My Busy Toddler and Yours???

Do you have a busy toddler ? I do!!! I have two

They are in to everything and everywhere. They can climb anything and open everything. The 1 year tries to do everything the 2 year old does

Even things they are not suppose to open.

They are very smart and are great problem solver.
So if you have a busy toddler, like me, let me hear your stories, your suggestions and your wisdom.

Today I had to rearrange my entire kitchen and dining area, not because I was bored, but because my Toddler decided he was interested in baking. And when I say INTERESTED, I mean, he discovered that the coffee containers were not sealed and they did not contain coffee.Instead they contained flour, sugar and other baking bulk goods. After taking the containers off the 3 tiered shelf, he opened one can, before I could get to him and dumped it on the floor.

BUSY BUSY TOYS

After I took the cans from him and replaced them on the shelf , in a whirlwind of activity, that only lasted seconds, he emptied the shelf and decide to use it for a ladder. After scolding him, as much as one can , I again fixed the shelf and returned the containers and YES once again he emptied it and dragged the shelf into the living room. This is why I have regained at least 40 square feet of floor space and why I now have a more organized and redecorated kitchen....

I am in for it now.

He is One and running.....

This adds a whole different aspect on maintaining my sanity. Just kidding but it does add to the fun and the busy factor. I no longer can leave the room and expect the 1 year old to be anywhere on the floor where I left him.. He is usually climbing into my chair to get the remote or the my cell phone...

He walks around continually. He climbs better than most kids and copies everything his older brother does. he screams if he cannot. he is exceptional :). About the same actually but I won't tell if you don't.

Today was a big day for my now 2 yrs old. He has discovered that he can jump from the wooden dinner table chair to the couch. He has gotten very good at this. I was quite amazed. I do not know why , when I saw him leap from the chair to the couch. It was only a mere 2 foot away but the amazing part WAS THAT THE CHAIR WAS TURNED SO THE BACK OF THE CHAIR WAS TOWARDS THE COUCH.

Yes he had crawled up onto the back of the chair and quickly leaped. knowing I was not going to stop him or detour him I just simply turned the chair around and let him leap. Under my watchful eyes he did not injure himself or the couch :-> and after five minutes he lost interest in this activity and went on to terrorizing the fish.

Oh what a life . No worries just new adventures.

1-2-3 Grow With Me, Wooden Walker/Ride-on Toy/Trolley

Little Tikes Fold Away Climber

My boys when they turned one were walking and learning everything and learning to get into everything around my home. My 2yr old Eli is of no exception, if anything he is more active than the older two ever were.

He is extremely busy and going all the time, unless he is asleep and even then he is moving. He watches everything and mimics everyone especially his older siblings.. Garrett the 1 year old mimics everything Eli does and more.....

AS your baby grows and develops, they too will adapt and overcome. You have to remember every child is different all four of mine are but they are similar. You have to adapt to your child's temperament, abilities and who he is. You have to try to keep them safe.

A little advice. Things I have learned after having four.

THE BIGGEST THING IS IF ITS YOUR FIRST CHILD YOU WORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING. BY THE TIME YOU HAVEA FEW MORE YOU ARE NOT TO STRESSED ANYMORE. SO its ok. Enjoy them while they are little you will miss it........

Burn Prevention

Fire of course can burn, but other thing like them grabbing hot things off the stove. It is amazing how much they can reach. If my son Eli cannot reach it from his tippy toes he finds something to stand on. This could be a bowl, a cup, a toy a pillow, his blanket anything that he may have access to. A good thing that I try to remember if I can touch and he sees me touching it he wants to touch it and see what it is. Hot means nothing.

The bathroom:

All my sons were infatuated with the bathroom. I am sure it is because they have a captive audience in whoever is sitting there. Think about it we spend a lot of time in there.

Never leave them alone in the bathroom. I was horrified when I walked in and the light was off and Eli was sitting on the counter with the hot water turned on dumping everything into the water. He could have been scalded but it meant nothing to him it was water. He still loves taking the toothbrushes and carrying them around, he thinks there toys, but he brushes with them too. He screams when sees them and cannot get to them.

He use to try to play in the toilet water now if you do not catch him in time he fills the toilet bowl with toilet paper. Closes the lid and climbs on top the counter to get to the sink. Scary.

A little heads up, he can climb into the bathtub. He cannot turn the water on but that could be next.

We keep the door closed and the lights off when it's not in use but with older siblings they do not always remember. If he is quite we check.

The Kitchen :

Stoves are scary. Oven too. Eli opened the oven once it was not in use but still it scared him and he has not done it since.

We cook on the back burners, we try to remember to turn handles towards the back.

When we place stuff on the counters it is pushed far as we can back. Eli loves to climb and that was how it was with all of our children. My now five year old to my horror climb onto the counter and jumped from the counter to the living room floor. He laughed and tried to do it again. HE was 2 ½.

Choking :

They always say "Keep small objects such as buttons, beads, marbles, coins and tacks out of reach (and sight)".In the real world that Is not always possible. Each of my children were different. My oldest never put things in his mouth, my 5 year old would something. If it looks like candy keep it picked up. Now Eli has no problem. My 9 month old think everything is food. He spits it out fast when it tastes like nothing but still. If it can go down their throat be careful. Just pay attention!!!!!!

(((Just a heads up Play dough it looks like food to them it won't hurt them but it can be interesting. So if you have older children and they have Play dough watch out.))))

LEGO FOR TODDLERS

They say "Don't let children under age 3 eat small, round or hard foods, including small pieces of hot dogs, cheese sticks/chunks, hard candy, nuts, grapes and popcorn." ((This is a good guideline but sometimes unrealistic. You watch your child and you will know what they can handle. Each child is different!!!!!!!!

Hotdogs and cheese sticks are a beloved treat for all my sons. The Older three loved to carry them around, Grapes I cut in half; nuts are ok just small nuts. No hard candy unless I break it up into small, not sharp, pieces. He does fine with popcorn, but when he was little he only got the non-kernel part (soft white part no kernel). He does fine now.))))

Watch toys. I have older boys. They play with Lego's and Bionicle's and the pieces get everywhere, they try to keep them picked up, but????. My toddler learned fast that they were not candy. Watch your small child around these toys. My older boys are good at picking up after themselves but some are always left behind.

Suffocation :

Watch your kids around soft comfy pillows, blankets and toys...

Watch them, my kids fall asleep everywhere but I always make sure they do not have anything around them that they can pull over himself that could suffocate and hurt him. If your small child cannot move away from something don't put it by them. My sons slept with us from birth, they sleep in their own beds now but not when they were little. Every child is different. Always watch your child. When they are quiet, worry, go find them!!!!!!

Eli can open the dryer. He climbs in to the dryer when I am folding cloths. Be careful you don't want them to learn to open the dryer and climb in when you are not around. Eli cannot open the door by himself thank fully and the laundry door stays closed and the light are off when we are not using it. But still pay attention. Busy, busy they are always busy...

Strangulation:

My kids like to play with strings, ropes my necklaces watch them. (((If your small child has older sibling watch them and make sure they know not to wrap anything around your small child.)))) I have to watch my five year old he still will try to wrap thing around his neck. Remember "monkey see monkey do. My little one think big brothers are cool and will try to do what they do.

Drowning Prevention :

All my sons love water, they always have. They were leery of Big Water (lakes and rivers) but they got use to them (life jackets are great). My toddler is attracted to all containers of water or liquid. Watch your child.

Never leave your child alone around water inside or outside. Watch pools. My five year old never feared the big pool now Eli does. He likes the kiddie pool but will not leave our arms in the big pool.

Falls:

My kids fell all the time. When they start to walk they always fall. They are top heavy. When Eli started running at 9 ½ month he fell all the time. You cannot stop them just clear the path. Move object out of their favorite run path.

After our first child we got rid of all non-round coffee tables and even our round coffee tables are against the wall and out of the way. Coffee tables are hard on little heads and limbs. Toddlers love to walk around them but when they fall they are brutal.

Remember when your child first starts to walk running follows. They have no fear and are usually top heavy. In other words they fall head first.

Counter tops can be dangerous are sons grew fast and before we knew where they use to run under the countertop on the island and not hit they hit.

Furniture:

Furniture is fun for Eli and his brothers were no different. We learned that we could not place toys or other items that they liked on top of furniture. They will go get them.

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Stairs :

When we li had stairs we installed safety gates at the top and the bottom. All my boys thought stairs were fun but they always scared me.

Windows:

My boys love to look out windows. Make sure they are closed they could fall out. Screens are meant to keep things out, kids can push through them.

Doors:

Always, believe me always keep outside doors closed when not in use.

KIDS ARE FASTIIIIII. (((My son Eli has opened my front door and ran outside. The neighbors found him in the street. I turned my back to change my infants diaper for 20 seconds. We now have a safety lock on the doors, up high where he cannot reach it, but everyone else can. ))))

Poison

Know what you have around the house. If your kids see you use it they want to use it. Remember this, it is important. Store your cleaners, soaps pills, etc. (((Locked and out of reach)))))

Remember child-resistant packages can be opened. (((Eli can open cough medicine bottles and even Tylenol bottles.)))))

For more good info on safety go to .http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/little-kids/