k2bdeutmeyer Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I know there have been threads on this before. I have tried a lot of the things I've seen suggested. I'm beginning to think I may just be out of luck, lol. DS is 19 months. He is, by FAR, the busiest any of my children have been. He is CONSTANTLY into something. He will get in the garbage and while I am taking care of that mess, he will climb on the table. I pull him off the table and clean up any mess he created there, and while I'm doing that he will pull out all the diapers. While I'm cleaning up the diapers he gets on my computer. While I'm shutting the computer and moving it to a place where he can't get it, he is back in the garbage again. It is never ending. How do you get school done with a kid like this?? I've tried toys/coloring/snacks in the highchair. He's stubborn and doesn't care/want them. He is NOT a movie/TV kid at all. I feel like I need to pay attention to him nonstop, but that's not fair to my other 2 kids. Please help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Well, if you really want to know, the truth is... With great difficulty. :tongue_smilie: Seriously, mine is 2-1/2 and it has not gotten any easier from when this child was 15 mos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelko26 Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I don't know if this would work with a really busy toddler or not, but it works with mine (for now) and kept my other one occupied in restaurants and such. Would be best for those who don't automatically put everything in their mouths, but still can't be trusted. I get lots of little things: interesting erasers, die, rhinestone jewels, buttons, etc. and different sized containers and let them pour and sort and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Very carefully, :lol:. I had a son like that... he was into more trouble than his older brothers were combined! Can you fit the essentials of your homeschool into naptime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Well, if you really want to know, the truth is... With great difficulty. :tongue_smilie: Seriously, mine is 2-1/2 and it has not gotten any easier from when this child was 15 mos. jane has the most bestest emoticons ever. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarriorMama Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Well, if you really want to know, the truth is... With great difficulty. :tongue_smilie: Seriously, mine is 2-1/2 and it has not gotten any easier from when this child was 15 mos. Ditto this. In fact, his increased height and superior climbing abilities make him even scarier now. :glare: OP, you need a baby-proofed room asap! Pick one room, empty it of everything he could possibly destroy or injure himself with, and gate it off. Deposit him there with safe toys and/or an older child when you need some time. I also get a lot of mileage from moving to different parts of the house throughout the day. My toddler is big on novelty...if we've been downstairs for a few hours and then go upstairs, he'll play nicely in the bedrooms for a while because it's a change of scenery and a fresh set of toys. When he gets bored and starts tearing the place apart, we go to the basement. Or outside. Etc. It's exhausting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in GA Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Honestly, I never felt like I figured this out. All the articles and "tips" about this seemed useless to me. Give him play-dough. Take out Mr. Potato Head. Uh-huh. That would keep him busy for ten minutes, maybe, on a good day. And he was noisy. I guess my best recommendations would be: - Lower your standards (or at least the amount of time you spend doing schoolwork) - Find some good 30-minute videos you don't mind setting him up with a few times a wee - Buy a few minutes with a snack - I had three kids, so they took turns playing with him in the other room. This was good, but has its drawbacks as well - Consider doing something during a nap (although I rarely did this) - Oh, also consider hiring a "mother's helper" if you can find one! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrjoy Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Well, I have a two year old. He loves play dough and can sit at the table for hours. Find something that will hold his attention and cater to it, a few more months will probably make a difference for this somewhat. my DS likes to be right there with the kids....so I try to let him do art when they do art, but if he's being tom crazy I have to stop for a few minutes and just give some one on one attention and that seems to help him. Then, pop a show on. Lol. Pouring things is a great activity and things that are kept for just school. Putting them in containers and putting them where he knows where, and when, he is allowed to play with them. Hth, and oh, it's tough....I know, and sometimes what I do really doesn't work some days but sometimes it does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 You have just described my toddler. Trying to get anything done and to keep an eye on him makes my head spin. So, :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarriorMama Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I forgot to mention earlier...when my son was younger I created some things FOR him to get into, so he'd get the exploring/novelty thing without wrecking MY stuff. For example, I put locks on all the kitchen cabinets and drawers except for a select few, which I filled with random interesting kitchen items and other miscellaneous STUFF, which I'd rotate out every few days. He could pull everything out and check it out, then when he was done it could just be scooped back up and shoved in the drawer or cupboard. The key was to let him discover these spots on his own. We all know it's not as fun if mom TELLS you you can play with something... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babs Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Ditto this. In fact, his increased height and superior climbing abilities make him even scarier now. :glare: OP, you need a baby-proofed room asap! Pick one room, empty it of everything he could possibly destroy or injure himself with, and gate it off. Deposit him there with safe toys and/or an older child when you need some time. I did this for my 3rd ds - just gated a corner of our family room and we did school in the adjacent kitchen. I had 5 bins of toys (labeled M,T,W, Th, F) which he got to play with. You could even dole out those toys from that day's bin (these were big bins) over the course of the morning. He protested loudly the first few days to week but then settled into it. (We had to ignore him - not a lot of learning that week, but well worth the investment of time!) He was safe and learned to play independently. It worked for a few years. Then we remodeled and the fence had to go (used the white vinyl picket fence you can get at home depot). Wish I had it for my 4th (dd) who is an expert at mess making. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babs Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 P.S. we could see him in his pen and he could see us - so I knew he was safe. So, it took a bit for him not to complain to us, but ignoring COMPLETELY worked. But I stress that it was safe because we could see him. I could not have trusted that kid in a room by himself. He is 8 now and has settled down. My first was busy too, but he was my first so I had lots of time to chase the little guy. He was a star running back this year on his fb team - he gained those skills running from me in his earliest years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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