What to do with a Toddler

[joannqn]

Ok, I just admitted that our TV is on a 24/7 loop of Ice Age for my toddler. I do NOT like this but I really don't know what else to do. Can you help me with some ideas on what to do with him while still getting our normal schedule done?

 

He tags along everywhere we go...running errands, grocery shopping, taekwondo, and field trips. At home, he eats constantly. I have to lock the fridge and hide food where he can't find/reach it to keep him out of it. When he's not eating, he's destroying the house. He's constantly finding sharpened pencils, pens, markers, crayons, knitting needles, chapstick, books (that he colors in or rips), my keys, CDs/DVDs, scissors, hairbrushes, everyone's toothbrushes & toothpaste, etc. Nothing stays put away and I can't hang everything we own from the ceiling. He attempts to climb our storage shelving, the entertainment center (with TV on top), our DVD shelves, the kitchen cabinet handles, the dresser drawers, the fridge shelves, and the back of the couch to see outside the high window. His favorite thing to do with his toys are either use them as a step ladder, throw them, or try to pull ride-ons onto the couch with him. He hits our pets...just walks up to them and smacks them even though we've spent his entire life teaching him to be gentle and nice to the pets.

 

Our other kids weren't like this. They were easy to parent. We aren't permissive parents and are used to our kids behaving and do what they are told. Josh is tiring and frustrating because he's constantly on the go. Every minute that he sleeps or calmly watches TV is a relief...which is why the TV is on his favorite movie constantly.

 

I try engaging him in what I'm doing sometimes. He tries to help a little bit. This means he "helps" me do laundry by unfolding the laundry I just folded, removing our clean laundry from the dressers, and putting dirty laundry in the clean laundry. Doing dishes means he's sitting on the counter grabbing all of the clean dishes and putting them back in the drainer in new places (in the way), taking everything off of the window sill/counter, trying to get into the cabinet (a falling hazard), and hitting the window with something hard (old single-pane window can break easily). Doing school with us at the table means 5 minutes of coloring and trying to grab the other kids' work. Reading books lasts a few minutes only.

 

Any help?

[TXMomof4]

I have absolutely no help. Only sympathy. DS wears me down on a daily basis. The BEST diversion I've found for school time is to pull a chair up to the sink and let him play in the water. He fills and empties cups a hundred times and the biggest mess he makes is with water, which is easier to clean up than marker.

Wish I had more to offer, but basically we just survive each day and try to recover before bedtime. Luckily, he goes to bed at 7:30 like clockwork.

[bumbledeb]

:iagree: Playing in water used to keep my toddler amused for a nice long time. You could put a bowl on the floor if you like. Give him clean, cold water and a clean sponge so you don't have to worry about him sucking the water out of the sponge (yes, learned from experience).

[joannqn]

Mine would turn the sink on and proceed to pour the water all over the floor and flood it. He does like to play in the tub. I put him in a baby bath and put it as far from the faucet as I can. He still pours water onto the floor though.

 

I give him about a pound of rice and a muffin tin, cake pan, bowls, measuring cups, and measuring spoons. It keeps him busy about 1/2 an hour and takes about 10-15 minutes to clean up since the rice ends up in three rooms.

 

So, what about the rest of the day? Mine goes to bed about 9 or 9:30pm after we do read alouds. Sometimes he'll fall asleep earlier...about 8:30pm. He still wakes up at 6:45am on the dot like he has an alarm clock. I'm not a morning person!!!!

[KIN]

Check out these sites for some very good ideas! I have found that my children do much better with a routine and some "forced" alone time in a play pen. :) It teaches them to be content to play quietly by themselves. Now, that said I need to work on my current 1 year old! :) Here ya go:

 

http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/preschool_activities.htm

 

http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com This site is by our own Kendra from the forum!

[NancyNellen]

*Try having the older 2 take short turns playing with him: dress up, puzzles, things that he wouldn't be able to do by himself.

 

*Does he get a good amount of exercise and fresh air? That's is so crucial, in my opinion. We spend 30-45 minutes every morning playing outside. I make my toddler run. And I mean RUN. He chases balls and the Frisbee, pulls his brother in the wagon, goes up and down the slide a million times, or just runs down the sidewalk while I follow.

 

*Institute room time or crib time. Clean everything out of his room or crib, put up a gate that he can't climb over, and place just a couple of toys in with him: special things that he only gets during this time. I even splurged and bought a crib tent for my little climber. Now I just zip him in his crib with a few toys and he plays for about 45 minutes every morning.

 

*High chair time. My little guy spends 20-30 minutes every morning doing puzzles or Color Wonder in his high chair.

 

*The chair at the kitchen sink is a HUGE hit here! Some measuring cups and he's a happy camper!

 

*And, honestly, a lot of discipline. Your older children will not suffer irreparable harm if you back off on their schooling for a week or two to really focus on his behavior and training. It will be worth it in the long run.

 

*Does he nap? Even if he doesn't, he should have some quiet time in the afternoon. Put on some music or a book on CD.

 

All in all, it will pass. It's a trying time, but eventually he will mature as long as you set boundaries and stick by them. You can do it...one day at a time!