14 month old climbing tables

[Crazybean]

and anything else he can get a hold of.. I know this is the normal climbing stage and I have baby proofed as much as possible. I can't tape the dining room table to the ceiling nor can I make my coffee table levitate. My son keeps climing to the tops of both and will sit there. I've already told him no we do not sit on tables and will remove him but he thinks it's the most fun thing in the world. I have repeated myself SO much over the last 3 weeks- when can I expect it to click that climbing tables isn't the thing to do? I really don't want to get angry or yell but it's getting real tiring.

He has fallen off of the coffee table multiple times but he is all for climbing it again. I usually catch him on his way up the dining room table and stop him before he gets to the top. I let him sit in the chairs but that isn't enough if there is another layer to climb. He will stand on the chairs and since his walking isn't perfected, still wobbles and will tumble down. The dining room table is high off the ground. I'm worried for his head and neck and I hate to say 'no' ALL day long. These are the only 2 things he gives me issues on so far.

What more can I do? He can get out of his pack and play so when I'm making lunch or dinner, or the phone rings and I run for the phone, or use the bathroom or get myself a drink of water, I can't always watch him every single second. I have an open floor plan so I can see him from almost every room but he is so quick!

[NoraB]

Oh boy! We went through that w/ DS. He got such a kick out of climing on top of the coffee table and the dining table. He especially liked when we came to get him down and would laugh and jump to us. Ugh! After awhile, I'd just try to hardly look at him when I took him down. I'd be very boring about it, saying in kind of a monotone, "Tables are not for climbing." Then, I'd just pick him up and put him down on the ground and walk away a little bit. I wasn't punative, but I tried to take all the fun out of him getting on the table and us getting him off of it. KWIM?

It did take a long time for the the thrill of table climbing to wear off. I did find that having something else to climb (like a big pile of pillows or couch cushions helped...you may not climb on the table but you may climb on this). Maybe a toddler "jungle gym" that he can climb indoors (we got one of those plastic Little Tykes things for DD and used it w/ DS too). Or maybe a padded footstool over carpet or cushions? Lots of opportunities to safely climb may help a lot.

[Crazybean]

Ohhhhh thanks for the ideas. I have a bunch of floor pillows I can use! Off to dig them out of the closet!

[Limabean1975]

Alos - this is not a magic bullet, just a little tip - instead of saying "DON'T do X", say "DO Y". I really think when a child that age hears "Don't climb on the table", they filter it as "Climb! Table" - what a cool idea! Yeah mom, I'm doing it!" Or they simply can't get it out of their heads. WIth table climbing I used to say "Feet belong on the floor!" or simply "Feet on floor" while gently reinforcing that by depositing him on the floor. As he got a bit older I'd say things like "Feet on the floor. If you need to climb, let's climb the couch! " (because the couch is okay for climbing in our house - obviously come up with an alternative if it's not ok in yours!)

Hth.