Plug puller/door slammer

[Hughsie]

Having difficulty with bathtime at the moment - ds who is 19 months is fascinated with the plug all of a sudden and will not be distracted by bath toys or the fact that the water disappears and bath time is over very quickly. Previously he has enjoyed the bath and I'm sure he isn't relating his action to bringing the bath to an end. We are having a race against time to wash him before the water is gone Any ideas?

While I'm on the subject of annoying toddler habits, ds is also obsessed with doors and insists they are al closed and everyone is either in or out of the room before he is screaming DOOR DOOR and slamming them all shut. I've got used to it to a certain extent but it makes play dates and baby groups a bit tricky. Has anyone else experienced this?

Hughsie, we had this problem for a short time when DS was small. I soaped him all over then hosed him down with the shower and did not even attempt a bath until the obsession had passed. No advice on the doors but if you hang something bulky like a thick towel over the top of the door, there is little danger of trapped fingers and accidents, it may only make him more frustrated that he can't slam the door shut!

Thanks lambchops - I'm sure it will pass like you say.

I have various door protectors in place but like you say they do cause frustration so it's a balancing act!

Hughsie - my ds is totally obssessed with doors too - all doors must be closed - I really worry about his hands. He is 1 1/2, and very neat and tidy, hence the reason doors must be closed. I think he likes to be shut in a room, as he quite often shuts himself in, without me there...

Thank you for replying to me Hughsie. I'm new to mumsnet and the first three times I tried posting, the thread dropped off the bottom and didn't come up again! Was it something I said?!
On the subject of potential accidents.... We had a full length mirror in the hall, DS was obsessed by this mirror and swung it back and forth. Inevitably, one day it fell off on top of him. There were huge shards of glass like swords all around him and not one scratch on him. I still go hot and cold when I think about it. Needless to say, we did not replace the mirror until that particular obsession had passed.

Have you tried anything like bath crayons? These are just soapy crayons that you can use to draw on yourself, the bath, tiles or anything and then they just wash away. I used to have them when I was a kid and absolutely loved them. couldn't find then for ages but have recently rediscovered them in the mail order catalogue Letterbox (letterbox.co.uk). Perhaps these could distract hom while you give him a proper wash. HTH

Sorry spelling gone a bit wonky - think I should go to bed now!

You can get foam shapes like a squashed out U which fit snugly over the edge of a door and stop it closing/slammig. Of course, this means you get a frustrated toddler constantly trying to slam the protected door and screaming when it bounces open again. My 1 1/2 year old is exactly the same with doors, Hughsie!

On the plus side, it's actually more fire-safety aware to have all your doors shut so maybe they'll grow up to be firefighters!

Could you get a spare bath plug , not attached to the bath, which you could put in the plug hole with one of those long rubber non-slip mats with the sickers on the bottom fixed over the top? Then you DS could play with the plug attached to the bath but not let the water out.

Lambchops ... that has happened to me a couple of times (threads disappearing after I have posted) ... don't take it personally!

Doors, baths, nightmare! DS was the same (still is about the doors) ... the way I dealt with the bath thing was to take him out as soon as he touched the plug and say no bath ... this made him think a bit and he soon worked out that he could play with the plug at the end of the bath time ... of course we have just got over a stage where he had a complete phobia about the bath altogether but that is another story!

Hughsie,

When ds was 22 months we had an extension built and for a few weeks had only a shower and no bath. Ds absolutely hated showers, so we bathed him in a washing up bowl on the shower floor. He thought sitting in this was enormous fun - perhaps you could do something similar with your ds in the bath?

VJR - Bath crayons which you use to draw on yourself, the bath, tiles or anything sound like a recipe for disaster to me - how on earth do you get them to realise that it's ok with these crayons only, and only in the bath? I have visions of scribbled on walls!

My Ds (14 months) is also fascinated with pulling the plug out of the bath at the moment. I think it's actually the plug chain which fascinates him, as I put a bath treatment in DS's water to control his Excema which turns the water milky so he can't actually see the plug. I'm toying with the idea of getting another plug (not on a chain) to use so that he can pick up the one attached to the chain as much as he likes without actually pulling the plug out. If your water is clear perhaps just making the water opaque would help you Hughsie - out of sight being out mind?

Hughsie, I have a son like that too!.....LOVES doors and plugs..he is 26 months now, and his bath does not last long at all LOL. He has trapped his fingers in the door, but still wont leave it alone, we also have 2 cats and 2 dogs and I am afriad that one day one of them will end up tail...less or worst still...squashed in half! I despair of him to be honest, no does not work, nor do threats. So I guess I have to stick it out until it passes, which I hope will be soon.
Take care.x

Thanks for all the advice - I think we will try to tell him that it is no bath if he pulls the plug. Hopefully it will pass. It is very reassuring to know that he is not the only door slammer too as some of my friends watch him in amazement as if it is completely wierd - they are probably understandably fearing there will be untold damage to their door frames as he thunders through! I must tell them about this thread!