Oh my god - help! I had forgotten how bad it is with a newly mobile toddler

[IlanaK]

Ds3 is just over a year old. This week he suddenly realised he could bottom shuffle more than a few feet and is now whizzing around our flat. He is into everything! I have been through this twice already, but I must have blocked out how bad it is! I just spent the last half hour trying to cook dinner with him at my feet pulling out the drawers - whack! - into my shins every two minutes. I am soooo sore and stressed!

Ok, so on a practical level, what should I do? With ds1, we lived in a house and I put gates across the kitchen to keep him out. With ds2 we were living where we currently are and I did not use a gate, but we did put some cupboard locks on in the kitchen. Beyond that, I don't remember as it was about 5 years ago. Our kitchen does have a glass door so I could just close it to keep him out when I am not in there, but when I am cooking, he wants to be with me. I had thought to keep a few drawers at the bottom with harmless things in for him, but these are the ones he is pulling out and hitting me with (I didn't think that one through clearly!). It is a small kitchen and there are no drawers on the other side.

In addition to all this, there are so many other areas of problem: our hallway has two large bookcases - there is no way to close them off and no way to move them. How do I stop him pulling books off?

My older boys' bedroom is also a playroom. I have moved all trays of toys that I don't want him touching to upper levels, but the books have been a nightmare. The bookcases are all low ones. Today I spent ages moving as many books up to some wall mounted shelves as possible. i then had to find somewhere to put about 25 different boxed games that were on those shelves. We just don't have any extra space to move this stuff too. And this is all at the level he can reach now from sitting. When he start to walk, what do I do then?? I can't shut him out of the older boys' room - it is the main playroom and he would be so upset to be seperated from them.

Help!!!! I know I survived this once (not counting the first time around when there was only the one child) so how do I do it this time???

PLease help! I am in despair today with the stress of it all, not to mention the sore shins!

Oh no How old is your DS1? Is he old enough to supervise and do the "No" thing? They do get the message eventually, you just have to be consistent.

(Am a bit at the just over 1 though, DS has been mobile since 8 months!!)

I know I am lucky to have had so long with him not being mobile. I had the same situation with both my other boys too. Ds1 didn't walk til 16 months!

Anyway, ds1 is 8 so is very good with ds3. But we would all be saying "no" all day if I don't move things.

I think I am just a bit shell shocked from it today. I think if i baby proof the kitchen totally, that will make a big difference. It a shame all the drawers and cupboards will need locks though. Perhaps I will put a basket or box with special kitcheny things in that he can empty out without maiming me!

Box with kitcheny things a good idea, I put all the plastic items into one low cupboard and let them have at it.

My 1yo just started shuffling too and she is fast! DD1 never so much as looked at a power outlet but DD2 is drawn to them like a magnet. Must get protectors today but it is so tedious. DD2 also brilliant at finding one last bit of biscuit under the couch--am always catching her munching and thinking OMG what now?

What about the boys' room? What do others do about siblings rooms?

Play pen! Fast! Plonk play pen in front of In the Night Garden for 20 mins when cooking dinner.

I've been wondering this - DS isn't mobile yet but he's getting there. He doesn't like TV or being left alone though!

We have a big bookcase that's not fixed to the wall and I think I'm just going to have to find a way to cordon it off, or he's going to pull it down and kill himself!

We've got big book cases in our lounge - DP fitted them with brackets on either side and we slot a thing MDF board to cover the bottom two shelves. (sounds lovely doesn't it!) It looks fine though, as I've painted the boards with big blocks of colour.

We basically child-proofed the lounge totally, and put a gate across the door. We've got a tiny kitchen off the hall way and stairs too, so was just the easiest safest option (as DS seems to have no sense of danger at all - even at 20mo he'd just launch himself down stairs without a second thought!)

Just read Stigaloid's post - yes, play pen is a great sanity saver. I'm so thankful for ITNG - started just after DS was born

that's a thin mdf board... [rolls eyes]

My dd has been crawling from 6 months so even though she only started walking a couple of weeks ago at 14 months, it seems like such a long time ago now since I felt just like you!

Can you push the playpen in front of some things you don't want him to touch? Ours is in front of our bookshelves! It mainly houses toys though, I'd have to haul them all out to be able to put her in it!

I have locks for only a few cupboards/drawers in the kitchen, our dd is allowed to pull out the rest, although it drives me mad! I say "ah ah ahhh!" for the few main things she isn't allowed to touch (bin, dangerous fireplace), and she actually pays attention and doesn't touch them now (most of the time)!

I guess you'll have to put a lot of stuff higher up/away in boxes. Is there no way you can put the out of bounds toys away out of reach so that toddler can enjoy the playroom too?

I'd really recommend those things you put on doors to stop them slamming shut and little fingers being trapped, I don't know if you've used them before.

It's a PITA, but the more toddler-proof your house is, the easier it is to get on with stuff yourself. Have fun!

Another - ds has been mobile since 6mths! BUT I see it as a positive, as he is much happier padding about our flat freely (no walking yet, but crawls and climbs and cruises everywhere). Have not had playpen for either but ds is more determined and seems to have less self-control (and ability to be careful) than dd was...

Of course, we say NO (and uh-uh-uh)
to plugs and that, but what I did with dd (and am trying to find the time with ds) is to say YES as much as possible, but teach him how (so teach him how to stroke and point and wave at things rather than yank them out and throw them . It is working... she says as ds continues to smack the keyboard repeatedly and ignore me...

(PS with the books, I'd just let him go with the fun of pulling them all out - as long as he isn't gonna hurt himself or rip them, what's the harm?)

But surely he's likely to rip them up?! DS loves pulling magazines to pieces, I don't mind as long as I've finished reading it first?

Dunno, ds (and dd at this age!) seemed to just enjoy pulling them all out one by one into a big pile...