What should I do when excitement makes them run indoors after I asked for walking feet? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a child bursts through the doorway or spins across the room right after you have asked for “walking feet,” it can feel like deliberate disobedience. However, in most cases, it is not defiance; it is emotional overflow. Children often run not to break rules, but because their body is still buzzing with energy or emotion. Excitement and regulation cannot always coexist yet, so they need your calm structure to bridge the gap between impulse and awareness. 

Running indoors is an unfiltered expression of joy, stimulation, or difficulty with transitions. The challenge is to honour their excitement while keeping necessary boundaries intact. 

Understanding the Impulse 

Excitement floods the nervous system with energy. When your child has been active or stimulated, their brain may still be running faster than your instructions can register. “Walking feet” becomes a concept that arrives after the legs have already moved. Recognising this helps you respond with patience, not power. 

• “Your body has lots of energy right now; let us help it calm before something gets bumped.” 

This statement acknowledges their state while gently redirecting it. You are inviting cooperation, not confrontation. 

Catching the Moment Early 

When you sense the rush is coming, intercept with redirection, not reprimand. Use a friendly cue like: 

• “Freeze like a statue!” 

• “Let us do our walking feet challenge; who can walk the quietest?” 

Turning it into a micro-game channels energy without dismissing their emotion. The goal is to pause movement before correction escalates into conflict. If running has already happened, keep your correction steady and brief: “I know you are excited, but indoors means walking feet.” Avoid lectures; short, calm reminders work best when the body is keyed up. 

Teaching the Transition Skill 

Children often need explicit help moving from high to low energy. Create a short “cool-down ritual” after exciting moments: 

• Take a few deep breaths with hands on their belly. 

• Count slowly to five before entering the house. 

• Use a soft cue phrase like “Slow steps, calm hearts.” 

Repetition builds association; they begin to anticipate slowing down as a normal part of coming indoors. You can also practise transitions during playtime: “Let us run to the rug; now walking feet to the sofa.” This rehearsal helps their body learn what slowing down actually feels like. 

Reinforcing Through Praise 

When they manage to walk calmly, even once, highlight it warmly: 

• “You remembered walking feet even when excited; that is great control.” 

Specific praise connects good behaviour to inner pride. Over time, they learn that joy and control can coexist, and excitement does not have to mean chaos. Helping your child master “walking feet” is early emotional literacy. 

Spiritual Insight 

The noble Quran constantly guides believers towards wasatiyyah, the middle path and balance between extremes.¹ Children naturally live at emotional highs, and your role is to guide them towards equilibrium, where energy is expressed with respect and awareness. 

Moderation: The Mark of Wisdom 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Furqaan (25), Verse 67: 

‘And it is those people that do not spend extravagantly, nor miserly; and (act in such a way) that is a balanced format between these two (extreme characteristics).’ 

Though this verse speaks of financial spending, the principle of moderation applies beautifully to movement, speech, and emotion. Teaching your child to walk instead of run indoors is teaching balance: to express joy without harm, and excitement without excess. It is helping them embody the calm centre that Islam calls adl (justness and proportion). 

The Prophet’s ﷺ Example of Gentle Compassion 

It is recorded in Riyadh Al Saliheen, Hadith 637, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘He who is deprived of forbearance and gentleness is, in fact, deprived of all good.’ 

This hadith beautifully captures the spiritual power of restraint. Forbearance (hilm) is about staying kind when everything in you wants to rush. Every gentle reminder from you becomes an echo of Allah Almighty’s love for balance, transforming everyday discipline into an act of spiritual education. 

You can encourage your child to whisper “Bismillah” as they step inside. It marks a sacred shift from play to peace, from outdoor energy to indoor stillness. Each time your child chooses calm movement over impulsive running, they are practising the prophetic quality of waqar (dignity).