Another SCARY milestone in the house of wild monkeys

Today, they climbed the stairs on the outside of the handrail. It was fast -- we're talking less than 5 minutes. DH & I were in the living room, they were in the music room not 10 feet away playing with toys. I noticed it get a little quiet and went to check expecting to find them in the air intake again. My heart lept to my throat as I saw Trent making his way along the landing high above me. Trevor was up about 6' and was distracted by the art on the wall at the corner. I moved swiftly but quietly plucking Trent from mega-injury height first and Trevor on my way back down and I scolded them both rather harshly.

Oh, to have a single story...

Do children normally have a fear of heights at age 2? Is there a chance it could develop later?

 

I don't know Deb, you have little dare devils on your hands!!! I had later climbers (thank goodness!)

 

Not that I know of....and not even at 18 months. My girls did that then. We had to block the bottom few steps by tying part of a superyard to the stairs. They also figured out that they could slide under the handrail/banister if they climb up the love seat that is up against the stairway and then they would be about 6 steps up from the bottom. Sneaky little devils!

 

I keep hoping mine will develop a fear of heights too. I had the scare of a lifetime the other day when Mitchell was climbing over the second story banister (he had no legs touching the floor and his head was over the banister). He was yelling to his brother and just laughing. I happened to walk out of my room and saw it and about died. Its the second story foyer we have, the banister literally just has hard wood floor on the next level. He totally would have fallen had I not walked out. I don't know how to deal with these climbers!! I told dh that I want to buy a video monitor and strap it to his head so I can always see what he is up too!

Hate to hear you are going through the same issues but glad to know mine aren't the only insane ones out there!

 

QUOTE(Jennifer P @ Jan 12 2008, 09:49 PM) [snapback]570064[/snapback]
Not that I know of....and not even at 18 months. My girls did that then. We had to block the bottom few steps by tying part of a superyard to the stairs. They also figured out that they could slide under the handrail/banister if they climb up the love seat that is up against the stairway and then they would be about 6 steps up from the bottom. Sneaky little devils!


I'm having trouble picturing this. We have the typical wooden spindles with a handrail at the top. They can't go through it but I don't see how you could prevent them from accessing the outside??? Any chance you have a photo?

 

In my experience they don't develop a fear of heights (or anything for that matter) until they fall or get hurt in some way. I can only imagine how frightening that was to see!

 

QUOTE(debid @ Jan 13 2008, 03:59 AM) [snapback]570078[/snapback]
I'm having trouble picturing this. We have the typical wooden spindles with a handrail at the top. They can't go through it but I don't see how you could prevent them from accessing the outside??? Any chance you have a photo?


Let me try to explain this - might not be the prettiest solution, but it should keep them down - and yes I said should. Kids are way too darn smart lol

Get yourself a board/plexiglass type piece that fits against the rails (on the outside where they climb). Pre-drill a few holes top & bottom & attach to the rails with those plastic ties (you can get them @ any hardare/Walmart). Make sure the board is long enough(goes high enough) so that they cannot reach the rails past it from the floor. They will not be able to hold on to any part to get started on the way up. Should foil the little monkeys.

HTH

 

Same idea, but I didn't block the rails, just the first few steps so that they couldn't get a place to start climbing.

 

It sounds like my 2 boys are following in your boys footsteps. First the swinging from the light now the banister climbing. My guys are a little younger then yours but they are already trying to do it. It probably doesn't that DS1 does it to get over the baby gate to go upstairs. Thankfully our banister doesn't go all the way up to the second floor. It is only 6-7' high. DS1 use to do it all the time. Good Luck!

Cari

 

my boys never learned! I looked out of my window the other day to find my 9 yr old in the top of the scrawniest tree in my front yard!! :icon_eek: I thought I was going to have to use my van to let him get on top of to get down! but he climbed right down without any problems! 2 of my 3 boys are climbers and unless they do fall - they keep right on climbing

 

QUOTE
Get yourself a board/plexiglass type piece that fits against the rails (on the outside where they climb). Pre-drill a few holes top & bottom & attach to the rails with those plastic ties (you can get them @ any hardare/Walmart). Make sure the board is long enough(goes high enough) so that they cannot reach the rails past it from the floor. They will not be able to hold on to any part to get started on the way up. Should foil the little monkeys.


OH!!! Thanks for the idea! Your description makes sense to me now.

They've been teasing with the stairs for ages but the way the corner is configured, it takes a double-tall step up to make the turn and they hadn't gone past that point for either a lack of height or not realizing they could fish a foot through the rails and step on the landing rather than the edge. Thank goodness for that corner! I shudder to think of this happening back when they were 18 months old and not responding at all to discipline. :wacko:

 

QUOTE(Callen @ Jan 13 2008, 07:12 AM) [snapback]570267[/snapback]
Let me try to explain this - might not be the prettiest solution, but it should keep them down - and yes I said should. Kids are way too darn smart lol

Get yourself a board/plexiglass type piece that fits against the rails (on the outside where they climb). Pre-drill a few holes top & bottom & attach to the rails with those plastic ties (you can get them @ any hardare/Walmart). Make sure the board is long enough(goes high enough) so that they cannot reach the rails past it from the floor. They will not be able to hold on to any part to get started on the way up. Should foil the little monkeys.

HTH


We did this too. Home Depot will cut it to size for you right at the store. Just get out your drill and punch a few holes in the plexiglass for the zip ties...it'll go up in a flash.

ETA: Sorry about the scare. Perhaps it's time to invest in a padded house!

 

Maybe some barbed wire?

 

QUOTE(Ellen Barr @ Jan 14 2008, 12:10 PM) [snapback]571850[/snapback]
Maybe some barbed wire?


I'm afraid not... it hasn't kept them from trespassing onto the neighbor's property. Yes, I've had to crawl under a barbed wire fence to retrieve them and believe me, being covered in dirt and snagging my shirt did not make for a good day.

 

Whoa! I think you may have all the makings of an awesome blockbuster toddler action hero movie....

 

QUOTE(Ellen Barr @ Jan 14 2008, 01:46 PM) [snapback]572035[/snapback]
Whoa! I think you may have all the makings of an awesome blockbuster toddler action hero movie....


They could totally be each other's stunt double!

 

QUOTE(Ellen Barr @ Jan 14 2008, 11:46 AM) [snapback]572035[/snapback]
Whoa! I think you may have all the makings of an awesome blockbuster toddler action hero movie....



LOL...I've always imagined Debi as more the "Toddler Gladiator" type. Kind of like that version of "World's Strongest Man Contest", but for dealing with Super Toddlers.

 

When my brother was about 4-5 he did this and fell from the second story right on his head, he went to the hospital for a few days too. I still remember my dad picking me up at the bus stop (which never happened, since he worked) and how terrified I/we were! Luckily he was ok, but before that he was SUCH an artist, and afterwards, not so much, we think it screwed with that part of his brain! I would definatly figure out some way to stop them from doing that!

 

I had a terrifying experience with Lily and the stairs. I was holding Madi and Lily was about to walk down the stairs RIGHT next to me. She leaned forward slightly and fell head first down fifteen steps. All I could do was watch. I couldn't catch her fast enough. She hit her head and neck on every step. I swear I thought I was witnessing my daughter's death. As soon as I got to her I just held her and cried. It was sooo traumatic, Madi was histerical too. She seemed to be okay afterwards, but I took her to the ER anyways to have her checked out. A few xrays and cat scan later, the Dr. named Lily the "bubble baby." She was completely ok. Anyone watching her fall down the steps would know how much of a miracle it really was for her to be ok. Anyways....they are not aloud on the steps alone AT ALL. They are carried up and down no matter what now. I just can't take that chance again.

 

That must have been terrifying. My guys have done a lot of scary things but there is only so much you can do to protect them and only so long you can do things for them. When they start climbing over the stair gates, it limits what you can continue to prevent.

I do allow mine to climb up and down on their own ON THE STAIRS. They've each fallen at least once but with the L shape, they can't fall more than 8 steps and the times it has happened it was only 2-3. It hasn't happened in many months. We emphasize holding on to the handrail... paying attention to stepping... no playing on the stairs... that kind of thing. It's climbing on the outside, hanging from the spindles, where one missed step means a 14-foot drop onto hardwood floors that we need to be sure doesn't happen again. Just telling them isn't typically enough for us.

QUOTE(lilymadison @ Jan 16 2008, 10:19 AM) [snapback]574914[/snapback]
I had a terrifying experience with Lily and the stairs. I was holding Madi and Lily was about to walk down the stairs RIGHT next to me. She leaned forward slightly and fell head first down fifteen steps. All I could do was watch. I couldn't catch her fast enough. She hit her head and neck on every step. I swear I thought I was witnessing my daughter's death. As soon as I got to her I just held her and cried. It was sooo traumatic, Madi was histerical too. She seemed to be okay afterwards, but I took her to the ER anyways to have her checked out. A few xrays and cat scan later, the Dr. named Lily the "bubble baby." She was completely ok. Anyone watching her fall down the steps would know how much of a miracle it really was for her to be ok. Anyways....they are not aloud on the steps alone AT ALL. They are carried up and down no matter what now. I just can't take that chance again.

 

Unfortunately, my steps are one straight, steep shot down. They are carpeted though and the handrail is too high for them to reach.

 

Welcome to the club mom - I keep an album of pics called " A day in the life of Mommy" with proof of the things the Evil Angels have done. No fear of heights, bites or bumps here either!

 

QUOTE(MEARA @ Jan 16 2008, 10:50 AM) [snapback]575153[/snapback]
Welcome to the club mom - I keep an album of pics called " A day in the life of Mommy" with proof of the things the Evil Angels have done. No fear of heights, bites or bumps here either!



I like that, I think I will start 'borrowing' this idea from you.