It seems like we're constantly telling him no or pulling him away from objects that shouldn't be chewed or pulled. We definitely need to baby proof better. I decided to document his naughty behavior and catch him red handed on camera.
He loves my sandals. SICK! We have a pile of shoes at our front door and he always goes straight to my sandals. They immediately go in his mouth.
Another favorite location is the phone table. I just got a magazine organizer since they were originally just stacked underneath. He'd pull them out and walk on them and rip them up with his feet.Ug! and my glasses!! These were new in April, but I don't know if they will survive for 2 years (the next time I can get glasses on my insurance). Oh would that I could get lasik.
He's taken to biting me as well. (Didn't get a picture of that!) He thinks it's a big game. I've yelled in startled protest. I've even flicked under his chin since my sister said that worked for her kids. But he just smiles and thinks it's so funny. He bites my bare chest just under my collar bone. Maybe I need turtle necks (in this weather? Ha! I can't even stand them in winter!).
Oh, and though this isn't related to the pictures, we started making him sleep "through the night" without a 4-5AM feeding. He wakes up between 6 and 7 now, but I won't go in before 6:30. He's usually really good about it.
How can I be upset for long while looking at this face??? (I'm usually not upset, but Matt gets a little bugged when he's in the computer room and CONSTANTLY going for no-no's. Any tips for baby proofing computers and cords and the like?)
15 comments:
Oh, I remember this stage all too well. The biting and fascination with shoes ends but, the no-no's definitely don't. I just hope for you that he doesn't start throw a fit like Anna when you tell him no.
With our kids we've basically just divided the house into "kid-friendly" and "kid-free" zones. Their bedroom and the living/dining room are kid-proofed and don't have much in them. Bookcases are strapped to the wall, things are up high, etc. Then we just keep everything else in other rooms (like the computer in the office) and keep the doors shut as much as possible. It worked for quite a few years until S-Boogie got old enough to open doors, and by then she was a little easier to reason with. In our old apartment I just kept a baby gate at the kitchen door and the children were never allowed in. We're adjusting here because the entrance is a weird size and I can't fit the gate, but Little Dude is 2 1/2 now so it's a bit easier to keep track of him. And that's why I'm only the computer during nap time or at night, since it's in the "off limits" office and I don't like having kids in here. (Don't worry--cleaners and medicine are still up high, we have some common sense. But sometimes it's just easier to keep kids out of some areas instead of babyproofing the entire house)
I seriously LOVE reading your posts on DEAN...EXACTLY what I am going through...HE NEVER STOPS!! It's like their "trouble twins" or perhaps a typical "baby boy!"
We're having the same problem. We have a surround sound system in our family room and Katelyn's fascinated by the wires. We're most likely going to put them under the carpet to lessen the appeal. We're installing locks on the cabinets and stuff like that, too. I found this site that had some good ideas, too.
Such great pictures! Were those taken in just one day? or over a series of days? I remember that my sister's first words were No-No, just because of things like this. :)
I guess I'm just lucky - my kids just haven't found shoes that fascinating to suck on! We had an area in every room that the child could pull everything out of without danger - in the kitchen, they had their own drawer that they could pull everything out of and bang around - in the living room, they had a shelf to pull everything off of - we would just re-direct them to that area.
As for biting, what worked for me was as soon as they bit, I would say "no biting" or "biting is NOT ok" and then put them down (in a safe location) and walk out of the room - but usually the biting problem was resolved before they were too mobile!
Good Luck!
Good luck with the computer...we've had to replace the dvd/cd drive twice thanks to Kaden opening it, leaning on it and then closing it over and over. And he also found the power button so in the middle of doing something all the sudden it is turned off...so fun!!! Good luck, it does get better eventually and they just move on to bigger and better no no's.
Dean's had teeth for almost 5 months and he's just now into recreational biting. The "don't bite" worked really well when he was first getting teeth, but recently he just thinks it's funny to get a reaction I guess. Maybe he's getting new teeth again...
I identify all too well with this post. All too well. The shoe eating, the biting, the glasses grabbing, the running away from a diaper change (and the fact that it's all a game to him).... Sigh. I've decided that it's impossible to babyproof because you can do everything the "experts" suggest and they'll still find a way. As for cords and plugs...I do my best to hide them, but when he finds them (as he always does) I pull his hand away, pat it, and sternly tell him no. Then I move him somewhere else. Usually he's magnetically attracted back to the cords/outlets, at which point I try for an even farther away distraction. Good luck! If it helps (which, I realize, often doesn't...) he's still adorable.
I agree with foxyj. We have kind of taken that approach as well. Most of our living areas and the kids bedrooms are all fine. We currently have our computers in our bedroom. Since our oldest can open doors we have put those child proof knobs on our bedroom door, all doors that go outside, and my sewing room door and we try to keep all those doors shut. I have pretty much given up trying to use the computer while the kids are awake. They will ALWAYS find me and climb up on my lap or play with the cords, power button, keyboard etc. and my one year old reaches up and plays with the mouse and it is very very frustrating for both me and my hubby. I also have been noticing more and more lately that when I try to sneak a few minutes on the computer, my kids (especially my 2 1/2 year old)start to get a little whiny and I am annoyed at first, but I realize it is just because they want my attention. They know that mommy on computer equals no attention from mommy. Even if they completely ignored me a minute ago! So I try to spend as little time as possible during the day in my bedroom which is a pain, but for me it is just easier to avoid the "adult" rooms while the kids are awake.I am also a lot more productive when I don't have kids clambering for my attention. Thank heavens for nap time and bed time! Good luck, I hope you find a solution! It really is a crazy stage when they go from non-mobile to everywhere at once.
Large S does all of those things. Especially the chewing on shoes--yuck. Big O also did all of those things.
Why are babies so fascinated with the phone?!
When Large S does something that is a very big NO, he gets immediately picked up and placed in the crib. It seems to be working. Try it with the biting.
Looks like you have the typical 11 month ld!!! We have all been there and in my case am still there.. Fun huh???? It sure is a fun age!
We are having the same problem right now, except add in anything that his brother thinks he owns, that is also off limits, all though we are trying to change that, because one day they will play with the same toys.
I use a large gate that he can move around in, play with his toys and I know he is safe while I need to get something done.
As for shoes, I think all babies love them. It is just gross. Thankfully there is a step down to our front entrance, where the shoes are kept and he doesn't get down there too easily, but when he does I have the same reaction...gross.
Good luck! They do grow out of it, but they do need to learn the importance of "no," but we should be smart as parents and realize what they will try to get into and make sure anything unsafe is out of the way.
As far as computers go, I agree, put is in a room they don't go in, if possible.
Good luck! I need this tips just as much as you do.
Unfortunately I don't think the "just never let him go into the computer room" thing will work for us. I am almost never in the comp. room with him during the day, but if I ever want him to see his daddy the couple of hours their schedules coincide, he's in here. Matt pretty much spends 98% of his time at home in here. I want to try the play yard/gate thing. Hopefully Dean won't be too angry about it.
What fun, huh? It's a fun stage and I remember it vividly. Especially the grocery shopping. Sometimes that seems easier, sometimes not. That one goes back and forth with Nate. I hope you're not worrying to much about tell him no-no. He's just testing his boundaries and feeding his curiosity. They've got to do it. I've learned that it so much more fun to watch them explore than worry about say "no" all the time. You're way smarter than me though, so I'm sure you've got that already figured out. I say, just love the stage and get ready for more because walking and running gets so much better.
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