Help me to "guide" DS2.10 please...

[mm22bys]

Hi,

I lost it this morning with DS2.10.

Main issue is he helps himself to food in cupboards and fridge.

I tell him not to - take him down from bench and get him the food he wants - this morning it was toast.

Then I had to have a shower and I could hear him help himself to fridge again, this time he wanted yogurt. I told him to wait. Got back in shower and next thing I know DS is crying and there is yogurt all over the floor and walls.

Told him he was naughty and tried to explain that that is why I told him to wait...

In meantime I notice toast is still uneaten so told him to eat it. He threw it on the floor.

That's when I lost it with him...

He then ASKED for cheese, so I got it for him. He threw that on the floor so now he is in his room.

Help please! What am I doing wrong? I probably should not have left him unattended but what else can I do? I asked him to tell me if he was hungry, and I got him what he asked for, and still it all went wrong....

I had a climber too and no solution. But I keep thinking 'There is no kitchen door, a stairgate is not the answer!' I think I had the odd bath in the evening when dh was home.

This thread is hilarious, but in all seriousness - get a dog gate for his bedroom, if he is a climber, he'll prob be jumping over them soon anyway. I lock my dts in there if I need a shower.
You do need locks on everything. We have cabin hooks on all our doors out of the dts (2) reach, padlocks on some cupboards, cupboard hooks on all the kitchen units, window locks, the front door is always locked...It's like fort knox round here, but it has to be!
I don't think it is worth your while doing anything with the gap, because he will jsut vault any gate that you do get to fit across, jsut put locks on everything.

And I don't really agree with giving two year olds snack boxes to help themselves, my two would eat non stop all day long if I did that!

Yes I am back sorry I did leave at least one question unanswered.

He gets up before I do (around 6am).

I am tired. If DS2.10 was my only child I am sure I would be coping a lot better, but I am not coping at the moment (obviously or I wouldn't have got so wound up).

I like MN, I am pretty new, and don't want to leave!

Ok why can't he be locked into the bathroom with you with toys

Don't leave mm22bys - we're here to help. Hope your baby gets better soon.

Like a prat - I just posted this on the other thread;

Probably been said before, but this whole thread seems daft.
Our kitchen is open to the living room (not exactly open plan, but impossible to fit a door) and we had a 'thing' (technical term ) that shortened the gap and enabled an extendable gate to be fitted. It was made to match the bookcases that run up to the door and don't look odd or out of place.
I never changed a thing when my own kids were small, but once GS came to live with us, I soon discovered how to make my own (one everyone elses) life easier.
I am now under the firm impression that some sort of concession has to be made when 'sprogs' start to join the family.

mm22bys, have a look here , it's about general discipline for 3 and 4 year olds (yours is close enough!). Some experiences from other parents that might help.

please don't go .. you'll like it here .. honestly

sorry you're having a shite time .. try ohms and deep breaths

my mantra is 'its only a phase .. its only a phaaaaaase' .. you may borrow it if you like

fwiw, I found this first year after the birth of the second child the most trying of all my 13.5 years of parenthood. Which is to say that things will get better, just not for a few months. I downgraded my expectations of a day well-spent, to "it's the end of the day, and we're all still alive". Survival mode became my way of life.

You missed the end of that mantra, Twig:

"andthistooshallpass... andthistooshallpass..."

Plus you're probably abso-bloody-lutely knackered, mm22bys .

mm22bys - I understand you feeling upset & frustrated, I really do, but a LOT of us have been called far worse things than 'daft' on MN! (plus I don't know about custy's area, but round here it's practically used as a term of endearment!)

Short of super-gluing your wee one too the floor (and I'm NOT suggesting you do that) - you might have to bite the bullet. He is 2, he is not fully capable of reasonable behaviour, reasoned conversation etc yet. He's finding his feet in the world and still believes HE is the most important thing in it.

Fridge locks are OK. We've got one on ours even though we're licky enough to have a kitchen door.

By doing t he things he's doing he is learning. You might well have done similar things yourself when you were a nipper.
I wish parenthood was Mary Poppins/fairytale simple but it ain't [sigh]

Go and get yourself a nice cuppa & a biscuit

Twiglett thanks. That's what I keep on telling myself, "it's all a phase which too will pass".

God you don't have to be gone long here do you before a thread degeneraets. In response to my reply, yes i do have locks on all my cupboards anf fridge. The fridge one is easily removable and leaves no mark it is just stuck on. Sorry about your little one that doesn't sound very nice.

littleeasterlapin thanks for the guide, will take some time to look at it.

Berkeley's not as much fun as MN, but it has some good advice

I've bought about 10 packets of kitchen locks and never fitted them. I should.

I can understand about how tired you are. Are you on any of the Ante natal threads?

Join Nov 2006 or Dec 2006, we have younger ones at the same stage as you and I am sure there are others who have 2 children.

There are different "audiences" to your posts according to where you post them.

I know where to post if I want staightforward advice, caring advice or just a bit of a laugh. I have had my share of dressing downs and I sometimes re-read threads which illustrate how far I have come with regard to caring for 2 children.

Hope this helps

Iklboo - do you really have to be licky to have a kitchen door

I'm not on Nov 2006 board, I only really found MN when I was talking to a friend about one of DS2's problems and she suggested I post on MN.

I know there are some more "controversial" areas of MN, but didn't think I would start one myself ;-).

I might see you over there?

you don't have to be Margo but apparently it helps...

Please tell us why he can't come into the bathroom with the door locked with a snack or toys while you have a shower

.

I'm on the December one but there are others who have nov babies on our thread - up to you. I will wave if you appear on the December one

He could come into the bathroom with me, great suggestion.

At the moment I put DS2 into his bouncy cradle and bring him in with me so at least I know that DS2.10 isn't doing anything too horrible to his brother.

Guess next time I have a shower I'll bring them both in with me.

He'll probably just try to open the door though and still run riot.

No harm in trying though....

Put the baby in his cot so DS1 can't do anything to him while you are in shower

Adn bring DS1 into bathroom and LOCK the door so he can't get out

if you don't have a lock with a key

BUY a BOLT one

he won't be able to get out

put it up so YOU have to reach up to it