Is this normal or am I just a shit mum? :(

[FreudianSlippery]

I have no idea, DS is my PLB aged 19m.

Basically you know the phrase "he's into everything" - DS just takes it to an extreme. We go to a baby group (baby signing which I know some people are about but it's really helping his speech catch up) and he's always the only one who doesn't sit still contentedly with mummy. He's always opening the door and escaping into other rooms, exploring everything (he's like it at home too) and screams if I stop him.

I don't know it sounds really daft written down but it's getting to me (if it weren't for the usefulness of the signing I would've given up the class by now) - from the reactions of all the other mums with their perfect sedate babies/toddlers, my DS is misbehaving :(

Which is ridiculous thing to think of a 19mo isn't it - babies can't be 'naughty'! but that's the reaction I get.

My DD was quite a curious girl but she always got the "ooh she's into everything isn't she!" - as a compliment rather than an insult

I don't get it. Am I doing something wrong? :(

Mine was like this. It's so hard when every other child is "behaving," I feel and remember your pain. OP, mine used to go for the plugs whilst everyone else was singing nicely.

Other peoples houses - What a nightmare. Have a friend with DS same age as mine but she still manages to have ornaments and a glass fronted display case full of china - WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? May have to invest in some chains if we ever go round there again.

Thank heavens my dad is sensible and installed stair gates for us, bless him. However, the in laws have a huge old house with loads of rooms, priceless -wine bottles antiques and three staircases. I might broach the topic of putting up stair gates on their 18th century carved banisters.

Most would think this house would be child heaven but having spent a long Xmas period snowed in there, my nerves were shattered. After i managed to get the car out, i took ds to my sil 's who has a small house but open plan downstairs which acts as one big play room. Relief for all. Apart from my little niece who had all her toys thrown about and got rugby tackled at any given opportunity. I'm amazed she still calls him 'her best friend'.

LOL Missorinoco, just got back from music class and that is exactly what my DS spent the morning doing (turning the plug sockets on and off)

Not just boys, my twin DDs were exactly like this and we left several groups prematurely due to the tutting and the raised eyebrows as their perfect kids sat nicely with mummy whilst mine ran rings round me. I remember phoning DH in tears on several occasions as they ran amok. They needed lots and lots of exercise and still do at 10 years old.

Monkoray... Glass fronted cabinets with China... Surely your dc is just exerting his sense of taste??? :o

Both of mine have been exactly the same, its frustrating and hard work I know. I have actually found my dd to be be worse than ds was (shes 22 months now btw). Slowly she's getting better, but the minute I let her out of the buggy, she just makes a run for it. As her speech is improving I am finding her easier to deal with, but she's still bloody hard work....

I was chatting to another mum today, her baby is nearly 1 but mostly crawling. She was saying baby was "into everything" and I though "just you wait til they are running about!" I very nearly said "oh, it was SO much easier when DS was only crawling..." but then I realised that would make me sound exactly like those competitive mums we are always bitching talking about on MN :o

I think that most mums with the sort of kids who are "into everything" opt for no baby classes or less structured/physical ones.

I didn't do a sit down class with any of my 3 as they would not have sat down and I would have felt embarrassed and annoyed at the waste of money and time doing such a class.

My DS1 was exactly the same, however I took him to the Health Visitor & he was diagnosed (at 21 months) with Dyspraxia, ADHD & Hyperactivity syndrome....not to get you worried here !!!

I found that lots & lots of varied sports classes wore him out (& not me !!thankfully) however he now seems to be improving (now that he's nearly 17years old )Phew....a thoroughly worn out mum !!

No wonder my 2DD's are only 2 & 3...it took me that long to want to be seen in public again !

This thread is a big relief to me - my DD is just the same and she's only 14mo. I think maybe something like tumbletots might suit us better - I'm going to have to look for something like that near to us.

I did tumbletots, dancing classes, Karate & tennis (when he was a little older) they were all Fab, they'd seen it all before....it just seemed like it was just me....apparently not though !

My DD (20m) is just like that OP. I had to stop going to singing with her as she would just not sit still any more. Wherever we go she's desperate to run around everywhere, try to climb on everything, fall off etc. She seems keen to cause herself all sorts of injuries and I have to watch her like a hawk, even at soft-play. It's exhausting, but I'm hoping it'll pass soon....am going to look into doing toddler gym club near us in the hope that she'll get better at not falling, tripping etc.

Shellfish totally agree about going abroad with them. Me and DH have not dared to venture anywhere out of this country since DS1 was born nearly 5 years ago - again, other parents with less 'spirited' children think I am a bit odd as they can go abroad without fear of the child disappearing at the airport/jumping into the swimming pool etc etc.

Y'know, Lindam do (or did at least) travel stair gates... May be worth a look!

Oh dear, I think I have been a smog . Dd never crawled, just bottom shuffled effectively but slowly until she was about 16months, then stood up and walked. Was great at classes, art galleries etc. 8 years on, ds was crawling very very quickly at 11 months and now, at 1, is cruising everywhere. Hardly used door catches or socket covers with dd, am off to buy some tomorrow for ds! Think some of my friends might be quietly gloating.

I was a bit worried about this afternoon with mine. Had to go and see one of the (lovely but frightfully proper) church ladies to discuss plans for the youth weekend away. With ds2 in tow. Stuffed him full of lunch and prayed he'd fall asleep in the car on the way there. He didn't. Don't get me wrong she's used to kids, has 4 grandchildren, but none of them are quite like ds2.

Fortunately she found it endearing when he upended the waste paper basket and stomped around the conservatory with it on his head..

Cock - :o - DS does that, he's always putting bins or boxes on his head. DD did it too. They pretend to be robots :)

freudianslippery thanks, i have looked into travel gates - good suggestion. I might even be able to persuade Lady and Lord To The Manor Born in laws that it would only temporarily ruin the aesthetic value of their house and when the vicar comes, we could whip them away...

My ds is having a christening on 10th April, and the celebrations are taking place in the same venue as dd's christening. Up a big staircase. I can't recall dd even going anywhere near the stairs at her christening (she was 14mo, ds will be 16mo), but I am having to rely on a guest to bring a travel gate this time. Which he will probably spend the entire christening party attempting to climb over.

DS can push under the travel stairgates. He bashes and tugs at it until it comes away from the wall and then crawls under it