To keep my garden-eating toddler indoors

[FlyingDandelionSeed]

For some reason my 16 month old has decided that the garden is giant buffet.

Every attempt to go outside an enjoy the lovely weather ends after I lose the will to live having said ' take that out of your mouth' and physically removing things every three seconds we are out there. Sharp stones. Gravel. Dried bird poo. Fox poo. Plants. Twigs. Flowers. If it's outside she just grabs and stuffs it in her mouth, even as I am removing the last offending item.

My DH thinks I'm mean not to let her out in the garden more in this hot weather but I can't take more than 5-10 mins of constantly stopping her eating before I feel stressed and grumpy.

put mittens on her...puts a crimp in their fine motor control

have you got a play pen/travel cot so she could be outside? dog crate?

it is a nighmare when they are that stage.

I am sick of the hot weather with my 14mo.

We have a nice back garden - one step to make it two levels. He is obsessed by this step..up/down, up/down except he can’t do it on his own as he will fall so I have to hold his hand...all he wants to do. BORING!

I would love to sit/sunbathe a bit but no we just do the step.

Can’t go for long walks as he gets too hot.

Mine was the same (she's 12 now). She ate a whole woodlouse. :-(
Everything she could get her hands on got a chomp. In the end I had to put lots of currant and berry bushes in the garden for her to 'forage' (at the time Lidl had them). I also made sure there was nothing toxic.
I don't know if mine was doing it for the sensation or to get my undivided attention.

Can you take edible things out with you to keep her mouth busy?
Water is a great distraction too. Lots of buckets and utensils. Bubbles.
You have my sympathy though. It is baffling and frustrating.

My now 3.5yr old was like this - especially the step thing. Like everything, it’ll pass. The 9m old is doing it now. Literally can’t put him down or it’s all in his mouth. You have my sympathies!