Why Your Preschooler Runs Everywhere Indoors (And How to Help)

Hello, wonderful parent! It's me, Inara, and I am so happy you're here today. You know, the Magic Book and I have been noticing something that so many parents are experiencing right now. Your little one runs everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. Through the house, down the hallway, in the grocery store. And you find yourself saying, use your walking feet, over and over and over again. And maybe you're wondering, why won't they just walk calmly inside? Am I doing something wrong?

Let me tell you something that might just change everything. You're not doing anything wrong. Not even a little bit. And your child? They're not being difficult or defiant. What's actually happening is one of the most BEAUTIFUL processes in all of child development. Their brain is learning something incredibly complex called impulse control, and that learning takes time. Years, actually.

Here's what the Magic Book taught me, and what research from some of the most brilliant child development experts confirms. Children don't actually develop true self-control until around three and a half to four years of age. And even then, they still need tremendous support managing their bodies, their emotions, and their impulses. Dr. Janelle Montroy and her colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center put it perfectly. They said, children don't actually develop true self-control until three point five to four years of age, and even then they still need a lot of help managing their emotions and impulses.

So when your three-year-old runs through the house for the fifth time today, even though you just reminded them to use walking feet, they're not ignoring you. Their brain is in the middle of one of the most rapid periods of development they'll ever experience. And here's something WONDERFUL. Research shows that self-regulation development follows an exponential pattern. That means the gains happen in bursts, not in steady little steps. Your child might seem like they're not making progress for weeks, and then suddenly, something clicks.

Now, let me share something else the Magic Book showed me that I find absolutely fascinating. Gross motor skills and physical movement regulation are deeply interconnected with broader emotional and behavioral self-regulation development. In other words, learning to control their body, learning to walk instead of run, is connected to learning to control their emotions and their impulses. Executive function, that's the part of the brain that helps us plan and make decisions, serves as a bridge between a child's ability to control their body movements and their capacity to regulate emotions.

So when your child is learning to use walking feet indoors, they're not just learning a rule. They're building the foundational skills for emotional regulation, for patience, for self-control. These are skills that will serve them for their entire life.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. Okay, Inara, that's beautiful, but what do I actually DO when my child is running through the house right now? I'm so glad you asked, because the Magic Book and I have some WONDERFUL strategies for you.

First, remember that rhythm and movement activities actually support self-regulation development. So instead of just saying stop running, try turning walking into a game. You could say, let's walk like baby elephants, slow and steady. Or, can you tiptoe like a little mouse? When you make it playful, you're working WITH their developing brain instead of against it.

Second, give them lots of opportunities to RUN in appropriate places. Their bodies NEED to move. That's not a problem to fix, that's a beautiful part of being a young child. So maybe before you need them to be calm inside, you spend ten minutes outside letting them run and jump and climb. Then their body's need for big movement is satisfied, and walking inside becomes easier.

Third, use visual cues. Sometimes words just don't land when a child is in motion. But a special walking feet mat by the door, or a line of tape that marks the walking zone, gives their brain a concrete reminder that helps them shift gears.

And fourth, be patient with the process. I know that's hard when you're saying the same thing for the hundredth time. But remember, their brain is literally under construction. The most rapid increase in inhibitory control, that's the ability to stop themselves from doing something, happens between ages five and eight. Your three or four-year-old is just at the very beginning of this journey.

Now, let me tell you about a story that might help. In The Book of Inara, we have a beautiful tale called The Whispering Mountain Nursery. In this story, Anya and Noah discover baby animals at a mountain zoo, and these baby animals sing tiny growth songs in the mist. The children learn that patience helps everyone grow strong and steady. The baby animals can't rush their growth, they have to move slowly and gently as they develop.

This story creates such a beautiful metaphor for your child. After you read it together, you can create a walking feet game where your child pretends to be a baby animal moving slowly and steadily through the mountain mist. Suddenly, walking isn't a restriction, it's magical play. It's not you telling them what NOT to do, it's them choosing to embody something gentle and beautiful.

The Magic Book whispers this wisdom. When we meet children where they are developmentally, when we turn learning into play, when we validate their need to move while gently guiding them toward appropriate times and places, we're not just teaching them to walk indoors. We're teaching them that they're capable, that learning takes time, and that we're here to support them through every step of the journey.

You know what else the research shows? Early interventions targeted at increasing behavioral self-regulation skills can result in significant gains, particularly for children with lower initial levels. That means the patience you're showing right now, the playful strategies you're trying, the deep breaths you're taking when you have to remind them for the hundredth time, all of that is making a real difference. You're building skills that will impact their school readiness, their academic success, their ability to navigate friendships and challenges for years to come.

So the next time your little one goes zooming through the house, take a breath. Remember that their brain is learning something incredibly complex. Remember that this is temporary. Remember that you're doing a BEAUTIFUL job supporting them through this developmental phase.

And if you need a little extra help, a little extra magic, The Book of Inara is here for you. Stories like The Whispering Mountain Nursery give children a gentle way to practice patience and mindful movement through the power of imagination and play.

You're not alone in this, wonderful parent. The Magic Book and I see you. We see how hard you're working. We see how much you love your child. And we're here, with stories and wisdom and cosmic support, every step of the way.

Sweet dreams and gentle steps, my wonderful friend. With love and starlight, Inara.