Computer trouble - 16 months

[BohoMama]

As ds Andrej has grown, he is more and more accepting of my doing things near him that do not involve him, such as cooking, washing laungry and talking on the telephone. The one thing he won't let me do, however, is be on the computer. I can only use it when he is sleeping. Otherwise he is climbing onto my lap and trying to bang on the keyboard, touch the screen, and throw the office supplies on my desk around. He indicates that he wants to nurse and when I show him a breast he slides down onto the floor and then wants to be lifted up again.

Using the computer is vital to my work (I am researching for my dissertation this year.)

What can I do to get Andrej to mellow out and let me get my work done?

Note: he is not much interested in toys and is extremely physically energetic.

Second note: we do not have a TV. My mother keeps telling me we should get one so that I can plug him into it for an hour or sl at a time but I adamantly refuse this misguided "advice."

[myrrhmaid]

I feel for you mama!
Is it feasible to put him in a backpack while you sit at the computer? You'd have to sit sideways in your chair.
:hugs to you! It's so difficult sometimes to do even simple, everyday things when we have little ones.

[mamaduck]

It sounds like he wants to be involved in your work. I involve my kids in cooking and laundry -- even at that young of an age, by giving them smaller versions of my tools and letting them "work" along side me. Why don't you dig up an old broken keyboard from somewhere, and maybe an old mouse, and make a space for him at the desk beside you? Put the paperclips etc. out of reach for now. Then when he tries to bang on your keyboard -- redirect him to his own.

[scoutycat]

Huh, I thought it was just my kid! Good to know others have the same probs, you could be describing my dd. So far as I can tell, she's just ticked bc I get a little lost in thought when on the computer, and she's not the centre of the universe any more. And how could that be right?? So she wants to know whats going on, etc. Putting a keyboard in front of mine so she could bang away as I typed was good for a bit, until she caught on that I only use the back keys. A keyboard punder program for babies just made her want to use it as a toy more. Everything I've tried has lost it's appeal in a few days/weeks. Currently, I have a special playhouse set up for her in the office, and introduce an exciting new/'forbidden' toy that she can only havve in the office, etc. and it mostly works. But it's still kind of limiting. :( oh well, I feel for ya! -jen

[Piglet68]

This is my daughter exactly. However, I think that sometimes her fussing is because she "resents" my time on the computer. I don't blame her: this is basically what I do when I have a spare minute around the house, and I know there have been times when I'm guilty of putting her off for it. When she fusses and whines when I'm on the computer, I take that as a sign and I go spend some one-on-one time with her. It has greatly improved things.

Getting an old keyboard is a great idea. And also a basket of office supplies that she *can* play with. I can sit DD down on the desk beside me, and if she has such a basket she will amuse herself for quite some time.

I understand it's hard when you have a dissertation to write, but honestly I think it's unrealistic of you to expect that you are going to get much done when he's not asleep or happily engaged in something else.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Not much help here, just sympathy. My daughter also doesn’t “approve” of me using the computer. Fortunately for me, I don’t have a dissertation to write. I’ve started reading, which she doesn’t mind even though they seem like very similar activities from a toddler’s perspective.

The keyboard idea didn’t work for me but my daughter occasionally pretends that a CD case is a lap top.

My husband has my daughter using a computer program when he is with her and needs/wants to use the computer…I don’t know much about it because I’m trying to stay in denial.

Okay, no advice. It’s just the same over here…good luck on your dissertation.

[levar]

I use/used computer at home for a living too. So does hubby. Sad and sorry to say we still have problems. But.

You can always try a play pen and ear plugs? :love But if that isnt an option, yet, then until your child is older [maybe around 2 or so?] I think it may work better to organize yourself [task list, prioritize, try MS Project for help?], break your work up into 10-15 minute increments, and get a bit done here and there when you can. The only other thing I can think of is to decide IF you must work [a dissertation IS work, I know] when your child is awake etc then you need a sitter. A sitter for an hour. Hubby or Mom. Whatever.

PS. Actually. We *did* use a play pen sans ear plugs until Taylor was about 2 or so. Then we put a child door lock on the office/bedroom door and shut ourselves in.

[mamaduck]

Originally posted by levar


PS. Actually. We *did* use a play pen sans ear plugs until Taylor was about 2 or so. Then we put a child door lock on the office/bedroom door and shut ourselves in.

OMG! Please tell me I'm not understanding this correctly. Tell me you didn't wear earplugs while he screamed for you from the playpen??? And please tell me you don't lock him out of the office unsupervised?

I really must have read that wrong!

[levar]

?!?!?! Sans means NOT or without/missing I thought!?! We put taylor in a play pen in the office with all of his toys and kid music playing. The play pen kept him from crawing on me.

And we lock ourselves in the office while the other parent cares for Taylor. This keeps Taylor from interupting the working parent during working hours. I used to get a sitter 4 hrs a week and lock myself in the office while she babysat. THAT is what we did/do. And what I recomend if needed.

[mamaduck]

Originally posted by levar
?!?!?! Sans means NOT or without/missing I thought!?! We put taylor in a play pen in the office with all of his toys and kid music playing. The play pen kept him from crawing on me.

And we lock ourselves in the office while the other parent cares for Taylor. This keeps Taylor from interupting the working parent during working hours. I used to get a sitter 4 hrs a week and lock myself in the office while she babysat. THAT is what we did/do. And what I recomend if needed.

WHEW! :D Forgive me for being dense.

I'm so relieved though!

[Mizelenius]

Originally posted by BohoMama
As ds Andrej has grown, he is more and more accepting of my doing things near him that do not involve him, such as cooking, washing laungry and talking on the telephone. The one thing he won't let me do, however, is be on the computer.

DD (almost 2) usually won't let me do ANYthing besides give her my full attention, except maybe folding diapers or a little cleaning here and there. The only way I get any schoolwork done is when DH takes care of her, but even then, it's a challange because she knows I'm home. If you can get a sitter, can you even leave the house and use a computer at your university? You might get a lot more done that way. Computer time for me is only done while nursing or when DD is asleep, but I know that doing a dissertation requires a lot more time/energy/concentration than that.

[BohoMama]

Playpen - NO WAY!!!!! No crib, no formula/bottles, no high chair, no shoes for 1 year, no meat, no sugary drinks, no TV and no playpen are our rules to live by.

I will try the spare keyboard trick, tho' I suspect it won't work, as Andrej isn't much interested in toys. Also, kids always know a cheap substitute (for mama or for the real computer) when they see one!

Keep the suggestions coming!:scratch

[nikirj]

As a student/parent I know a few tricks but probably not as many as those keeping a home office.

Anyway...

Giving the kids snacks usually buys about 15 minutes.

Letting them 'have at it' with a game they usually aren't allowed usually buys 20.

Giving them a new craft to try can buy as much as 60. Especially new types of dough with new cutting instruments and/or stick-ons. For a while we had a couple of boxes of 'new' toys that only got brought out when I was on the computer or doing some other attention-intensive thing - the kids invariably played with these for at least an hour before they got tired again, at which point I'd box them back up and put them under the bed, to be brought out again once they were totally forgotten. This obviously only works every now and then.

And since my kids never minded me reading as much as they minded me on the computer, I'd try whenever possible to take my reading AWAY from the computer, and figure out all my referencing, quotes, etc. while sitting with them, mark the spots, and then do the actual writing on the computer later. I would also try to do a lot of work at the university library, although their computers sucked so I did most of the actual writing at home, but DID do a lot of the online research at school, which is for me the more time-consuming part of writing. I usually tried to schedule a gap between classes so that I was forced to do the work on campus, but last semester I told my DH that my hours were longer than they actually were and spent an hour at the end of the day working.

Now that the kids are 2 and almost-4, they play more independently and don't mind me on the computer so much, so I've stopped needing any real 'tricks'. Hang in there :-)