SO Frustrated!

What do you do when they are only 15 months and WILL NOT take "no" for an answer??!!

I am so fed up and frustrated with Gabriel. The kid has something in his head and he won't stop. Lately it is the Air Conditionair...on/off, on/off, on/off you get the picture! I have a wall A/C and it's very easy to reach. He won't leave it alone. It is 100 degrees here and it is struggeling anyways and when he won't leave it alone it just makes it not work.

I try to redirect him, distract him, I have even smacked his hand and his behind!! I hate to do that but I am so frustrated. And the bad thing is...it doesn't work!! 5 mins (or less) later he is back up there turning it off.

It is the same way with everything...climbing on top of the table, climbing over the gate etc etc. You get the picture.

What do you do? I am going crazy! :crazy: 8P :crazy:

 

Mine were like this with the water cooler about that age. Fortunately, we can just not be in that room, but I'm guessing with the a/c that's not possible. Is there anything you can put over the switch? Like tape a paper cup over it? I know that doesn't really solve the problem of him not listening, but he's going to be in that phase for a while. At least it would stop that for a while. I dont' know about the climbing, mine aren't really climbers.

 

I feel for you. We went through a phase where Jack would turn on/off the dehumidifier in the basement. I tried everything you mentioned, but he was sooo persistant. It got to the point where he would look at me with those eyes saying "I know I shouldn't be doing this, but..." I started to ignore him and he got over it. I know you may not be able to in this situation, but I didn't have any other ideas. I like the suggestion of putting tape over the switch though.

 

sounds like my son - with the A/C, the cabinet and climbing on the table...we put tape over the A/C and within 5 minutes he figured out how to strip the tape off and turn it off!!! Anyway unless its something dangerous (like climbing on the tile coffee table) I've about given up!

 

At 12-13 months my girls were like this about touching the TV, I could not get them to stop for the life of me. However they did listen about most other things. The only way I got them to stop was to get a higher entertainment center. From the looks of the other replies I think the consciences is to some how deter him. I don't know how well the paper cup will work but I would defenintly try that first and then if it doesn't work put something big and safe in front of it so he can't get to it. Our air flow vent is on the ground, so I locked one of the walker/play unit things in front of it so they play with that instead of the vent.

I feel your pain and wish you lots of luck.

 

It's the age... mine are nearly 3 and one still won't take no for an answer.

 

I know it isn't the same as an a/c, especially because of the heat and all, but what I did when they wouldn't stop touching the TV was ignore them. With my dd it was all about just doing what she knew was wrong, so ignoring her worked. With ds that didn't work so I sort of put him in timeout. He HATES the exasaucer, so everytime he touched the TV I would put him in there. Sounds mean, but he doesn't touch the TV anymore! Good luck!

 

QUOTE(TwinLove @ Aug 22 2007, 09:10 PM) [snapback]376261[/snapback]
I know it isn't the same as an a/c, especially because of the heat and all, but what I did when they wouldn't stop touching the TV was ignore them. With my dd it was all about just doing what she knew was wrong, so ignoring her worked. With ds that didn't work so I sort of put him in timeout. He HATES the exasaucer, so everytime he touched the TV I would put him in there. Sounds mean, but he doesn't touch the TV anymore! Good luck!


I'm afraid with the A/C that he's going to break it. That's a lot of power turning on/off. And it's blazing hot and when it shuts down it takes a long time to come back up (preggo with triplet momma does NOT like to be hot!!) It's got the kinda buttons that puttint tape over wont' work.

I haven't been able to find anything that he HATES. I tried putting him in his crib for a time-out and he loves to jump in there so it wasn't any punishment at all!

Thanks for the tips...

 

Gosh, I wish I had some tips, but really my girls are the same way. They're nuts!

for example: right now, my kitchen chairs are duct-taped to the table, because they were climbing up and table dancing. I tried keeping them out of the kitchen, but they've mastered climbing over the 3 foot baby gate.

Distraction is really about the only thing that helps. Say no, then move them away and do something else. With Bell, when she's annoying me turning the TV off and on, i can go into another room and start singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider song and she'll come running. And she'll forget all about the TV for a while.

There's no easy answers and being 20 weeks preggo with Trips can't be easy under the best of circumstances! I hope they calm down and start listening better!

 

QUOTE(Gabe+2more @ Aug 23 2007, 08:05 AM) [snapback]376755[/snapback]
Gosh, I wish I had some tips, but really my girls are the same way. They're nuts!

for example: right now, my kitchen chairs are duct-taped to the table, because they were climbing up and table dancing. I tried keeping them out of the kitchen, but they've mastered climbing over the 3 foot baby gate.


:rotflmbo:
Gotta love duct tape! Mine do the table dance, too. So my chairs are on top of the table. But now they have figured how to climb up the highchair to get there. UGH!

 

Think that's funny? You should see their bedroom door at bedtime. I have two 3 foot baby gates one on top of the other blocking their doorway to keep them in. They're sleeping on two twin mattresses on the floor because they escaped their beds regularly. They've mastered door knobs, so keeping the door shut isn't an option even if the AC weren't a consideration. This age is difficult and I know it will get better in time, it's just waiting it out that's difficult!

I can't imagine dealing with their escapades and being pregnant! You have my best wishes!! Funny, Gabe was this age while I was preggo with the girls, but he was such a good, quiet, peaceful, laidback baby! I thought for sure these two would be the same....NOT. I wouldn't trade them for nothing though!

 

When we go through these stages, I remember what my mom told me when I complained that my oldest was 1 - No matter how many times I put the books back on the shelves and punished her - she went right back to it. I wanted to know what to do. My mom answered "Who's the adult here? MOVE THE BOOKS!"

From then on when I had a consistent problem, I made it impossible. The house looked kinda weird at times, (couches in front of doorways, double gates, duct tape over everything, duct taping chairs in front of things, everything up high, babysafe door knobs so even I couldn't open them easily, etc.) but it was worth it.

Thanks mom! ^_^

 

We use blue painters tape (duct tape leave a residue behind) and cover stuff. We have it all over and it works great!! comes off clean as well!!

I would just keep putting him in time out time after time after time and after the 3rd timeout - a big timeout in his crib might help?

 

My boys do the same thing! The more tired I am, the harder time I have with it. I usually just change rooms!

 

Diane, I've actually just started timeouts at 18-19 months, but they don't seem to be very effective yet. If I remember correctly, it didn't really help Gabe till right around 2.

I'm gonna have to toughen up on some things and start doing more timeouts, but I'm not looking forward to it.

I don't necessarily think that would work for the OP as her little ones are 15 months.

I think the painters tape is a brilliant idea as well. Cleaning off the duct tape residue is a PITA, so thanks for that idea!