climbing up on picnic table..and laughing!

Aiden thinks it's hilarious that he can climb up on their small picnic table and stand. As soon as I saw him do this I told him no and took him down. I did this several times as well as told him to sit on his bottom. Gave him a book while sitting on his bottom. I'm guessing this is just the start so I'm wondering how all of you have been dealing with this? Doubt if he's stay in a time out..any suggestions or do I just do what I'm doing? I'm considering moving the picnic table outside but I'm sure he'll find something else to do this with.

 

If you can think of anything, find something that it is OK for him to climb. Then every time he climbs the picnic table, redirect to whatever the OK thing is.

Alternatively, you could decide that it is OK to climb the picnic table (is it one of those low plastic ones?) and just make sure there's nothing he can hit his head on when he falls off. As far as indoor options for climbing, that doesn't actually sound too bad. And kids that age are capable of understanding what's OK to climb on and what's not.

This is also the age in general when you have to be consistent (whatever you decide) even though you feel like he's not hearing you at all. You will tell him "sit on your bottom" (or "don't touch the stove" or "take your fingers out of the cat's food" or whatever) several thousand times, but one day he will start obeying you.

 

I let my kids climb on their Little Tikes table.............I figure that it is no different than physical activity (climbing on a climber, etc).........they are NOT allowed to climb on the real table though. I see their table as a toy!

 

he has a kangaroo climber that is 8 ft away from the picnic table but he can't climb on that yet so he's climbing on what he physically can I guess. He doesn't seem to know how to climb up on the kangaroo climber yet.

 

Well, if you plan on serving food/drink on that table, then I wouldn't let him climb on it. My DS figured out he could climb up on the coffee table and he went straight to naughty time. He did it about 3 more times and then stopped when it was followed with naughty time.

BTW - I started naughty time about 18 months. I still sit there with him so that he learns he has to sit still and not mess around. He's getting better at it, but it has taken lots of time. DD usually comes and sits on my lap - why, I don't know - so it's usually a family affair.

 

QUOTE(Minette @ Apr 7 2008, 10:17 AM) [snapback]709172[/snapback]
This is also the age in general when you have to be consistent (whatever you decide) even though you feel like he's not hearing you at all. You will tell him "sit on your bottom" (or "don't touch the stove" or "take your fingers out of the cat's food" or whatever) several thousand times, but one day he will start obeying you.


I ditto this, it may seem like they aren't listening but they do get get it after a while, they are just testing boundries.

I also started counting to 3 at this age and they caught onto that amazingly fast. So when ever they do something that is not okay I ask them to please "get down" or "stop ripping the book" and count to 2, say last chance and then at 3 physically take the book or get them down and tell them they need to listen to mommy.

I started timeouts at 18 months and only use them if 1-2-3 doesn't work or intentially hurt their sibling.

For me consistency has made me have to do less reprimanding, which is nice since I like positive reinforcment much better!!