Help me see the humor in this... before I cry

[AimeeM]

Earlier the Flying Toddler Monster (aka DS2) fell off the ladder of the top bunk (no freak outs - it's a custom built bunk bed for DS5; the top bunk is only approximately 3 feet from the ground, so he fell about 2.5 feet), and onto a wooden alphabet block. He has a nice little goose-egg and a small cut (from the block, I think). He was running around laughing and playing within minutes. We're watching it, but aren't super concerned, since his one skull fracture over a year ago swelled very noteably, very quickly.

 

We decided to keep him up (past his bedtime) for an hour, just to watch.

 

Within 30 minutes of that incident, I found him on top of the toybox.

 

Then I found him stuck IN the toybox.

 

I have caught him climbing up the armoire now three times (successfully).

 

... and lets not forget his new favorite game - closing his eyes and trying to run through the *insert whatever room he is in at the time*.

 

... and the dark kids sunglasses he puts on, before he goes sliding across the bedroom on the Magnatile structure his brother built.

 

 

*SOB* I'm too young for gray hair! Tell me this will lead to something great - an olympic gymnast, maybe?

[AmyontheFarm]

I'd hire a babysitter and go get myself certified in First Aid.  It's gonna be a long childhood.  Sorry!

[*Lulu*]

One day you will tell him these stories and tell him that you sacrificed your hair color to his antics. Then you will remind him what an effort getting him to adulthood was!

 

(((Hugs)))

 

I used to babysit for a family with a boy like that. They would hire two sitters, one for the other kids and one for N. As far as I know he has grown up and turned into a productive member of society with all digits intact!

[FriedClams]

I have one of those. He's 11 now, thank the Lord. He's less crazy. At 2-6... it was insane. One week we went to the ped each day for a different, serious (I'm not a doc runner), incident. Infected bug bite with a hugely swollen foot... injury... scratched cornea... etc. Hang in there. Try to childproof as much as possible. Cut all blind cords really short. Pray a lot.

[AimeeM]

I'd hire a babysitter and go get myself certified in First Aid.  It's gonna be a long childhood.  Sorry!

 

Yeah... we've got the first aid thing covered, but I'm thinking padded rooms :P

[EmilyGF]

Are all your bookshelves, tall cabinets, and dressers anchored to the wall properly? That would be my first order of business.

[Ottakee]

Read the article on boys needing danger at www.lovehonorandvacuum.com   It is SOOOO true and sounds like he sounds like the dare devil type.

 

I had one that wore a pink foam helmet when playing outside, etc. from the ages of 2-4 as she has mild CP and was forever banging her head, etc.  Maybe he needs one of these :-)

 

If you survive this he just might be one of those guys who climbs heights that no one else will, balances on things no one else will, etc.

[AimeeM]

One day you will tell him these stories and tell him that you sacrificed your hair color to his antics. Then you will remind him what an effort getting him to adulthood was!

 

(((Hugs)))

 

I used to babysit for a family with a boy like that. They would hire two sitters, one for the other kids and one for N. As far as I know he has grown up and turned into a productive member of society with all digits intact!

 

We kind of do just that.

Our main sitter ("M") is in charge of Marco (DS2); I send DD12 along so that she can watch DS5, or if the sitter comes here, I put DD12 on 5 year old watch, so that "M" can watch Marco.

 

I had to employ the sitter all of next week, as we have appointments all week for DD12, DS5, and myself (eye, dentist, doctor). I am taking DS5 to every appointment with me (and with DD12), so that all "M" has to worry about is Marco :P

 

My sister, when she stayed with the children for the weekend we were away, seemed sincerely worried about the fact that, try as she might, she couldn't keep the house clean AND watch the kids. I seriously had to talk her down - I told her at least a dozen times that I didn't care if I came home to a tornado, so long as Marco had minimal physical damage. She also thought, BEFORE SHE SAT FOR THE WEEKEND, that we were overreacting having several back up sitters in case she was overwhelmed or needed a break. She also though, before she sat, that we were paying her too much.

Now she knows :)

[AimeeM]

Are all your bookshelves, tall cabinets, and dressers anchored to the wall properly? That would be my first order of business.

 

We can't! We were told that the older walls will not support them (in other words, the anchor would pull down the wall with it, not lessening any danger to the climbing child).

And the doctor wonders why I shrug and say "I can't", when she suggests to me that I watch him *too* closely, and that I need to let him "be" some.

I'm going on year 2, this January, of me sleeping on the bedroom floor with him, baby proofed into the room (a handle proof so he can't escape at night). I'll admit that I've become so used to the hardwood floor at night, that when I've tried to doze in our master bed, i can't - it's too soft, lol.

[Guest]

I suggest seeing if Costco sells bubble wrap. :) 

[Ellie]

I'd be so tempted to put one of those baby harnesses on him and keep him near me, lol.

[AimeeM]

I suggest seeing if Costco sells bubble wrap. :)

 

Ah. But if I wrap it around his head (which is where most of the injuries occur), I'm afraid CPS wouldn't care for it, lol.

[AimeeM]

I'd be so tempted to put one of those baby harnesses on him and keep him near me, lol.

 

... with a helmet, lol.

 

I try to get out as much energy as I can outdoors. The last couple days have been blessedly COOL, because for a while even HE was panting and turning red after 5 minutes of high energy play in the 95 degree heat. Ugh.

[Catwoman]

Yeah... we've got the first aid thing covered, but I'm thinking padded rooms :P

For him or for you? ;)

[Garga]

Oh my goodness! You totally want grey hair! Bring on the toddler antics!

 

I have wanted a white streak in my hair like Stacy London's (from What Not toWear) my whole life and finally, I've got this amazing streak of white on the right side of my part. Awesome!! Thank you ADHD ds!!

 

Tell little Junior to keep running around and knocking things over, the noisier and messier the better, so that you, too, can have a stylish streak in your hair.

[Melissa in Australia]

:rofl: so reminds me of my twin brothers when they were little. SO glad my children did not take after them

[maize]

... with a helmet, lol.

 

I try to get out as much energy as I can outdoors. The last couple days have been blessedly COOL, because for a while even HE was panting and turning red after 5 minutes of high energy play in the 95 degree heat. Ugh.

He sounds a lot like my two year old. Last year we actually bought a head cushioning helmet for him because we were getting seriously worried about the number of bumps to the head he was taking on a regular basis. It took him maybe two minutes to figure out how to get the thing off his head. We've tried covering the floor with foam flooring squares, we got rid of our bunk bed...

 

I don't know what more we can do. So far he is still alive, I guess we'll just keep watching and praying!

[maize]

:rofl: so reminds me of my twin brothers when they were little. SO glad my children did not take after them

Oh, I have thought many, many times how grateful I am that Unstoppable Toddler is not twins!

[AMJ]

I have a nephew, now age 14 months, who gets into everything quite quickly. During last spring I sat him during the day while SIL (his aunt who got custody) worked. This effectively derailed much of our homeschool -- not the most auspicious starting year (transitioning from B&M school), but it did have its advantages.

 

MIL is now retired and lives closer, so she had been taking on a bunch of the sitting since May. SIL has him signed up for daycare this fall, and MIL is relieved. "He just doesn't STOP!" Nope, he doesn't. When I have him I strap him into his highchair here and set my girls to play with him so I can go to the bathroom or prepare food. The rest of the time I stay within grabbing distance, and try to wear him out so he will nap.

 

We have no hope he will grow out of it, either. His 8 year old sister is even more of a handful, and has been all of her life. I maintain it is the extended family's job to help keep them alive (which includes sitting so SIL and BIL get breaks) until they reach adulthood and learn (hopefully) to keep themselves alive.

 

And I lay this all on those two be SCARY intelligent, with NO impulse control, no pausing for thought.

[Belacqua]

I have no personal experience with this, so I can offer only sympathy for your poor hair. :)

 

Although...since you mentioned the Olympics...the only kid I've ever known who was like that grew up to be an international-level athlete (and a charming, thoughtful guy). And his mom did survive his childhood, if barely. So who knows!

 

 

[Tammi K]

*SOB* I'm too young for gray hair! Tell me this will lead to something great - an olympic gymnast, maybe?

 

Aimee, maybe this will make you feel better. (I don't know how to insert a picture, so take a peek here) My little monkey had a tendency to climb on, jump off, push past, etc. I tell him he is personally responsible for my  few grey hairs.

 

Give him lots of physical things to do and safe places to play, so he can move safely. It was a long few years, but my son has grown into a fine athlete.

  edit: typo, changed 'has a tendency' to HAD a tendency since he has grow wise with years.

[ElizabethB]

Well, one of the male Olympians from the last Olympics was put into gymnastics because he was scaling the walls at a big box store!

 

All the boys at our gym are on the hyper side and it serves them well in gymnastics, and running off the energy keeps them off Ritalin! Interestingly, the boys and girls have about the same number of hours per week but the boys go 4 days a week for shorter time and the girls go 3 days a week for a bit longer. The girls need downtime, the boys need to spend energy daily.

[AimeeM]

Well, one of the male Olympians from the last Olympics was put into gymnastics because he was scaling the walls at a big box store!

 

All the boys at our gym are on the hyper side and it serves them well in gymnastics, and running off the energy keeps them off Ritalin! Interestingly, the boys and girls have about the same number of hours per week but the boys go 4 days a week for shorter time and the girls go 3 days a week for a bit longer. The girls need downtime, the boys need to spend energy daily.

 

I so wish we could put him in gym! There is no way Tony would agree, though - every time we go anywhere with mats (like the bounce house), DS5 ends up with pneumonia (and DS5 would have to tag along with me to take DS2).

[AimeeM]

Aimee, maybe this will make you feel better. (I don't know how to insert a picture, so take a peek here) My little monkey had a tendency to climb on, jump off, push past, etc. I tell him he is personally responsible for my  few grey hairs.

 

Give him lots of physical things to do and safe places to play, so he can move safely. It was a long few years, but my son has grown into a fine athlete.

  edit: typo, changed 'has a tendency' to HAD a tendency since he has grow wise with years.

 

How do you make a place safe in a small house? I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with something! Your boy is a doll, by the way, and he looks happy :)

 

[Katy]

A lot of olympic athletes got into their sport because their moms had to redirect their energy safely.  Get him into as many activities as you can:  tumbling or gymnastics, swimming, maybe spend at least a few hours a day playing soccer or riding a trike, running, etc...

[bobbeym]

Gymnastics and/or karate if it's in the budget, frequent trips to a playground with a jungle gym if it's not.  Or a large trampoline with a net around it.  Or better yet, a large trampoline that's been set into a large hole in the ground so he can jump without falling off.  

 

My child like this is now 16 and counting.  We do joke that I never had a gray hair until he became mobile; now I have plenty.   

 

At 3, we used nylon rope with a slip knot tied from one door catty-corner to another across the hall to contain him to his bedroom at night.  DS20 was 8 at the time and could easily open the door if there was a true emergency, but DS16 couldn't.

 

At 4, he would bounce on the couch despite near-constant removal and disciplinary efforts.  Once he landed on his head on the tile floor.  The pedi said he was fine, just maybe a very minor concussion, but DH and I have never been convinced there wasn't some sort of lasting damage done to his brain.

 

I can't tell you how many trees, shelves, buildings, fences, and other structures he's climbed; nor how many he's taken a tumble from.  Yet he still prefers to sleep in a loft bed because he gets to climb up the ladder every night.

[FaithManor]

Mine is now 15. He runs, hikes, kayaks, canoes, and boxes but is otherwise alive and healthy. I was the mother who had to hear these things from the ER doctor, "Well, you are our first dive roll, wading pool, ninja, sword play injury of the season!", as he prepared the soft cast.

 

Same kid, a couple of years later only this time with a measly broken finger, same ER doc, "Well young man, at least this time it's not too bad. Now, is there anything else we can do for you?" (Ds) "Sure, how 'bout some morphine!" This is the time I think I actually oozed under the chair and turned into a little puddle of distress. Thank the good Lord this man has a great sense of humor. He now works only two nights in the ER at the local hospital and three days in the clinc. I made him ds's GP.

 

If they survive, they do eventually develop some healthy physical pursuits though the first time in kayaking it is wise for dad and older brother to follow him in the canoe just to make sure he keeps his promise to PORT THE KAYAK AROUND THE RAPIDS!!!! (Breathe in and out Faith, remember what the doctor said about stress.)

 

I have a friend, older than me with a grown, married who miraculously survived his prescool years. She said the mother's curse works and she now gets immense entertainment from watching her son frantically chase her grandson!

[foxbridgeacademy]

Sounds like my nephew, he was always running, jumping, and climbing.  In fact we called him "monkey" because he could climb the shelves in the closet to sit on top where only my husband could reach.  He climbed out my sisters kitchen window onto the portico, DH had to pull the truck up to get him down.  There were trees that ended up being cut down at my mom's so he wouldn't be able to climb out of reach.  Now at 13 he is a fairly calm (still a little ADHD) kid who just talks a lot.  From what my family says and all the stories I've been told, I was worse.  I'm a fairly calm, normal person who also talks a lot.  So if you can just wait it out.... and as far as I'm concerned you can never watch them too much....

[nevergiveup]

I so wish we could put him in gym! There is no way Tony would agree, though - every time we go anywhere with mats (like the bounce house), DS5 ends up with pneumonia (and DS5 would have to tag along with me to take DS2).

 

You've hired a sitter before--have her watch DS5 while you are at the gym.

 

I would not get a trampoline--just saw another news story about a kid who is now paralyzed from falling on his neck wrong.  They had the padded one with the net, too.

[wintermom]

So this is why my mom got grey hair way before dad!  Man, I caused that poor lady some grief. I should send her flowers. I was a tree, fence, garage climber, and of course everything must be jumped off afterwards. My parents put us kids in competitive swimming and not gymnastics, which was probably a good thing as far as injuries go. I could work up a sweat and wash at the same time, all in the safety of a big pool. I wanted to do gymnastics, and would be flipping and spinning around anything I could find around the neighbourhood. I never broke a bone in childhood, though. THAT was some kind of miracle.

 

I married a cautious man who can't ride a merry-go-round without feeling nauseous. I think the blending of the two gene pools has helped me immensely as a parent! We have very active kids, who love climbing trees, but they aren't as wildly active as I was. Phew!

 

[JFSinIL]

One of my sister in laws was like that....my MIL said they rigged a trapeze for her in the house. When she grew up she became one of (possibly first) female paratrooper in the Army.

[TeacherZee]

I had to tell a teen boy last year that if he fell down while climbing on the outside railing three stories up at school I would laugh my ass off. He is a wonderful boy but boy am I glad I'm his teacher and not his mom.

[Snickerdoodle]

Aimee, you need to run out and purchase this ASAP.

 

;)

[Ottakee]

That is a good idea.  I actually had one of those HUGE little tykes jungle gyms in my living room for years for my climber.  It helped to have something positive to climb

Aimee, you need to run out and purchase this ASAP.

 

;)

 

[wintermom]

Aimee, you need to run out and purchase this ASAP.

 

;)

 

This looks really cool. I'd either add way more mats, or remove them altogether and allow the child to learn that falling hurts - so don't fall.

 

[wintermom]

I had to tell a teen boy last year that if he fell down while climbing on the outside railing three stories up at school I would laugh my ass off. He is a wonderful boy but boy am I glad I'm his teacher and not his mom.

 

My dh says this exact thing to my youngest all the time! It does curb some of his impulses, as it's not that fun when daddy laughs at you for doing stupid stuff. :laugh:

 

[Leav97]

My phrase is, "sometimes stupid choices hurt."  I understand.  People act surprised when they realize my 5 year has rarely touched a pair of scissors. I refused to let him near paint until recently.  When we enter a store I memorize what he is wearing.  He's doing better.  Unfortunately his 2 year old brother is trying to do all the things a 5 year old can do.  It's not that the little one is a dare devil, he just wants to be big like everyone else.

[Myra]

We can't! We were told that the older walls will not support them (in other words, the anchor would pull down the wall with it, not lessening any danger to the climbing child).

And the doctor wonders why I shrug and say "I can't", when she suggests to me that I watch him *too* closely, and that I need to let him "be" some.

I'm going on year 2, this January, of me sleeping on the bedroom floor with him, baby proofed into the room (a handle proof so he can't escape at night). I'll admit that I've become so used to the hardwood floor at night, that when I've tried to doze in our master bed, i can't - it's too soft, lol.

If you can't anchor them to the wall, then rearrange your room (even if it looks insane!) so that when the furniture is tipped over it is stopped from completely falling down (and possibly squishing your child) - for example, put the dresser so that when it is tipped over it crashes onto the side of the bed thus creating a crawl out space, etc.   Bungee cord the tv onto the entertainment center, etc.  That's what we had to do. It looked strange, but it was safe.

 

 

Myra

[AimeeM]

If you can't anchor them to the wall, then rearrange your room (even if it looks insane!) so that when the furniture is tipped over it is stopped from completely falling down (and possibly squishing your child) - for example, put the dresser so that when it is tipped over it crashes onto the side of the bed thus creating a crawl out space, etc.   Bungee cord the tv onto the entertainment center, etc.  That's what we had to do. It looked strange, but it was safe.

 

 

Myra

 

The armoire is actually already arranged like that - small blessings, in a small home! If it tips, it will land on the bed. However, it is SO heavy, that it may crush the bed - I'm not sure. ETA: I'll note that it's so heavy, I don't know that he COULD tip it - it's very old, and solid wood; we aren't even able to move it. When they had to move it to paint the ceiling, it took several grown men to even scoot it halfway across the room.

The TV is anchored to the entertainment stand, as it is (the type of entertainment center it is).

I'm not sure what to do with the bookcases, though. On is in such a position that it would land on the couch (as you said, creating a crawl out space), but not the other - there's no where to put that.

[TeacherZee]

Could you anchor to the floor?

[AimeeM]

Could you anchor to the floor?

 

I didn't even know that was possible. We do have nice, strong, hardwood floors in excellent condition. Where do I find floor anchors? Are they as effective as wall anchors?

[TeacherZee]

I didn't even know that was possible. We do have nice, strong, hardwood floors in excellent condition. Where do I find floor anchors? Are they as effective as wall anchors?

I have no idea. I was thinking out loud. Maybe you can ask at Home Depot or lowes?