Crying in my Cheerios -- they're going over the gates!

My days of being able to section them (and their mountains of toys) off in the relatively safe living room have come to a screeching halt as the gates are no longer effective. They're going over like it's nothing. I knew they were able but they just didn't and suddenly they've decided that the rest of the house is too appealing for part-time access.

How long does the "it's all so new... let's get into EVERYTHING as quickly as possible" phase last? It just figures that this happens when I'm trying to get things tidied and prepare the cake masterpiece for their birthday party!

So, I put a flip lock on the closet where DH keeps the spray paint and Raid... because apparently a 3 1/2 car garage just isn't big enough <_< Other than that, there is a lot to get into but none of it should actually cause mortal damage... at least nothing that's at their eye level. I'm most concerned about their ability to climb up onto cabinets and the kitchen knives.

Naptime certainly isn't long enough to get everything done. If I have to do most of the cleaning around them, it's going to take at least 4 times as long :cray: I may never get the floors mopped again.

 

I feel your pain!! My girls were about that same age when the gates didn't work well anymore. We do have a really tall gate that mounts to the wall going into the kitchen, so they haven't figured that one out yet. The "get into everything" phase, has slowed for us, but it has taken a while. I try to let them into "gated" areas once in awhile so they get used to it and aren't so eager to explore everything. My girls were BIG TIME climbers (still are), so I could never get things out of their reach good enough. We have cabinet locks and door knob covers on everything that would hurt them.

Good luck!! Just keep saying "This too shall pass".

 

Not sure when it passes but we are in it too. My son took the gate out of the wall. They are into everything and we are just trying to survive.

 

Mine have been climbing the gate for over a year. We just keep trying to put them back where they belong. Then they learned that the gates in the kitchen served as a good "footstool" to get onto the counter even easier. We joke that the gates are just for show now bc they really don't serve any purpose anymore.....well they do like to jump off them now...

 

Sorry, it finally happened. You have been anticipating this for a while now in your posts. I have started following all of your "climber" posts b/c my boys seem to be following in their footsteps, but are a few months behind (thankfully). I can't decide if I'm grateful to see your warnings, or just crushed that I can't continue to be naive about what's coming. :winking0009:

Could Dad (or another adult) watch them play outside, or bathe them a couple times a week so you can squeeze in a mop without sacrificing more nap/mom time?

 

QUOTE(SweetpeaG @ Sep 14 2007, 04:21 PM) [snapback]408241[/snapback]
Sorry, it finally happened. You have been anticipating this for a while now in your posts. I have started following all of your "climber" posts b/c my boys seem to be following in their footsteps, but are a few months behind (thankfully). I can't decide if I'm grateful to see your warnings, or just crushed that I can't continue to be naive about what's coming. :winking0009:

Could Dad (or another adult) watch them play outside, or bathe them a couple times a week so you can squeeze in a mop without sacrificing more nap/mom time?


I hate to tell you this but I only post bits and pieces of their nuttiest antics. I could have posted about them climbing into the bathroom sink together, turning the faucet on full blast, and putting their hands over the spout so the water would spray everywhere while squealing in delight... that is, after all, how I know they can climb up onto cabinets with nothing but their little bodies and loads of determination... but that would just frighten you. :crazy: They just did this again today while I was cleaning up their cribs where they had elected to poop (for the second time in an hour) and dance rather than napping on schedule. It's been a looooooooooooooooong day.

Grandma & Grandpa are coming over early tomorrow to watch them so I might get the cake finished before the rest of the guests arrive. I'm sitting here now waiting for the base icing to set a little so I can cover it and go to bed. I'll try to pawn the mopping off on DH but I'm not holding my breath. He's really good at coming up with some task outside that must be done immediately whenever he senses that I might ask him to do something around the house.

 

QUOTE
I hate to tell you this but I only post bits and pieces of their nuttiest antics. I could have posted about them climbing into the bathroom sink together, turning the faucet on full blast, and putting their hands over the spout so the water would spray everywhere while squealing in delight... that is, after all, how I know they can climb up onto cabinets with nothing but their little bodies and loads of determination...

OMG mine do this too...at least 3 times a day. They have learned if they put a cup over the faucet it makes a much bigger mess. They flooded my bathroom so badly one time (dh was watching them while I was vaccuuming the family room) that the water went down into the floor vents and started coming through the ceiling in the family room where I was. Last time I was changing Mitchell, McKenna got up on the counter in the kitchen and somehow turned the garbage disposal on and things fell down there and scared the life out of me and her.... Their newest trick is that they learned how to open the refrigerator and now have been attempting climbing to the top shelf....so now there is a lock on the fridge too.... I would hate to see our twins play together....oh the trouble they would get into!!!

 

My friend has an "active alert" toddler. She mounted 2 gates (one on top of the other) on his doorway to keep him in his room when necessary. Just a thought in case you really need them to stay out of a certain area.