parents - what's the best self-defense

[ulysses]

when a child hits the "unguided missile" stage of toddlerhood?

ed. because I dont spel to good

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

1. Learn to live in a bare bones house

You know all those beautiful objects you like having around? Gone. All gone. Don't bother replacing them.

Also, budget for a new stereo or DVD player every 3 months. :cry:

[ulysses]

2. I've really got to rearrange the office.

I can't get anything done with the way it is. He's able to get up on top of foot-high tables now, god help me...

[YDogg]

3. bookcases will make good ladders

Is the child a free-range kid, or used to playpens & time in her/his room? Seems to make a difference at some stage. Sister has three free-range kids, and they are a real handful, bc they are not accustomed to any limits.

[ulysses]

5. well, he just turned 14 months

so he's generally wherever mom and/or dad are. We generally limit his range to the immediate room and maybe one adjacent (we have gates everywhere), but playpens were never a big hit. I took him outside with me yesterday afternoon to rake leaves and let him explore the back yard.

And yeah, plenty of bookshelves down here. All secured to the wall, of course...

[YDogg]

9. Days outside with young kids are the best.

So much new for them to experience and explore. I think I spent half of my childhood in leaf-piles.

[ulysses]

10. I'm trying to get him out more.

He loves being outside.

[tigereye]

4. get rid of coffee tables, or pad them all!

learn how to walk like Donald Duck as the kids careen around town....

put out lots of pillows! ;)

good luck.

[ulysses]

6. heh

Yeah, I've got the walk down. :)

[tigereye]

7. or, you can encase them in bubble wrap til they reach age 5

[ulysses]

8. he'd just eat it.

He's walking around as I type, chewing on his sock and growling like a dog. 8th tooth coming in...

[tigereye]

11. I was being facetious...

it's as if, these days, we want to protect kids from every eventuality... there's a line there somewhere.... ;)


have fun with your little one!

[ulysses]

12. oh, I know.

Yeah, I think I scare his mother sometimes. He got up on a big bin of my school stuff earlier in the week and just sat there as happy as could be until he decided to get back down, which I let him figure out.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. My mom calls that the "all ambition and no sense" age

I've babysat for kids like that, and "unguided missile" is an equally apt description. How can a creature with such short legs run so fast?

You just have to watch them all the time. I don't think there's any way around it. But if there's something you REALLY don't want them to do, like running into the street or taking a kitchen chair to get a better view of the stove, be firm and mean sounding when you say no. Otherwise, they think it's a game of "let's see if I can make it to the street before the grown-up."

[ulysses]

14. yeah,

he already thinks it's great fun to be grabbed when he's heading for anything dangerous. Tell him "no" and he'll walk around for 5 minutes going "nonononononononono. no." :eyes:

[CatWoman]

15. lol

that's right; listen to the pro's :)

[MichiganVote]

16. Everything, and I mean, everything---up! And don't take your eyes off them.

Can't trust the scruffy little varmints....

edit/spell