not walking w/toys in mouth?

e_b_r

DD's DCP is closed this week, and i've found 387 new challenges while being w/her FT. as soon as DH is home, there may be a barrage of "how do you do X" posts from me

most importantly: how on earth do you teach your toddler not to walk with toys in his/her mouth? suddenly all she wants to do is run up + down the hall while chewing on various wooden blocks, spoons, and cups. i'm not getting anywhere w/redirection and simply taking the item away causes a short lived meltdown.

at her DCP, snacks and drinks are only allowed at the table. i'm not ready to go that far at home, but i need to find a way to start to teach this safety lesson. even just reassurance that my words are soaking in tho they are NOT having a visible effect just yet would help...

Roxyroodle

Good luck.   Nothing scars me more than the little one I nanny for running through the house with something in his hand like a screw driver or something in his mouth.

I just keep taking the things away and say we can't run with this, if you fall it could really hurt you.

 I give it back and then tell them to walk.  It works once in a while.  

and let the meltdowns come as they will.

 

mrs.baum

I just took the item away and said, "no walking/running with toys in your mouth." I felt like a short lived meltdown was better than a trip to the ER if LO were to fall.

KateLouise

If you're not willingt o make snacks and drinks be a table thing, could they be a sit down thing.

I have friends who the rule is, "sit on your bottom while you eat" but it doesn't matter if it's the lounge floor or the dining chair. 

e_b_r

i don't mind her having a drink or food on the go. it isn't a mess issue at home, but i don't think it is safe to walk/run with a straw cup in your mouth. that's their thinking at school as well.

it sounds like what i'm already doing is all there is: keep telling her that we don't walk/run with things in our mouths and endure her tiny toddler wrath  

cindy453

sometimes I read threads and feel like crap because I never even thought of something being an issue!

Emmy walks while chewing on things all the time... her "phone", her baby dolls, her sippy cup, etc... the sippy cups we have have a soft straw, if she fell with it in her mouth I really don't know what damage it could do... hmm. I guess if she ever falls with something in her mouth and hurts herself, I'll figure it out then. 

 Oh, but re: one of the PPs... she doesn't carry around screwdrivers! 

e_b_r

cindy453:

sometimes I read threads and feel like crap because I never even thought of something being an issue!

i have this all the time there are plenty of things i wouldn't care about, but she's got a couple of toys that are just badly shaped for this behavior. it seems easier to go all or nothing when trying to teach this kind of message. since they don't let the kiddos walk around w/their cups at school, i thought i might go with that as well.