Sensory seeking not bolting

When my son was first in daycare, he was in a day care where they didn't take him outside so his gross motor needs were not being met. And So what I did when I noticed this was happening, he was already turned, I think 1 1/2, eighteen months to two years of age at the time he started the daycare. Whenever we get home, he would just want to run. So, what I did, at the end of every day before I pick him up from daycare. I would put on my play clothes. So, like my running clothes, I guess. And I packed the stroller in the car, and I packed all kinds of snacks and water. What the behavior looks like? It looks like bolting. Like he was bolting from me, but he wasn't bolting. It was a sensory seeking. Yeah. So, what I did was that I planned for that, and it was really hard, but I planned for it and we would come home and as soon as he get out of the car, and because he wasn't using a lot of words, he would run from our house to the playground and he would play and run and jump. He was getting his own sensory needs met and until he was tired, but then he was too tired to walk home. So, I had to then push him home in the stroller. So, I must have looked ridiculous because I left everything in the car, all my work stuff. Then I would chase after him because there's cars coming as well. And so, I would chase after him with a stroller in hand and a bag pack in another hand, run right after him and while he ran to the park. I would be tired as well, but I know he needed that energy for both input and output.

And then I went and then I would push him home and he would feel like he had his needs met. So, he would then, you know, be better able to sleep and process his day and all of those kinds of things. We did that for so long. It was so exhausting and tiring but we always both happy.

I’m always so scared he was gonna get hit by car or something, and I thought this behavior was like bolting but it wasn’t. He was sensory seeking and they're different and I'm thankful that I knew I was able to catch on to the difference. But yeah, so it worked out.