Teaching a 10 month old not to touch?

[cornflakegirl]

My son is 10 months, and recently started crawling and cruising. We've just realised how easy we had it up till now, and are sweeping clear every surface within his reach (minimalism not being the normal state of affairs in our house!) :)

However, we have a low sideboard that has our radio/cd player on it - and yesterday ds tried to push it on to the floor. There's nowhere else obvious for it to go. Is it ridiculous to try to teach him not to touch it? Will it take forever, and will we get bored of the constant supervision within about 2 days?

Hi Cornflake girl - know what you mean. IN same position as you except LO not cruising yet but desperate to get his little paws on anything! If I say no to him he doesn't understand so there's no point ! I would try buying one of those stair master things that you can use as a fence as well and put that around your sideboard so that even though he can reach it and touch it he won't be able to push it onto the floor. That's what I'm planning to do anyways. I think you can also use the stair master like a fenced in playpen - think mothercare has it or even argos.

Also you might like to try having a cupboard or shelf that he can actually have some fun with, put something safe in it - like I would let my LO play with some books in this shelf (he likes to pull them off the lower shelf etc) but always supervise him!!!!

The other idea would be to use a playpen so that if you do have to go and leave him ie to the loo kitchen etc dump him in there - at least you know he will be safe there!

In my limited experience (ds is nearly 14 months) telling the child not to play with something gets boring and frustrating for you and the child and it doesn't work. you can guarantee aht as soon as your back is turned he will have his hands immediately on the thing that you don't want him to touch.

A friend of mine (when I was shocked to find she had breakables at baby level in her kitchen) said that she could distract just distracted her toddler and she didn't go back there. It worked for her but not with us. Unfortunately we have had to move everything we care about or is dangerous out of reach and out of drawers and cupboards in reach. Good luck!

I think 10 months is much too young to teach that tbh. It's not something a child would get until at least 2 imo. Even if you condition not to touch the receptive language has to be there for them to understand.

At that age they are developmentally programmed to overcome every obstcale in their way - how else would they learn to walk, if they were deterred by early failure? - so trying to teach them not to touch will be fruitless and miserable for you and your child.

What about a fire guard round the sideboard? If you get a collapsible fold-up wire cage type, you can put it way when your ds is in bed. They aren't expensive - and can be got 2nd hand by people who had them for the same reason, at NCT sales, etc.

im going to get shot down for this no doubt but i believe you should move anything that is dangerous and or delicate but certain objects will always be in their reach, and i believe that they can understand no and leave at such an age.

we say "no" for when we dont want our dd ( 11 months) to do something wrong. e.g hit the kitten or "leave" if she goes to touch something eg. pc, dvd player etc.

we started this at 6 months when she became mobile and still using it now she is walking. it does work. she will sometimes still reach out 2 times to check you meant that particular thing then she will shake her head, look at me smile, clap her hands and move on.

we praise her for listening and not touching,.

it isnt always easy and doesnt always work. we give her 3 warnings and if she touches it again she is removed from the item. we point at it, say no. and then place her away from it, with a toy etc and distract her.

sorry it is long but hope it helps to know that it can work.

I think most chidlren can learn not to touch early on, but not all. You can just try it and see! I have four, two are touchers, two listen(ed) to 'no'. The dts (13mnths) are one of each, and dt1 will leave things alone, but dt2 is simply too inquisitive and can't resist touching everything in sight.

Oh, yes, we have 10 month (11 months tomorrow) paws in our house too. He particularly like to go after my (very hot) hair straightner in the morning. Anything with a nice cord will do really.

It hasn't even crossed my mind that my little man might conprehend "no!". I do pick him up and say "oh no you don't" and remove him. But, I certainly don't expect him to learn the lesson for many months (years?).

Hmm... complete cross-section of opinions then! :)

I remember the BW had a section on this - but I borrowed the book several months ago and don't really remember what she said. Anyone followed her method or anything similar? Any ideas how long we should give it if we do try to "train" him?

i taught dd not to touch things at 9 month, she got moved away from anything she wasnt allowed and plonked (not hard but you know what i mean) on the floor with a sharp no, if it was dangerous (like fingers in sockets) she got a tapped hand (just enough to make her jump) and then the same, moved away etc.

i dont think any baby is too young really just you have to use different methods, my dd is now 18 months and sometimes she tries to touch things shes not allowed (her grandads computer or the small decorative eggs on fireplace) but as soon as i say 'uh uh uh' she stops, and if im not there (in the kitchen) she usually says 'uh uh uh' to herself after shes touched (never picked up) and wanders off.

hopefully you'll find a way that suits your family!

im having same problem dd3 10 1/2 months and is getting everything. papers under coffee table is driving me mad .

but it may shock a few people to hear that if i say no she cries!!!!!
doesnt stop her touching but she knows what im saying . i dont shout but i say it firmly and she will withdraw her hand look at me and cry. go and play with something else and return within 30 secs

just patience i think . it worked for other 2 dd's who were never in bathroom bin/make-up bag/ kitchen cupboards/tv-video. i have never had that problem so i must of done something right . im just persistant and she will lern to recgonse that i dont like her touching something .

i hope

Ds is 15.5 months, he was crawling at 10 months and wanted to touch things like the dvd recorder and sky box. We kept up with the 'No, No' stuff and it does get boring and frustrating.
He would rarely listen to me, and I would distract him instead. I refuse to move everything out of his reach (only thing I have moved is my 3 ft high cactus for obvious reasons!) it is a family home for us all and not a 'blank canvass'!
He seems to listen to Dh more than me, think its because my voice is too gentle!
Ds is now 15.5 months, and he is walking. He tends to look at us now to see if we are watching him before he touches the tv, dvd etc! That reminds me I must clean the tv screen..

My son has understood "hot" from around 12 months old. I had been teaching him it for ages and removing his hand from the oven, radiator etc and sucking air in through my teeth (you know what I mean I am sure!). He touched the oven once (did not burn himself fortunately) but now when I say "hot" he sucks air in through his teeth and pulls his hands in towards himself, in the Larry Grayson style. If you persevere, you get there, but whilst that is said, I agree with what others have said on this thread - if there was something that could be moved instead, we moved it.

My son has understood "hot" from around 12 months old. I had been teaching him it for ages and removing his hand from the oven, radiator etc and sucking air in through my teeth (you know what I mean I am sure!). He touched the oven once (did not burn himself fortunately) but now when I say "hot" he sucks air in through his teeth and pulls his hands in towards himself, in the Larry Grayson style. If you persevere, you get there, but whilst that is said, I agree with what others have said on this thread - if there was something that could be moved instead, we moved it.

I felt that was such an important point to make I'd say it twice

Amyjo - I agree to a point, I do the same with DS, he understands 'you can look but not touch' very well, but it only works if we are out and I can stand over him. At home I can tell him (also use the tell him twice and third time move him, or take the thing off him) but he still goes back again and again..... its tiring and boring.

I also taught DS hot and he does the smae thing as Squarers ds, he learnt by touching something a bit hot and deciding he didn't like it very much ! But that is totally different to trying to teach him not to pull the daffodil bulbs out of my lovely pot on the patio :)!

Agree wtih those that say its important for your child to explore as much as possible. I just live with and laugh at putting the saucepans back in the cupboard every hour we are at home, and sticking my daffodils back in the pot 10 times a day, putting things endlessly back in drawers (a favourite at the moment is to empty my knicker drawer and run around with a pair in each hand :o) .... If he can't explore at home where can he?