Help with knicknack situation.

[ChristyMarie]

DS just turned 16 months.

My mom has a bookshelf at her house and the bottom is a cabinet so DS plays in it (his toys are stored there) but he can reach the bottom shelf which has photos displayed in frames. From a young age my mom would move those when he was playing there and now he gently takes them and gives them to her before playing. Very cute and all.

Well at our house we have taken down all gates (yay!) and he's doing really well. But now he has full access to our entry way where we have bookshelves. He never bothered them before but now he wants to take all the pictures off the bottom two shelves (the ones he can reach).

Cute, and he thinks he's doing what he is supposed to but I want my frames back in place! Any ideas? I don't want to confuse him and am trying to figure out a good way to go about getting him to leave them on the shelves.

[LilyGrace]

I think this is one of those things where you just have to think Is it worth it?

[BeanyMama]

yeah. i can't even imagine having frames where my littles can reach. Maybe one day...

[sdm1024]

I'd move them to somewhere else where you'd like to have them, where he can't reach.

[moodymaximus]

Originally Posted by sdm1024

I'd move them to somewhere else where you'd like to have them, where he can't reach.

exactly!

[peacelovingmama]

All of our shelves were barren at Sorin-level for at least 2 years! DD, on the other hand, didn't remove everything from shelves and so we were able to keep some things out. I think it just depends on the child but generally I don't think it's a battle worth fighting to keep knickknacks where children can reach them.

[LynnS6]

Make sure your bookshelves are bolted to the wall for the inevitable day when he tries to climb them.

Find another place for your photos, and realize that the it's not worth the insanity of trying to teach him to leave them alone. In a couple of years, you can put them back.

[limabean]

If you don't mind him playing with them, leave them where they are and just put them back when he's done playing. If you don't want him playing with them, move them out of reach.

It is cute how he gives your mom's frames to her at her house. As for confusing him, I've found that my DS totally gets that we might have different rules at home than other people have at their house -- I think it'd be fine for you to tell him that Grandma likes to move her frames, but Mommy doesn't mind if they stay on the shelf.

[verde]

I'd give up the idea and save it for the future. My DD is 27 mos old and still likes to get into things. We covered all our lower bookshelves with a piece of plywood and bungeed them closed. I don't think we'll remove the wood for at least another year. If he's anything like her, I'd worry that he'd start ripping them apart. My DD likes to take things apart and she loves to rip paper or paper-like things. Is it worth the risk??

[ChristyMarie]

No worries, they are firmly attached to the wall.

The thing is, he leaves everything else alone. Books are fine, etc. I even have a crystal bowl of ornaments on the coffee table, again fine. It is just the darn picture frames!

[MtBikeLover]

I'm with everyone else - move them or let him play with them. My kids love to play with the picture frames - I just ask them to make sure they return them when they are done.