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Just wondering if anyone has any advice on this situation...
I work at home, and up until last week, DS (16 months) has been completely content to be playing in my office nearby and out in the hallway (I have the steps blocked off by a big gate, and I can see him the entire time). Last week, however, he discovered the fun game of launching things over the gate and watching them bounce down the steps. Now, I understand he's not doing this for any reason other than it's fun to watch things bounce down the steps, but at the same time I'm not happy about his books being flung and bouncing around, as I want to teach him to respect his books and other non-ball toys (that aren't meant to be thrown). He does have a few balls, which are fine to throw, but some of his other toys might break going down the steps repeatedly.
As I work at home, I also can't spend my whole day fetching his toys from the steps, only to have him throw them again (I did that twice, and that's exactly what happened) - I also don't want to set it up that it becomes a game that he throws things and I go get them for him...
So as I type this, he has only 2 large things left to play with up here, things that are too big for him to pick up to fling over the gate. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem aside from the fact that once he gets bored of them, he will be coming to me and needing my attention, which means I can't work.
I don't know that there is a solution to this, really; maybe I'm just looking for some reassurance that he will probably stop this soon? I hope? He's very happily playing with his push popper right now, so it's not as though he's upset at "losing" his toys. I do know in less than an hour he's going to be bored to tears, though.
I thought of keeping a stack of toys here by me and giving them to him one by one, but I have a feeling then it will become a game of "mommy gives me something and I throw it down the steps".
Any ideas?
I work at home, and up until last week, DS (16 months) has been completely content to be playing in my office nearby and out in the hallway (I have the steps blocked off by a big gate, and I can see him the entire time). Last week, however, he discovered the fun game of launching things over the gate and watching them bounce down the steps. Now, I understand he's not doing this for any reason other than it's fun to watch things bounce down the steps, but at the same time I'm not happy about his books being flung and bouncing around, as I want to teach him to respect his books and other non-ball toys (that aren't meant to be thrown). He does have a few balls, which are fine to throw, but some of his other toys might break going down the steps repeatedly.
As I work at home, I also can't spend my whole day fetching his toys from the steps, only to have him throw them again (I did that twice, and that's exactly what happened) - I also don't want to set it up that it becomes a game that he throws things and I go get them for him...
So as I type this, he has only 2 large things left to play with up here, things that are too big for him to pick up to fling over the gate. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem aside from the fact that once he gets bored of them, he will be coming to me and needing my attention, which means I can't work.
I don't know that there is a solution to this, really; maybe I'm just looking for some reassurance that he will probably stop this soon? I hope? He's very happily playing with his push popper right now, so it's not as though he's upset at "losing" his toys. I do know in less than an hour he's going to be bored to tears, though.
I thought of keeping a stack of toys here by me and giving them to him one by one, but I have a feeling then it will become a game of "mommy gives me something and I throw it down the steps".
Any ideas?