild, if you want them to stay safe, happy and out of trouble. Starting to introduce boundaries for your youngster is the best way of showing your love, as your child grows, you need to recognise where to adapt and when to establish new rules. When you get this right it’s blissful and it’s fully recommended, particularly if you want to avoid a spell in A + E.
If your child’s behaviour is of concern to you or is not listening when you are out in public, it can be something that passes quickly and you can ignore, however if it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage your child’s behaviour or toddler tantrums do get in touch and we can get life back to normal.
Good luck if you are going to the Races in Cheltenham, this March, please send me your tips!