13 month old is bonkers!

[Cait73]

Do they understand "no" at this age? Mine just looks at me and laughs then carries on with what I'm doing, if it's unsafe a say it again firmly and remove him, he usually has a fit!

It's just little things like dropping all his food from his high chair, climbing up on things he's not allowed on (because they're unsafe) and throwing all the bath toys out of the bath (full of water) one by one

How should I be dealing with this please?

The throwing food and bath toys is fine and part of learning about cause and effect and his environment. I would redirect his unsafe climbing to safer spaces.

Some do, but some won't until 18 months or so. They are experimenting. The firmness of your voice will help them interpret your meaning, and stopping them from doing whatever it is (by redirection).

The laughter is actually almost a nervous reaction. They don’t actually find it funny. They don’t know how to react. And they either have laughter or tears in their arsenal.
Keep saying no and keep removing.
We kept rules simple. No hitting or kicking. Use gentle hands. No throwing. And no screaming.

This actually covers a really large gamut. At this age, firm no twice and remove. And make a stern face.
After about 20 mins we used a ‘naughty step’ but called it a thinking corner. And I would sit there with him. But keeping interaction to a minimum.

He’s 3 now (his big brother was a less hideous toddler so the discipline was minimal) and other than the occasional bouts of bonkers behaviour he’s mostly civilised.

Yep - you’ve just described mine! Still doing the same at 18 months 🙈

@ss1987 not filling me with hope lol

My boy is the same and the same age too. He is relentless, he gets fixated on something and I can literally spend hours getting up and removing him while repeating ‘no’. He just smiles at me to start and then eventually it turns to tantrums.

He can’t walk yet but he will climb everything and at the moment he climbs onto our coffee table which I am not allowing him to do but he doesn’t seem to understand at all that I am removing him for a reason.

It’s exhausting.

Ahh right there with you with my 14 month old. I find it such a hard age, so mobile but no sense at all and either doesn’t understand no or just doesn’t care and laughs at me. I have a 2.8 year old and he used to be exactly like this and he’s great now. Obviously we have tantrums but he understands when I’m telling him not to do something and usually listens. And is sensible enough to not nearly kill himself 5000 times a day like my 14 month old! I can’t remember when it got better, maybe 18 months or so. All I would say is keep up with gently telling him no, moving him away from stuff etc and it will eventually sink in.

Have a google at schemas & schematic learning/play.

They don't understand at this age, you can't expect them to control their own behaviour in response to being told no. You just have to stop them from doing whatever it is so it isn't reinforcing for them. You can still tell them no, of course, preferably as you're preventing the action so they start to understand what it means, but expecting them to take responsibility and respond to the no is not an age appropriate expectation and shouldn't be punished.

For throwing food offer a plate for unwanted pieces (communicate what you want) and/or only give them little amounts at a time so not much is available to be thrown and once they are throwing, it means they're not really eating any more anyway so let them down. Frequently offered meals/snacks of substantial food rather than junk food mean they won't go hungry.

Climbing on stuff show him how to get down safely so that you worry about it less, and/or block access.

Throwing bath toys out - move toys and/or fewer toys in the bath to begin with, or only allow toys which don't get full of water (e.g. floaty boats, rubber ducks not cups/bottles) and/or distracting with more fun activities and keep the bath short.

I like this age as it's all about managing their behaviour/controlling their environment and you don't have to get into battles of wills with them all the time because you know it isn't going to make any difference to their future behaviour anyway.