I know he's 2, but this not listening thing has got to stop

winery

After our Gymbo class today, DS started running down the sidewalk.  And when I asked him to stop or come back, he'd run a few steps farther.  And when I'd take a step or two towards him, he'd go even further.

As he got farther away, I started yelling "stop!" and "no!" and "Jonathan, come here NOW!" and he'd laugh and run.

Thank goodness I'm in good shape, because I had to run after him, circle around to catch him and he was all the way at the end of the sidewalk by then, about a half block maybe.

He could have gotten hit by a car or someone could have snatched him and I was too far away to do anything.

Obviously, lesson learned to me that I will have to drop everything and chase him down because he'll just keep going.

But how the heck do I make him stop running away from me/us?  I lost my sh!t.  I was near hysterics and shaking because of what could have happened.

I just wanted to shake him I was so upset!

DesignerMama

A few weeks ago I started threatening time out and counting to three. ("Do you want to go to timeout? Then get over here before I could to three.")?

It has worked in that she will pretty much always come once I start counting. But lately she won't come UNTIL I start counting. (Me: Come here, Sophia. Her: Count 1, 2, mommy!) And she thinks "three" is a bad word now and screams it when she gets mad. But it does get her to come to me 95% of the time.?

Two is fun, huh? ;-)?

mommyaug06

I watch a little girl who was 2 in January. She does the same thing to her mother ALL the time!!! There seems to be no way to stop it! Unfortunately she started this right after she started walking. Over the summer her mom turned her head for 30 seconds she was gone! They found her face down in their pool! Luckily her dad is a cop and knows CPR. She is also always running out into the street and also hides from her mom by running around the car so her mom cant get to her.

Im lucky with my dd...she thinks everyone is gonna steal her so she dont leave my side !

I would be the same as you. I would be so upset! Actually I have some errands to run tomorrow with dd and this other little girl but im scared! 

 

 

Angela814

DD does this every day I pick her up from daycare.  We are near the door putting her coat on, and she runs down the hall back towards her room.  Or she runs to the bathroom.  I almost feel lucky that I learned she would do this somewhere safe.  Now if she starts to take off outside, I have her arm before she can get too far.

But to answer your question, I have no idea.  I feel like she doesn't listen to me at all now.

excitedtobemrs

Oh if we all had an EASY button to make them start listening.

In all honesty....I think he's 2.  He's going to go through this phase & you have to find a way to work with him, not against him, in the process. 

We make L hold hands & if he refuses to hold hands he can't walk.  Plain & simple.  We either carry him or he has to sit in the stroller (which he hates at this very independent age.)

I just don't think they understand at 2 all of the dangers that possibly lie ahead so screaming "STOP" doesn't really have much of an effect.  In situations like this, where he could get hurt, I prefer to DO now (as in whatever I have to to keep him safe) and TEACH later, when he's more apt to understand.

AnnapolisLari

We use the monkey leash. He's awesome with it-- walks nicely beside me.

Off the leash-- pretty much what you describe.

amiamish

DesignerMama:

A few weeks ago I started threatening time out and counting to three. ("Do you want to go to timeout? Then get over here before I could to three.") 

It has worked in that she will pretty much always come once I start counting. But lately she won't come UNTIL I start counting. (Me: Come here, Sophia. Her: Count 1, 2, mommy!) And she thinks "three" is a bad word now and screams it when she gets mad. But it does get her to come to me 95% of the time. 

Two is fun, huh? ;-) 

This is EXACTLY what Jake and I do... except he doesn't think "3" is a bad word, he just knows that I mean business then.

r9stedt

A leash. Problem solved.

rumpunch21

Thankfully DD hasn't run away in public, but she definitely doesn't listen. We've started the counting thing, which works well usually - but not always.

In public she'll just refuse to hold our hands a lot. She stomps her feet and says "I hold my OWN hand!" And then holds her own hand! It's actually hilarious, but since she's not running away I can let it go. I'm not sure what I'll do when/if she tries to take off... especially if that happens anytime in the next 3 months. Oy!

Zenya

C did that one time and I totally lost my sh!t. YELLED at him (scared him)  Just total instinct.   I basically just made him hold my hand at all times for a good while and he never did it again (so far...).

marrymemylove

DS did this in Borders about 6 months ago. He took off and hid behind bookcases, climbed through gaps I couldn't go and ran amok.?

I caught him and took him straight home and gave him a lecture all the way barely taking a breath and ignoring his protest. It was probably the angriest he's ever seen me (not violent or even yelling, just very very stern and sharp).

He never did it again. Now if he wants to run to the kids section I say "no running away" and he says "I won't mummy!" and trots off nicely a few feet ahead of me.

GL!

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