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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

17 month old touching everything.

37 replies

abitlostandconfused · 04/12/2009 23:18

I have the same conversation with him at least 30 times a day about him touching the remote controls, photograps and a little ornament thing I have. He just looks and laughs. This happens to both myself and my husband.

I've put up a couple of decorations. Some in the garden. You know those wooden things that say Santa Stop here and Happy Holidays. He just pulls them out of the garden, time and again despite saying no.

I am gutted as I don't think I can possibly put my tree up this year.

Do I just keep going with No - what am I doing wrong? Do they all do this? He knows what No is but just doesn't listen. Any tips.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Adair · 07/12/2009 21:39

Also teach them LAST ONE (and always mean it). Stops/reduces stroppy tantrums as it is a warning. This one even works on ds

ps re climbing, ds moves dd's step to get to things on the kitchen worktop

IMoveTheStarsForNoOne · 07/12/2009 22:40

Adair speaks sense

AliBellandthe40jingles · 07/12/2009 23:09

Adair does speak sense! DS is 16 mo and I have spent the day distracting him from our tree which went up yesterday. I've put sturdy decorations lower down, cloth stars, little christmas bears etc. He is allowed to take the bears off and cuddle them, but all the shiny ones 'live' in the tree and he can only stroke.

Distraction is the thing at this age, if you are just saying 'no' all the time then no wonder you are being ignored. Find him some old remotes and an old mobile phone, keep his plastic plates/bowls/cups in a cupboard that he is allowed to go into.

lindsaygii · 07/12/2009 23:16

Why don't you get a very small tree and put it on a table? I'm not taking the piss, it's just that you said you were 'gutted' about it, so I thought I'd try and solve your tree dilemma, since everyone else has already told you his behaviour is quite normal.

busybutterfly · 07/12/2009 23:20

We have a smallish Christmas tree up on the bay window shelf.

I do, however, find myself getting extremely irritated when DD (18months) repeatedly:

Puts stuff (anything) in the bin
Turns the video player on and off
Switches the sockets on and off

PoppyIsApain · 07/12/2009 23:24

Awwww, mine is 17 mo and he is coming out of that phase slowly, just try and distract your dc, it is their curiosity

sparklefrog · 07/12/2009 23:36

My DD is 16 months, and into everything.

This year, I am putting up my little fibre optic tree as late as possible, and will be taking it down after a few days.

It's just not worth the stress of constantly trying to keep DD away from it for longer than necessary.

DD doesn't understand that there are things she mustn't touch, but I do wish she would leave my bookshelf alone and stop opening my bedroom drawers and throwing the contents over her shoulder even if it does make me laugh inside the way she looks as she tosses my knickers and tights over her shoulder.

IMoveTheStarsForNoOne · 07/12/2009 23:50

Christ... you can't be irritated when your 18mo repeatedly puts things in the bin. She's only exploring! Just put things out of reach and be more vigilant.

I just don't get people who are irritated by their toddlers- they just want to look at things and explore them, they don't understand the 'look, don't touch' thing.

again, dangerous and/or breakable shit = on a hight shelf. Everything else is fair game (and tbh you should have figured this out by now)

Adair · 08/12/2009 07:58

-see if you have child lock on your telly/video. We were being driven mad (and yes, irritated) by ds turning ours off repeatedly when they were watching cbeebies (think he is trying to change programme ). Dh discovered the child lock and we had an evil laugh as ds tried his best to turn it off while it stayed on - a ha ha ha ha.

Def the long-term solution though is to teach what they can/should do with things. So let her put rubbish in the bin - hopefully she will learn not to put other things in(ds does this).

And agree that most things really don't matter if they touch them (shelves get higher and higher though... we have cupboard locks this time round...)

Adair · 08/12/2009 08:03

also remember (this is all for my own benefit btw )

-they are not inbuilt with an understanding of the word NO
-parenting is long-term. nothing works instantly, be consistent and confident

kids will be kids. you can't control everything they do, but you can control what YOU do about it.

pigletmania · 08/12/2009 11:30

This is prefectly normal dont worry, just keep telling him not not touch and steering him away he will soon learn. My dd 2.9 still does this they will grow out of it once they start being more aware about their environment.

pranma · 08/12/2009 11:52

Re bookshelves-reserve lower shelves entirely for children's books/games.It teaches them that books have a special place and it includes them in a family 'thing'.When ds was small my dh gave over bottom 2 shelves in his study[dh was English lecturer]and encouraged ds to 'read' his books in there.We never had a damaged book.Glass paperweights were taken down and put on white paper to be looked at under supervision.all lo's are curious and will learn in time what is appropriate.I would worry if 17 mnth old wasnt 'touching things'.

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