Help! Baby pulling up on everything, any way to make it safe?

[lutrinae]

Hiya. My baby is 6 and half months old. He's been on the move since the word go and learnt to crawl a few weeks ago. I thought this would make him happy (he's rather a demanding chap) but his new obsession is pulling up on everything. I can't seem to interest him with toys even, this is all he wants to do. It's pretty tiring, and there isn't really anywhere safe to do it in my house as we have wooden floors (with some rugs of course). He falls down all the time. I feel like I'm saying 'no' all the time which isn't nice. I get out to baby groups (soft play etc.) as often as possible, but should I just go with it and help/encourage him or try and distract him?

Is there any way to make his cot safer? It's down at the lowest level, so he can't climb out but when he stands up in it he hits his head as he falls. Cot bumpers are useless...

You should deffo encourage him! I remember the cot head hitting falls but only barely -- it's a phase that ends quickly (though my DD still does it if she stands up sleepy in the dark). Get some baby plug blockers and hide all cables/leads/curtain pulls etc. Just let him do it. Also you could get a baby walker. Good luck!

Baby proof your home. I don't mean stick plastic corners on everything but fix things to the wall, remove breakables etc etc so he can move around safely.

Oh god I remember this dd2 was a nightmare. It passed and they get steadier cruising. Dd2 liked to stand on one toe and hand off the glass coffee table!

Lord Hamwidgeandcheps, that does sound daredevil!

Ok, I will go with it. There isn't much for him to get in terms of babyproofing, it's more in terms of the furniture he's pulling up to not being stable (occasional tables, etc.) and the hard floor and cot sides when he falls. The sofas are arranged around a rug but there is still wooden floor between sofa and rug. TBH there isn't really far for him to go!

I'm a bit wary of conventional baby walkers, but might get one of those ELC wooden blocks walkers IYSWIM?

When does the phase end delilah? When they can walk?

No no - my DD still can't walk at 1 but stopped hurting herself on cot months ago. She can now get in quite small gaps and work out how to sit down without banging herself.
Only advice would be to watch out when your baby is tired, as it all gets much more dangerous then and they do get nasty bangs.
I remember very well thinking the cot was a horrid injury-cubicle and why had I bought it etc etc, but it did end very clearly. x

Ah great! It hadn't even occurred to me he'd be able to get back down safely, how stupid. Thank you. And I will heed your advice about tiredness - good one.

Not sure what you mean by wooden walker but just to say we bought a lovely wooden one for DS1 (didn't want a nasty plastic one ) and it was too heavy for him to turn around when he hit the wall, so with DS2 we are borrowing a plastic one after all!

We move the coffee tables to the side during waking hours (both DC are climbers) which made life easier!

My MIL produced some great little sock slipper things at this stage with a very flexible plastic spiky sole. Once we eliminated the slipping there were far fewer accidents.

It is a bit nerve wracking but it is just a stage, honest! Just at the point your nerves are completely frayed he will master that and move onto the next trick. In my case DS transitioned seamlessly from cruising to running into walls and jumping off furniture :)

Egads! Jumping off furniture sounds, um, something to look forward to.

A few of his tights actually have those grippy things on. Now to stop the tights themselves falling down...

I HATED this stage with a vengeance.

DD pulled herself up on everything, including plug sockets and even just bare walls (in corners) and then would slip and hit her forehead.

We had to follow her around without touching her, but with our arms ready to catch her.

Only comfort was it didn't last long (although it felt like it). Playpen was the best solution as she practiced standing up / pulling up in relative safety since the bars are flexible and give in on impact.

My dd2 is 7 months she sounds like your son she is crawling and I went into her room today to find her standing in her cot for the first time. Cheeky monkey. Anyway....I've just put the travel cot aka playpen up in the lounge and chucked a load of toys in it so she can go in there. Jumperoo also a lifesaver.

I'm glad every is saying this stage is short!

Yep ZaZazebra travel cot in lounge too (though he gets bored of playing quite quickly, and then cries because he can't pull up in there). We have an activity station - a lifesaver I agree

I've been trying to help and encourage him with it all afternoon (as well as to sit back down again) and his 'technique' once he's safely up is to let go as if he will be able to stand! He has no balance at all. Cripes.

yes - they go banging down on their bottoms! That carries on, the ungraceful landing. A few bangs is ok as it teaches them to not get too close to corners/edges in future. Poor mites!