[BensMom]

Sounds completely normal to me, honestly. All 2 year olds are like that to some degree. I'm also not opposed to TV. I think it's a wonderful tool (as long as it's not Spongebob or Simpsons... LOL!) Anything on PBS is great, for example. So are classic toys that don't require batteries --> wooden blocks, lego blocks, playdoh, crayons, sticks, rocks, dirt, empty boxes, pillows, sheets, dress-up clothes, and of course, books, books, books.

I don't think being gifted has anything to do with energy level. That's more of a personality trait than anything. My oldest has never been high energy or high maintenance. Even as a baby, he would sit in his bouncer looking around the room, soaking up everything he could see. My younger is a little more energetic and defiant than my older, but still manages to entertain himself quite well. I do structured things with both of them (obviously... we homeschool), but I also give them tons of unstructured/independent time, and I always have. When they get "bored", I remind them of the bazillion toys and books we have around them house and that kids didn't even have 1/4 of that 100 years ago. They get the hint and find something to do. (Even at 2.) Helping a 2 year old find something to do is fine, but encouraging him to be creative will really help develop his problem solving skills and will take away some of that energy.

Are you having him help around the house yet? Picking up his own toys & dirty clothes? Putting silverware from the dishwasher to the drawer? Being a helper will run out energy, too. It's difficult for 2 year olds to do more than one task or command at the same time, so it drains energy and teaches a new cognitive skill when they're physically helping like that. Assign a task, and then carry on a completely unrelated conversation while he's doing it.