Help! I really hope someone here has advice for me.I'm at my wits end at the moment.My daughter has progressivly gotton even braver and is finding more things to climb and get after.This has been going on for well over 2 months and now it's just plan so bad I'm going insane some days. I'm a SAHM and we live in an apartment.We don't have a playground super close by and especially not one equiped for a toddler.
Here's my issue.My almost 18 month old will not stop climbing things.Before she would climb the kitchen chairs, and even move onto the table. We solved that temporaily when we bought a new table and chair set.One that was hip height.Well, of course she's now climbing those chairs some times.She's always finding a way to get somewhere.Most recently it's after my makeup and lotions.I've bought up things to block her from getting there and she still manages to get up there.I had a monkey not a baby..at least I think that way some days.She has even taken her toys and moved chairs around to get up at the kitchen sink.She's grabbed the dawn pump dishsoap and has got it on her hands while I was working on dinner and my back was turned.Now it's worse since she's opening door knobs.I'm going to be buying door knob covers this weekend.After Tueday's experiance I can't have this happen again.
I was changing laundry around at my mom's house and when I came back up stairs she was in my mom's room on her bed.(It sits up high too)She opened up the diaper bag.I had a toothbrush and my tooth paste in a ziplock bag in there so I could brush me teeth there.Needless to say Destiny got out my toothbrush and was brushing her teeth on my mom's bed.Then was jumping up and down.These are only a few incidents that have happened recently.Between her getting at her lotion, climbing the baby gate, opening doors, and trying to open the dishwasher. (She's even figured out how to turn it on and is also hiding in my mom's cabinets that she wont let me baby proof.)
I actually thought I'd be able to get her to stop if I stuck with it and kept putting her down, told her no that's momma's let's get one of your toys.I've tried time outs *They worked and got her to stop biting and pinching* but this climbing thing she test me and test me.By the 50th time of her getting up at things within about a 30 minute time span I'm getting aggravated.I have only had one suggestion that I'm about to try and thats to by something for her to climb and make her aware that's her's to climb and nothing else.We don't have space though in our apartment.We checked out slides.There's a junior play slide that folds we are thinking about getting.I don't want to spend 40.00 on a slide though if she gets bored with it and we'll still be climbing things.I really can use some suggestions especially from parents who have went through this and have been sucessful with getting their children to stop. I know it probally doesn't seem bad to some of you but it really is.I'm getting her down from one thing or figuring out a way to get her off of one thing and then she finds another thing to climb.
I've even tried giving her a look.The little turd bird now copies " the look" and smiles about it knowing she's not to be doing something.She'll look at me and I'll give her a chance to get down and sometimes she does.Then she'll look at me again and do it again.If this defiance is starting this early I'm dreding when she hits the worse 3 stage.The terrible two phase is bad enough somedays and she's not even 2 yet.Overall she listens well but this climbing crap has got to stop.I need some help.Even my mom who works at a day care has talked to a few parents that have went through this and all they could offer was it's a phase, or the kids only climbed out of the crib, my kids were older when they did that, we went through it etc...
Well that's not helpful.She's in a toddler bed and stays there without a problem.She's not that old or that young and I can't deal with this anymore.If she goes any hire up she'll be on my kitchen counters, or on the bookshelf. (And believe me she's tried)So someone please give me some advice.
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Comments: 17
and attach the tv down so that no one would get hurt:)
As far as baby proofing goes, not everything works for every child. My son was only a few months old when he figured out how to get the plug covers out of the outlets. So, we had to get ones that take 2 hands to get out.
We have a baby gate up between our living room and kitchen and he is NOT allowed in the kitchen under any circumstance...too many dangers. All our door have the door knobs on them and remain closed at all times. And all our cabinet doors have magnetic tot locks on them so he can't open any dresser or cabinet or entertainment center doors.
You need to set limits. My son knows that if he climbs the furniture, he's getting a time out. He also knows that mommy has eyes in the back of her head. So, when I'm cooking dinner and it suddenly gets quiet, all I have to do is yell "STOP" and he says "Sorry momma." Don't necessarily have to know what he's doing to know that he's not supposed to be doing it.
I have been through this twice, and I know how difficult it can be. Hold your breath, keep setting the limits and one day you will wake up and realize that she is no longer a baby but a little girl.
Like Jill, we also have a kitchen gate in between the living room and the kitchen. This is a big help. Of course my 28 month old have been able to climb it for years, but he knows it is off limits.
I suggest vodka. ;-)
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.I was just hoping someone had more to offer then what I've been doing.It would be alot more helpful if my mother understood I need to put up some locks at her house.She's more worried about her cabinets having a hole in. =( It pisses me off really.Then my stepmom acts as if my daughter isn't normal because she climbs and her kids didn't. Yet, one of them has special needs and the other was a little behind with being premie.I don't know which one bothers me more.
My (limited) advice...you can get free or cheap baby climbing stuff on Freecycle.com and Craigslist.com, and sell/freecycle it back when your monkey outgrows or gets bored with it. I've also used Meetup.com to find parent/baby groups in my local area with monkeys of their own, so all the monkeys can climb and exhaust each other.
Yes, The Smirk is really obnoxious and soul-killing when you're trying to exert lifesaving discipline, but I always remind myself that I'm the experienced adult, and he's the baby. If he doesn't believe me when I tell him, he'll find out how wise I am the hard way. I'm the oldest of six, and we all survived to adulthood, so I accept some bumps and bruises as "educational," and try not to beat myself up for being a bad mom if he gets an ouchie. I tend to learn the hard way and fling myself boldly into new adventures, too...so it's not surprising my offspring takes after me. (Trying to think positively, here.)
I'm sure we can make it through! Hang in there!
I used to care what other people thought, but I'm too tired now. They can ignorantly tut-tut all they like. If they say something, I'll take it as an offer to babysit, try to hand him over, and watch them back away in horror. It's easy to be perfect for a couple of minutes, but anyone going for longer is either childless, unmarried and employing an army...or in the nuthouse.