Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months

Does your LO come if you call their name?

I took both my LOs to the park yesterday.  It was more crowded than I expected (there were some soccer practices going on and lots of bigger kids running around).  I needed to keep an eye on both my LOs but they refused to even be in the same area!!  My son kept toddling to the parking lot...I would call his name, he would *sometimes* look at me, but he never obeyed me when I asked him to come back.  My DD kept toddling in opposite direction. I would call her name, and she wouldnt so much as look at me.

Is this normal, or disobedient?   At home, they do come when I call them (usually) and they are always together.  I have no idea why they cannot behave that way at a park.  I am not sure we can go back - it was too much work.  Once, my DD was under a play thing and all these big kids ran up and started to climb over her.  I dashed to go get her (so no one would fall on her) and in the 2 seconds I did that, my son toddled behind a trash can.  When I turned around and didnt see him, my heart seriously stopped beating.  So, until they can learn to come when I call them and stay in relatively the same area, I dont think we can do park outings :(

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Re: Does your LO come if you call their name?

  • Yeah, I rarely try to take my kids to the playground by myself and I know a lot of other MoMs have said the same things about their 1-year-olds. When they're that little, they don't have a ton of impulse control yet and so if they're at a park surrounded by new exciting things, it would be hard for them to discipline themselves to come if there's something they want to look at. We don't have any parks near us with enclosed areas and/or any toddler-friendly equipment so for the most part we only go when DH is home, or sometimes as a play date since a 2:3 ratio is a little better than 1:2.

    But yeah, when I call my boys, sometimes they come and sometimes they laugh and run the other way and try to make it a game. Which, as you know, doesn't work too well when they're running toward traffic and you've got another danger-unaware toddler running the opposite direction. 

    fraternal twin boys born january 2009
  • Not at all.  He knows I am calling him and will look back at me, but things at the park are too exciting for him and he just doesn't listen.

    Do you have family or friends near you who could go to the park too?  Every time I see MoMs at the park they have a helper with them.   

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  • Sometimes he turns and comes my way, sometimes he turns and laughs and sometimes he completely ignores me.  It depends on the moment.
  • He listens when he feels like it, maybe 50% of the time.

    I can imagine that going to the park with 2 would be quite a workout! It's a good thing you're an endurance athlete, right? :)

    J - 9/6/09 L and A - 1/17/12
  • imageMommy2B_Hart:
    Sometimes he turns and comes my way, sometimes he turns and laughs and sometimes he completely ignores me.  It depends on the moment.
    Ditto all of this.
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  • DD will not usually come when I call her name but sometimes if I say things like "I'm leaving, bye bye!" she will run towards me to come, or "let's go have a snack or some cheese(her fav)" she will come. Of course I have to give her a snack when we get home so she doesn't think I'm a liar, LOL. I have to be tricky.
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  • A lot of the smaller playgrounds in my area are enclosed with fences, and only one entrance and exit, so if you are hanging near the gate, they can't get away, period. 

    Maybe ask around to see if you can find an enclosed play area?

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  • Kudos to you for even attempting the park by yourself.  That is one thing I wont do without help.

    But yeah, they only sometimes will come when I call their name.  Depends what they were doing or looking at and if it is worth it to them to come to me.  Must be the age.

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  • imagejbl126:

    Kudos to you for even attempting the park by yourself.  That is one thing I wont do without help.

    But yeah, they only sometimes will come when I call their name.  Depends what they were doing or looking at and if it is worth it to them to come to me.  Must be the age.

    Yep.

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  • he listens if he wants to,like if im calling him for a bath or food, but if hes into something no way he ignores me and either plays deaf or looks a me then continues on...he listens like his father lol
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