Setting limits on a Climber

[paula444four]

Hi Mamas,

My daughter is just about to turn 14 months old and is much much more of a climber than her older brother was at anytime. Her new obsession is getting on top of the kitchen table. I have to constantly watch her...who knows what she is up to. She is always climbing.

How lenient are you/ were you with your climber? How do you discipline/teach them to avoid certain climbing activities? Distraction does not work very well anymore. She will climb that table 20 times...over and over and over again....generally putting herself in what I consider to be significant and unecessary danger. The floor is concrete. The height is at least twice hers! And of course the items on the table are quite often a danger themselvles.

I try to allow my children to explore naturally....and I dont want to squish her independence or thirst for adventure...but I do need to figure out how to reduce grave risks. What should I do?? Im frustrated and genuinely concerned for her. Or am I being too protective?

thanks for listening

[kai28]

I'm curious to see what others write in reply to this. I don't really have anything to suggest (DS is 13 months & is just starting to get into the climbing thing in earnest - apparently both his dad & I were climbers).

I wonder if there was some way to channel the climbing towards something that was safer to climb on? (like maybe one of those plastic play structures or something?) my other thought was a) keep the dangerous stuff off the table and b) we have these interlocking foam squares that we picked up at lowe's (located near the carpets)- we've covered our bathroom floor in them (near the tub) for about $20. Maybe putting those under the table would at least add a little bit of protection if she were to fall? or a thick rug or something? I know that doesn't solve the issue, but at least it might take a little of the danger out.

or... if there was a rug or something under the table, and you moved the chairs off the rug, away from the table while you weren't actively using the table, she would be unable to slide the chairs over to the table & climb up on them onto the table? that might work for a few weeks until she gets stronger & can pick up the chairs (if she can't do that yet) - and maybe by then she'll be onto scaling something else?

good luck.

[lyra1977]

My DD is/was a climber as well. First off, just know that this is one of the intense periods and it gets better. My DD was similar at that age, but now at 20 months she has satiated her thirst for climbing to some degree and will only do it when she has a reason to get to something. The pinnacle of the phase for us was her desire to get on top of the piano to a digital picture frame there. She would pull out the piano bench, climb on top and then up to the frame. The solution there was to spend a lot of time sitting on the bench playing the keys with her so she knew what the piano was for, and moving the photo frame to an out-of-reach location.

Personally we didn't do something specifically to stop her other than keeping an eagle eye on her (climbers' houses cannot be babyproofed the way other houses can) and giving her lots of opportunities to climb in a safe way, at parks and the like. Unfortunately, my DD went through this phase in winter and we were at Chick-Fil-A at least once a week in their kids area. You have the benefit of warmer weather and parks!

But for us, the message we sent was "no, you can't climb on the piano, but you can climb on the bench and play the keys," "no, you can't climb on the table, but you can climb on the chair and have a snack," "no, you can't climb on the coffee table, but you can climb on the sofa and let's read a book." Etc.

[wondertwins]

My twins will be 3 next month, and right about at your daughters age they started climbing on top of our dining table. We ended up moving the chairs on top of the table, and removed the ones we didn't use on a daily basis. I don't know if it was because there are two of them or what, but even my eagle eye could not keep them off the table, where once atop they would reach for the chandelier.

We gave them many opportunities to climb, such as climbing and standing on their child sized chairs, we would take the cushions off the couches and armchair and allow them to scramble over the cushions and use them to climb on the couches. They also have a lot of opportunities to climb outdoors. I don't remember when we finally were able to leave the chairs on the floor, maybe around age 2. By then they had mastered climbing on the counters, by using the drawers as steps, so the table didn't seem quite so bad. At almost 3 they have in the last few months stopped getting on the table as sport. Of course last week while mopping I put their little table chairs on top of the little table and left them there while the floor dried. I left the room for a few minutes, and when I came back DD was standing on one of those chairs and DS was starting to climb on the other.

I guess two things happen, one they move on to other fun challenges, and two you start getting used to the idea that they are climbers and trust that they know their limits. I'm still working on the second one!

[paula444four]

Thanks

Thanks mamas

I truly appreciate your experience and advice!Removing the chairs from the table area has been VERY helpful and has decreased table climbing significantly. However she is already pushing the chairs around...and its only a little time before she is using them as a step stool anywhere she wants! My DD is petite and pretty darn small (18 pounds at 13 months) and it can be quite comical to see her conquer her world.

I wonder if climbers have character qualities in common...like setting their goals high & persistance? Would be an interesting study.

Thanks again! And I will still be watching for additional input.

[karika]

I remove anything that makes me too nervous from the area. we took down the kitchen table for the time being. When dd2 is older, we will get it back out of garage. she climbs on all the furniture of course. it only worries me when she is on the back of the couch (it is in middle of room, so nothing behind it), then I spot her, but try not to let her know I am doing it. we have our cabinet that holds pretties on top and her toys on lower shelves nailed into the wall, but she hasn't figured out she can climb it like a ladder yet. I was always anti gate, but this house is so small, we weren't able ot put enough things away to make the whole house heart attack proof, so I did get a gate at a second hand store that we use for the back part of the house. Now she is old enough I just use it to block the laundry room where the cat and dog food are (and litterbox). The only freestanding chair we have is on wheels (at desk for computer use) but it is too heavy for her to push it far. Our floors are slab too, but with a layer of carpet. Try to spot her stealthily and without worrying that she will fall. Mine both did and do fall and if they do, they learn how to fall and they do not get hurt, mine don't even cry, and chances are they won't fall from the same thing again. I would be too paranoid about a bare concrete floor though, so I would take the table away for now if it can't be blocked off

[gagin37]

Originally Posted by lyra1977

My DD is/was a climber as well. First off, just know that this is one of the intense periods and it gets better. My DD was similar at that age, but now at 20 months she has satiated her thirst for climbing to some degree and will only do it when she has a reason to get to something. The pinnacle of the phase for us was her desire to get on top of the piano to a digital picture frame there. She would pull out the piano bench, climb on top and then up to the frame. The solution there was to spend a lot of time sitting on the bench playing the keys with her so she knew what the piano was for, and moving the photo frame to an out-of-reach location.

Personally we didn't do something specifically to stop her other than keeping an eagle eye on her (climbers' houses cannot be babyproofed the way other houses can) and giving her lots of opportunities to climb in a safe way, at parks and the like. Unfortunately, my DD went through this phase in winter and we were at Chick-Fil-A at least once a week in their kids area. You have the benefit of warmer weather and parks!

But for us, the message we sent was "no, you can't climb on the piano, but you can climb on the bench and play the keys," "no, you can't climb on the table, but you can climb on the chair and have a snack," "no, you can't climb on the coffee table, but you can climb on the sofa and let's read a book." Etc.

That is basically us as well.

The urge to climb EVERYthing peaked and has gradually gotten better. I also try to give him opportunities to climb- he scrambled up into his carseat whenever we go somewhere, climbs into his booster seat at meal time, on to the bed and the couch. We also had to take some measures to set a few limits. Climbing on the kitchen table is absolutely not allowed, nor is using the kitchen chairs to climb up and get knives or scissors. We had to tie the dinning room chairs to the table legs there for a while. He CAN climb in the chair to stand and look at pictures on the wall or fridge or get an apple, or wash his hands in the sink. We do climbing activities at the playground too, which he loves.

[Anna GS]

My son is a crazy climber (he'll be two next month). We did a lot of the same things already mentioned (moving chairs away, spotting, encouraging climbing in more appropriate places), and I also told him many times a variation of, "Hey, have you ever seen mommy or daddy climbing on the table? Mommy doesn't climb on the table. Daddy doesn't climb on the table. We don't climb on the table." With a calm voice, of course.

We also got him a learning tower for the kitchen. It's great. He can climb it himself and stands at the kitchen island and participate in whatever we are doing there. I think it makes him feel included and gives him the height that he likes.

He still climbs inappropriate things, but it's a little better. He has better balance now and *some* understanding of his abilities and which things are really dangerous.