DS is really testing me

I guess I have to admit that I don't have compliant little infants anymore. My DS is a little devil. Before I go and purchase every parenting book in the store, I'm asking you all for advice.

Here's the scenario. How would you handle it?

DS is fascinated with light. He loves lamps, the sun, car taillights and headlights, etc. We have a floor lamp that is wedged in a corner. The Superyard and a chair block it off, but if he reaches really hard he can just get a grip on it. He looks at me and laughs as I'm saying/yelling "No Touch!". He doesn't let go until I start to move towards him for physical redirection.

I have just started telling him that he's been naughty for not listening to mommy and that he's going to the naughty corner. I sit with him and hold him there for about 15 seconds until I can tell that he's forgotten why he's there. I hug him and let him run off. I haven't noticed that he's touching the bad things any less and I don't want to spank. So far, there isn't anything that is going to cause imminent danger to him.

There are a few other things in the house that he exhibits the same behavior with.

I don't understand what's going through his little head. I know that negative reinforcement can be perceived as positive reinforcement since attention is attention, but I am a little scared that he's not reacting to my lowered tone of voice, angry expression, etc. Not a good sign for what is to come....

Please help.

 

Sounds like he has entered the "testing zone"


That whole lamp story sounds like he is doing
it just to get a reaction out of you.....
<_<
Both my guys still do this (they apparently
do not leave the "testing zone" any time soon)
and I have found the only thing that will
not get me upset (thus giving them
great delight) is to redirect them.

There are still times they will continue with
the action, even after being told numerous times
to stop and will even look at me with a
cheeky grin on their face....but time has shown me
if I allow myself to get upset (yelling, stern voice, etc..)
it seems to fuel them to continue.....and often times
if I am telling one not to do something, the other
one will see the attention he is getting and will
do the exact same behavior :blink: ah, twins!
:umm:

But IMO, redirect, redirect redirect.

 

I would look into 1-2-3 Magic. I use it and it's been pretty successful. I agree that time outs are hard at 18 mos. but you can do a min. and a half of timeout (I used to strap them in their feeding seats faced away from the action).

 

Mine DD use to do the same thing with our floor lamp that I had put in a conner behind a couch. I rearranged the living room leaving the lamp open and a couple of days later she pulled it down and the light burnt out from the fall, she has never touched it again. The lamp was light so it was not a heavy metal floor lamp, but she seems to have scared herself from not touching it.
Now I just need to keep her from climbing out of bed.
There is always someway they or us teach them not to touch that.

She also had a thing for taking glasses of the table and one day she broke one of them, boy did that scare me and her luckly it broke in front of her and she did not step on the broken glass, but she has not touched a glass again.

Hopefully something will work.

 

We have entered this stage, especially with DS. His favorite no-no is jumping on the couch which scares the living daylights out of me since he would be caught by the hardwood floors. I tell him "no" and get him down, I'd say 50 times a day. I don't want to keep this up since I would like to save the word "no"and let it have some meaning. I may be getting 1-2-3 magic since I have heard lots about it on here.

 

My sweet little baby B , Miss Ava is doing the same kind of thing - I still breastfeed and she bites me and when I say NO she laughs!!! :icon_eek: the more I say NO the more she laughs!!

with my older boys, we went through this "testing" phase and boy it is frustrating! redirecting is the only thing that works sometimes. My guys never responded well to time out esp. at that age. and it is probably wrong but I would have just had to move the lamp until he is older. All 3 of my boys are very strong willed and I am STILL looking for things that work! :unknw:

 

I told DH that we were going to "ignore" his behavior for a few days to see what happened. Maybe if he doesn't get a stern reaction out of us, he'll lose the interest. I HAVE to leave a lamp in that room or it'd be dark, so removing the lamp just won't work. I'm going to buy 1-2-3 Magic, too. That is the one book that I've seen recommended consistently on this site.

Good luck to everybody during this enjoyable phase.