Mine is like this, a good listener, but also a fabulous attention span and gets really caught up in what she's doing. I talk about it ahead of time, "when I say it's time to go, we have to go. No arguing or stalling, got it?" then I do physically intervene if she doesn't hear me. Often that plus a reminder of what we talked about works, though it wouldn't work if I forgot to prep her on the way there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell him before you leave the park, if there is a tantrum or not listening you will not be going for a week to the park or a consequence when he gets home. Tell him firmly its time to go, repeat once, then take him and leave.

FWIW this never worked for me. I would tell him “I went to the moon today” and he literally can’t hear me when he is riled up like that. NT kid, but immature. Anyway, if it were as simple as “do the normal thing,” OP probably would not have posted.

OP here, and, yup. I could tell him just about anything - including offering to buy him every toy he's ever wanted - and he can't hear me. Clapping doesn't work either. He gets in the zone and I can't get him out unless I physically separate him, and to do that, I have found no other way but to hold him, and I hate that....

Anonymous wrote:Tell him before you leave the park, if there is a tantrum or not listening you will not be going for a week to the park or a consequence when he gets home. Tell him firmly its time to go, repeat once, then take him and leave.

FWIW this never worked for me. I would tell him “I went to the moon today” and he literally can’t hear me when he is riled up like that. NT kid, but immature. Anyway, if it were as simple as “do the normal thing,” OP probably would not have posted.

Tell him before you leave the park, if there is a tantrum or not listening you will not be going for a week to the park or a consequence when he gets home. Tell him firmly its time to go, repeat once, then take him and leave.

I catch his eye and touch his arm. I will also tell “EH” super loud to break through.

You have to practice when he’s calm. Only if you do this consistently will he be able to access those “tools” when riled up.

Briskly clap twice.

DS is almost 5. He is a sweet and energetic kid. Like most 5 year old's, he is hard to communicate with when he is excited or riled up. For example, if we go to the park and he starts playing with other kids, no level of calling his name or trying to talk to him will break through. I try to give him a few minutes of warning before I tell him we have to go home. He won't listen to me - he literally can't seem to hear me - amidst the excitement of playing. I have to physically hold him to get him to pay attention to me. But, I really don't like trying to pin my kid down. Any advice? Anyone have techniques to get their kid to pause and take a deep breath? I realize this is just a hard thing - even for some adults - but hoping for an alternative to holding him by the shoulders!!