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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

20 month old just will not sit still - any tips?

12 replies

KvetaBarry · 25/05/2011 12:38

Every meal time, he is put in his highchair, strapped in, and 30 seconds later is standing on the table, beaming. We stopped strapping him in for a while, and he started eating better, but normally is standing up in his chair within seconds of being put in it. The same thing happens if he climbs into the chair himself - seated for seconds, then bounds to his feet, beaming. He has fallen from the seat more than once, when we haven't quite been quick enough to get to him.

We've got him to say 'down' if he wants to get down, but he doesn't seem to grasp that down=end of meal yet, so normally asks to get down after a single mouthful of food. DH and I are getting sick of hearing ourselves saying 'Sit down'. We are outwardly calm about it the majority of the time, and replace him in his seat calmly each time, but it's driving us both nuts. And I do occasionally snap and shout at him when he's being particularly dangerous.

At nursery they are on small chairs and can get up and walk around when they like (which he does, apparently!). We don't really have that option at home. We did try strapping him in more securely (and using a toddler harness on backwards over the seat straps), but both ended up with so much screaming, and him taking off a layer of skin from struggling out of the straps, we'd rather not go down that route again.

So, any tips on how to either calm myself down about this, or stop him prancing about in his seat?

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TragicallyHip · 25/05/2011 12:41

Ds normally has a toy or 5 on his table. If he doesn't he gets fidgety and wants to get out. I'm not overly happy about him having toys at the table but it keeps him still.

Maybe try that?

chrisonabike · 25/05/2011 12:43

can you get him his own little table and chair? Sounds like he's ready for it. Ikea do good & cheap ones. DS was exactly the same and ran around constantly, but now sits for about 2 mins at a time (and improving all the time) at his wee table at mealtimes.

brandnewme · 25/05/2011 12:47

Sorry - our No2 was like this - a flippin nightmare......in the end we just let him wander and at around 2 1/2 began to sit for longer than the time he was eating.

No1 and 3 are quite content to sit and eat and play. Nothing we've done just thier nature.

Original poster

KvetaBarry · 25/05/2011 12:47

toys get lobbed at the floor or at us (especially if we've suggested he sits down). The only time he will sit still is for pudding, and I won't let him eat nothing but yoghurt for the rest of his toddler years :o

I'm tempted to get him a proper seat actually - we're ordering a whole new IKEA kitchen this weekend, could add on a toddler chair. We don't hav room for his own table, unfortunately.

thanks :)

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BertieBotts · 25/05/2011 12:51

DS is like this. Potty training is fun . I'd go for a booster seat or if ikea, the antilop highchair goes up to a table.

Original poster

KvetaBarry · 25/05/2011 12:55

Bertie - we've got a chicco highchair, and even with the tray off, and up at the table, he's bounding to his feet then climbing onto the table from it. When we've used the IKEA highchairs, he's out of them rapidly, unless bribed with ketchup. He hasn't sat still since he was 5 months old , I'm DREADING potty training him! Although he has started to announce his poos by shouting 'bottom!' every time he produces one. Boys...

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brandnewme · 25/05/2011 12:57

We got a small table and chair too in the end.

And with regards to the food I often figured if they were hungry then they'd eat. I read that you should look at their food intake over a week, not a meal or day and as long as that's balanced it's ok. That has made me far more chilled out about meal time battles.

Original poster

KvetaBarry · 25/05/2011 13:36

brandnewme - I wouldn't mind, but if he doesn't eat at his meal times, he doesn't sleep because he wants milk all fricking night - I'm happy to keep feeding him morning and evening, but am sick to the back teeth of not having a single decent night's sleep in 20 months :o we have noticed that a full tummy does = more than 2 hours sleep in a row, so we aim to get him full at dinner!!

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brandnewme · 25/05/2011 17:10

Hmm....sounds very much like my boy too....took 20months to sleep through. Does he have a bottle still? We binned the bottle, made him have milk in a cup(he was not amused), and that night he slept!

brandnewme · 25/05/2011 17:12

Coudl you give him easy stuff like sticks of cheese, bananas etc so he can munch on them, and at least they're filling, and bananas are supposed to help you sleep

(apologies if you;ve tried this, we did it all, weetabix before bed, run him ragged blah blah blah)

mathanxiety · 25/05/2011 18:34

Could you just set out food for him on another chair and let him drift around as he pleases? He wouldn't need to sit down to eat, and if he wanted to he could sit on the floor or on a stepstool..

I have huge sympathy with you on the sleeping front. None of mine were sleepers, and one didn't sleep through until she was 2.5. It made no difference whether they ate or not.

brandnewme · 25/05/2011 19:46

I feel your pain math - don't we all wish it were as simple as 'stuffing' them up before bed....i used to feel like thumping well-wishers noseyparkers on the nose with thier food advice.

(After 6 years of sleepless nights my 3 finally sleep though.....most nights, unless illness, bedwetting, nightmares etc get in the way....)

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