16 mth old won't listen...HELP!

[bec79]

Hi ladies,

I am hoping one of you may be able to give some advice...or at least sympathise with me.
My 16 month old DD has turned into an absolute terror. She has developed a severe case of selective hearing.
Lately she has started 'running wild'. I am constantly having to rescue her from dangerous situations. She climbs up onto our glass dinning table (via a chair that she drags over to it), and jumps on the lounge. She has started using draws as 'steps' to get to higher items.
She empties the contents of anything (as in, if its got something in it, it has to be empty), all over the house. (Toyboxes, tissue boxes, packets of nappies, draws, etc.) My house is constantly trashed...I clean up after her 5/6 times a day...I understand she only exploring, but lately I have been asking myself why I even bother cleaning??

When I try to discipline her for the dangerous behaviour, (with a firm NO! and stern look) she just doesn't take any notice. She will let out the 'token' cry...and then just go back to what she was doing. I know she understands me, she just choses to ignore me. (She will happliy listen to what I have to say, and does what I ask, but only when it suits her.) She will point and say 'no', but then does it anyway.
What should I do? I'm worried she will badly hurt herself.

[JnA]

What has worked for me is Time out.

here is the thread I started that explains how I do it.

http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=43407


As an update, I have now moved the portacot into another room. It's still set up.. but I rarely use it now and hardly get to two, let alone three.


It takes perseverance at first and consistency.. but IME it has worked extremely well.


Good luck.

[cwsmum]

:laughing: now you know how my house gets into it's usual state :laughing:
All I can suggest is to move everything that she can possibly empty out up to places she can't reach, move anything she could climb on into another room then close as many doors as possible.

[babylover111]

Jaderocks that is such a good method of time out!!

I have been trying the same issue with an 18 month old but using the naughty step because I didnt want to put her in her cot so she'd associate the cot with bad behaviour and not want to go down for her naps. The portacot sounds perfect because its not the normal sleeping area but also keeps her contained! Thank you for sharing that :yes:

[rynosmum]

:laughing: now you know how my house gets into it's usual state :laughing:
All I can suggest is to move everything that she can possibly empty out up to places she can't reach, move anything she could climb on into another room then close as many doors as possible.

I'd agree with this. At 16 months IMO, a child is too young to truly understand time out. They are at an age of wonder - they know that they can get around well enough to explore and they have so much to learn.

Put locks on the drawers (we just bought some from the supermarket - they stick on rather than screw in), take all dangerous items out of reach, close doors or put up baby gates. Devise a 'safe area' where you know your child is safe within those boundaries and then supervise, supervise, supervise.

They are not being naughty by exploring so personally I wouldn't try and 'punish' them for doing so.

[bec79]

Thanks for your advice ladies. I'm not sure about the whole time-out thing. (I feel she is a little to young). But I am glad that it has worked for a few of you.
I know she is only exploring and that is part of her learning aout the world. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough in my first post. I don't discipline her for making a mess. But only for dangerous behaviour. It has gotten to the point that I can't leave her alone for a second. I will go to the toilet and come out to find her runnning up and down the dinning table. I even moved the chairs up against the wall, but she has learnt to drag them over to the table. It's almost like she knows when she has an oppertunity to be 'naughty'.

I really didn't want to have to totally clear out the house and have to stack it all into another room...but it looks like it may have to come to this.

[nemosmum]

Do it or at least block off areas (using safety gates)

I did this (kind of toddler proofed my place) and it saved my sanity and provided a safe environment for ds were he could achieve instead of always hearing the word "NO".

Time out is good for older kids but young bubs just dont have the memory recall to be able to understand and retain it for next time etc

Good luck with the house remodelling lol let us know how you get along!

[Pippi Longstocking]

It sounds like your daughter is doing perfectly age-appropriate things. Do as the others have said - child proof your house as much as possible so that you aren't constantly saying "No!". That way, when you really need to say it it will have an impact.

If your daughter is enjoying tipping and pouring etc, give her lots of activities that incorporate that. Heaps of water play to allow her to develop her pouring skills. Those shape sorter thingies are good for kids that like to fill and empty things...you can make a post box out of a cardboard box and make some cardboard letters she can post and then tip out and then repost etc.

Good luck! :hugs:

[cwsmum]

I even moved the chairs up against the wall, but she has learnt to drag them over to the table.
If your chairs can be stacked together maybe you could stack them and put them against a wall then push the dining table up against them so she can't move them. If they can't be stacked you might have to push the table up against the wall with a few of the chairs behind it then stacking the rest of the chairs on top of the table, as close to the wall as possible so she can't pull them down.

[JnA]

Time out is good for older kids but young bubs just dont have the memory recall to be able to understand and retain it for next time etc





I beg to differ.. however, my sample size is one, so maybe I just got lucky.