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Another Toddler Question

MrsJRTMrsJRT
in Alabama Babies

For your active toddlers, where do you put them while you try to clean and/or workout.

Since Robinson started climbing everything and grew a million inches- he's too tall for any kind of jumper or exersaucer (has been for months) and now he can crawl out of his crib and has learned how to almost un buckle his high chair and will climb out of it....i actually bought one of those playard fence things thinking that would help...nope, he tried to climb up it and it came crashing down!

I'm really trying to get back into shape and since we have the house on the market, I'd like to keep it really clean in case anyone wants to see it, but I'm struggling since Robinson is right under my feet! lol  I mean, it makes me so proud as a preemie mom that he's doing so well and is so independent, but I'm just wondering how I'm going to get anything done- the last 2 months for me have been useless!  haha

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Re: Another Toddler Question

  • 12106mrsmun12106mrsmun

    I swear, we're (almost) living the same life as far as our busy toddlers go.  Caroline has now started to refuse naps, but I guess I can't complain too much....she's offcially STTN (YIPPPEEEEEEEEEEE....now watch me jinx myself, lol!).  So, by the time she goes to bed, I'm so flippin' exhausted that I crash out soon after she does, except, I'm not STTN at all because I'm too conditioned to wake up every few hours expecting her to do so....and then I can't go back to sleep for a few hours....grrrrrrrrrrr.

    Anywya, Caroline wants my constant attention when I'm trying to do something that doesn't "include" her and is doing the whole "terrible two's" thing....seriously, everything is a meltdown. 

    It'll be interesting to hear what everyone else answers........

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  • FutureMrsWagnerFutureMrsWagner member

    Uh, yeah...LMAO..there is no containing an almost 2 year old.  Hahahahha!  The thought of that makes me laugh!  They are super busy and it seems nearly impossible to get in the way of their little toddler misssions!  LOL!  Caleb is ALL over the place while I clean/cook.  (Wish I could say that I was working out, but that would be a lie!)  He basically plays in his playroom and then brings toys out one by one into the keeping room and kitchen...some of them make their way to our bedroom...yesterday I found a sippy cup on the window sill in the dining room and my pasta strainer in the laundry bin in our closet!  Haha!  Not to mention that he is a monkey and climbs everything in sight.  This afternoon, I found him in his bathroom, sitting on the edge of the sink with his feet in the sink playing in the water.  Later, I looked up and he was standing on top of the sofa table turning the lamps on and off.  Oh, and he has recently discovered that he can lock and unlock dead bolts so he can now gain access to the stairs as well as open the front door.  Tonight, I found him standing on the front porch in the dark and freezing cold in his jammies!  YIKES!!!  I had to spank him.  I had already told him 3 or 4 times not to open that door again, but he did so I spanked him.  I HATE spanking him, but when it comes to his safety, I have to teach him what he can and can not do. 

    So, to answer your question...  Since there really is no way at this age to truly contain them, I guess I think it's just time to really start teaching them their boundaries.  They can really understand now.  I mean, Caleb totally knows if he is doing something that he shouldn't be doing. So, whether it be time-outs or spanking or some other form of punishment, I think this is the age that it has to start. Other than that, my only other solution is baby gates.  We have one in Haley's BR door b/c there is just too much stuff in her room that he doesn't need to be in.  We also have one going into the toilet room of our bathroom because he loves to "fish" in the toilets.  (The toilet in his bathroom has a child-proof lock on it.) 

    Good luck!  It is highly frustrating when they first get into this stage, but you and he will both figure it out and it will get easier!

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  • FutureMrsWagnerFutureMrsWagner member

    Oops.....forgot to mention the most obvious solution which would be to just childproof your entire house from top to bottom so that you don't have to worry about him when he is wandering around.  That's basically what we did.  We have locks on every single cabinet and drawer in the kitchen and also in our bathroom.  Of course, that won't prevent him from climbing and making messes, but at least I know that he can't get to any knives or medicines or harmful things like that.  We did that in our other house before we moved when he first got into that stage and it reduced my daily stress tremendously.  So, we did that in our new house too.  It was a pain for Jim and pretty time-consuming, but once it's done, it's done and you don't have to worry anymore. 

    As for keeping the house clean while trying to sell it...argh!  That just wasn't possible for us.  I mean, I made sure to make the beds and keep the kitchen tidy and do all the main things every day, but basically I would run around like a chicken with my head cut off when a realtor called and said they were coming.  I would pick up all the toys really quickly and wipe down little handprints off glass, etc. right before they came.  There were even a couple of times when I would have to buckle him in his car seat while I did the last minute touch-ups for the showing right before leaving the house.  It was highly frustrating and a ton of work, but so worth it when the house finally sold. 

     

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  • MrsJRTMrsJRT
    imageFutureMrsWagner:

    Oops.....forgot to mention the most obvious solution which would be to just childproof your entire house from top to bottom so that you don't have to worry about him when he is wandering around.  That's basically what we did.  We have locks on every single cabinet and drawer in the kitchen and also in our bathroom.  Of course, that won't prevent him from climbing and making messes, but at least I know that he can't get to any knives or medicines or harmful things like that.  We did that in our other house before we moved when he first got into that stage and it reduced my daily stress tremendously.  So, we did that in our new house too.  It was a pain for Jim and pretty time-consuming, but once it's done, it's done and you don't have to worry anymore. 

    Yep, we've already done this, so I'm not really concerned when he's roaming around.

    And your answer made me feel better....I was worried that there was some magical answer that everyone knew about but me!  lol

    The cleaning is getting better- and yes, we've been punishing Robinson as well.  He KNOWS when he's doing something wrong, b/c when I come around the corner or stop what I'm doing he runs away laughing, going "nooo momma"....LOL...

    The working out part is frustrating, though, I'm not going to lie.  I can't do a video b/c he gets underneath me, and I'm scared I'll hurt him...same with the elliptical.  I guess I'm just going to have to get up early or work out after he goes to bed- neither of which sounds really appealling to me!  We'll start walking outside eventually, but this weather has been awful this winter.  We have major cabin fever!!

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  • MrsJRTMrsJRT
    image12106mrsmun:

    Caroline has now started to refuse naps

    Yep...Robinson has never been a great napper anyway, but I'm lucky lately if I get 1 30 minute nap all day long...whew...makes for one tired Mommy.

    Oh, and he still doesn't sleep through the night...I just have one of those kids that will.not.sleep.  We've tried every trick and our pedi just laughed and said  "sucks to be you"...there is usually 1 of them in the family!  lol

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