Advice/reassurance sought from parents of climbers!

[prioneyes]

Number 2 is a different kettle of fish to my first. She climbed before she could walk. Escaped from the high chair on to the kitchen table at 10 months. Found standing triumphantly on DS's little table at 11 months. Escaped into the garden and climbed immediately up the 10ft bank out there by a year old. Now finding a world of possibilities with beds and sofas.

I swear I'm not a neglectful parent, she's just like lightning and so quiet, if I literally turn round to get something from the fridge or answer the door she's up to something hazardous. Our house is as toddlerproof as I can get it but short of removing all of the furniture I simply can't make it safe for her.

Just looking for tales or survival I guess - of babies and parents!

[DeWe]

My cousin tells a story where she got a phone call from a neighbour and the neighbour said "I think you should know dc is standing on the table". Dc was about 11 months at the time, very small for her age and had been toddling round behind my cousin while she got jobs done, and she knew she'd been with her within 5 minutes.
"She can't be'" my cousin said, "i put the chairs on top of the table so she couldn't use them to climb on the table."
"Yes," said the neighbour, "she's standing on top of the chairs, on top of the table!"

She had learnt how to climb up the legs like a monkey!

My dd2 ran along the top of the back of the sofa about a week after learning to walk at 10 months. Dd1 had just started crawling at that point and had never (aged 3years older) tried climbing up to the back of the sofa. Ds used to climb out of supermarket trolleys at 9 months. He wondered why I used to take reins to strap him in and spoil his fun!

They all survived without any serious injuries but dd1 was much easier

[AKMD]

DS is a climber. The time it takes me to use the bathroom is all he needs to climb onto our dining room table (dining room doubles as his play room), drag up his potty, small chair and anything else he can get his grubby little hands on and build another tower to climb up on top of the table I was Not Pleased when I found him on top of that teetering tower. He was delighted with himself though

First tip - put the chairs on top of the table end-of-school-day style. It looks ridiculous but better than a broken toddler neck.

Second tip - lots of visits to the park to get it out of her system. Get her one of these so that you can go in all weathers, with the bonus that no one else will be there and she can climb up the slide to her heart's content.

She will survive!

[AKMD]

DeWe I did not need to hear that toddlers can do monkey-style climbing

[YougreatPumpkinmousse]

My DD2 is similar - We found her reversing out a window recently after DH went out without her! We have a no open windows upstairs rule when she is up there, we have moved the table out of the sitting room so she cannot stand on it. Our dining chairs have their legs tied together with bungee cords so she cannot pull them out and get on the table, DD1's tripp trapp chair is hidden in the understairs cupboard after every meal. We bought a flip top bin as she was using boxes to climb on the bin and onto the counters. She is curretnly standing on a little stool in the sitting room yelling 'look a me' repeatedly but I am not giving her any recognition for climbing!

We are teaching her to climb safely if she insists on climbing.

[AKMD]

Take her to Tumbletots or a toddler session at your local gymnastic centre if you can. That will teach her how to climb safely and higher.

[Chundle]

My dd is 2.3 and a climber! Her trick is to get her little chair stand on it to reach the back door handle! I've found her outside in the pouring rain before! She also likes lobbing her toys out of windows so all windows are now locked!

[TheLittlestNarwhal]

DS2 was just the same when he was smaller, every bit of furniture was a challenge to be climbed. Try to provide plenty of safe places to climb if possible, we used to build 'pillow mountains' for DS2 - well padded all round just in case!

He is still a daredevil and very sporty and active - but he has survived so far.

[bruffin]

Mine survived and they are 14 and 16 now.

DS used to pull a box behind him from 10 months so that he could climb on it to reach kitchen surface. His finest hour was when he was 2/3. I left him in the garden playing under the sprinkler naked.
He climbed over the stairgate I had put across the back garage door. Then climbed up onto the pushchair by the front upandover garage door. Pulled the string to open the door. I found him playing out front with the older kids who thought it was hilarious that he had no clothes on.
Nowadays he does rock climbing as a hobby

DD,I once found standing on the microwave getting stuff down from the top of the kitchen cupboards.

Between them they are responsible for most of my grey hair.

[prioneyes]

It's funny, DS, who was much less hare-brained as a baby, is now the most cautious, health-and-safety-conscious, risk-averse 4 year old imaginable. I'd blame myself if it wasn't for the fact that I never needed to tell him to be careful!

Tumbletots is a good idea but the only things of that ilk round here start at 3 years of age. I think we'll just get her a crash helmet and be done with it