Ok, so I'm sure I should have discouraged the kids from reaching onto counter tops and tables a long time ago... but now its getting to be a daily thing. I'm so frustrated, because I cannot leave them alone (it seems) for any length of time without them getting into more stuff! Today it was the almond butter... the bottle ended up on the floor - glass bottle, so out goes the rest of the almond butter - and that means I have to make a trip to the store for something else to eat for lunches! anyway, they are getting taller themselves, and they've figured out they can move their indoor bikes or chairs around to help them reach even further. Should I just assume everything needs to be out of reach and locked up?? or HOW can I teach them limits on what is not appropriate... I feel like I'm counting doing 1-2-3 magic all the time. though am sure I'm not doing it correctly since I'm getting upset... its supposed to be without emotion, right? anyway, any tips?
We taught our two that the entire kitchen is off limits unless invited. I don't want them reaching for something on top of the stove. I hear you on the tall kids though. My two can SEE on top of the counters now!
My two are not tall kids, so we've just started dealing with this problem over the past few months. I tell them the counter is "hot" and "no touch" They are getting better with leaving the counter alone. However, if there is something I don't want them to get off the counter, I try to put it out of their reach.
My guys are pretty short (or our countertops are pretty tall :huh: ) so we haven't had this problem much. Right now I push everything away from the edges so they can't reach.
I need to really start enforcing this... I like the idea of "hot"... I might try something like that. I had to laugh when I was at my mil's the other day, she left an empty plastic spice container around so that they'd have something to grab that was ok... that's when I realized that I didn't like that idea... I mean they don't know that its been delegated to a toy status... oh my - its not that they are well trained to leave it on the counter, but I don't give them things that aren't for them normally even though they are empty... I wish you ladies luck with your growing babes! ours seem to have gotten very proficient in the last couple of weeks... ugh!
