Help...I have a climber

[AJP]

My DD's are almost 18 month old. I have one who is climbing onto everything like a little monkey. She climbed on the new play table and did a little dance up there, climbed on her little people garage/ramp and perched like a pigeon, climbs and runs on the couch, climbs on her ride-on atv and pushes the button to "go" while she stands on the seat, and I could probably think of a few more things she climbs on too! I've had the play table on toy "time out" since I brought it out in November. I gae her a few chances with it but she climbs right up there every time. I'd love for them to have a place to play, draw, and have snacks, but I can't leave them alone in their playroom knowing that all she wants to do is climb on it! Please tell me there is something I can do short of enrolling her into rock-climbing/gymnastics/acrobat school!!!!!

[MoJo]

I'm there with you, and looking forward to replies

The only big thing I'm doing is a very firm "No standing (jumping, running) on the furniture" rule. Because she's going to get hurt, and she doesn't yet learn from getting hurt. As soon as I catch her standing, running, jumping on furniture, I make her sit down (with my words when possible, but physically when she doesn't obey.) If she does it again, then we go somewhere else.

I definitely can't leave her in any room by herself for more than a minute, because she WILL be climbing on something. I let her climb onto the bed, the couch, or some chairs (not the wooden ones in the dining room, or the spinning desk chair), as long as she sits down once she's there. She is starting to do better. . . maybe. At least, I didn't have to stop her as many times this week as I did last.

[MamaKath]

Oh, I had a climber. Hard! Be consistent, use a short phrase that is understandable to her (No climbing; not safe), and provide a place for her to outlet that desire appropriately (Playground, Chuck e cheese, etc). Hang in there, the stage does pass. :)

[JBaxter]

1 of mine was a real climber too. 18 months climbed out of the crib, 2yrs old used a dump truck on a chair to climb on the kitchen cabinet then the plastic rubber made canisters to climb on TOP of the fridge. I feel for you

[carolinamama]

Oh, we are going through this phase right now. DS2 climbs much more than DS1 ever did. His new thing is pushing chairs around the kitchen wherever he wants to go - and then using them to climb onto the counter. If I had a nickel for every time I say "bottoms on chairs, feet on floor" and removed him from the chairs, I'd be a rich woman. I am seriously considering roping all the chairs together under the table so he can't move them. We have a huge Rainbow playset out back and a Step 2 climber in the playroom, both of which he plays on almost daily. And he still climbs all over everything else. Hoping it's a phase for both of us. Other than constant correction, I'm not sure there is anything you can do to stop it.

[elliput]

Both my kids are climbers. I found DS standing on the kitchen table at 13 months. He will take any opportunity he can to get on a table, so I have resorted to laying the dining room chairs on their sides when not in use.

I know that eventually the novelty will where off and DS will move on to some other dare-devil activity. :rolleye0014: I don't even worry about when he climbs on the play/coffee table, hearth or DD's window ledge. They are low enough he can get himself down with no problems.

During the course of writing this short reply, I needed to get up from my chair and both times, DS took the opportunity to climb on it and try to get on the table. :shrug:

[maestramommy]

Arwyn is a big climber, though thankfully until recent months she has simply been too short to climb on things like chairs. Unfortunately, she recently has become smart enough to use things like step stools to get onto chairs:p I really don't have a good answer because she is old enough to be smart about her climbing, and not wobbly anymore. Most of the time. I mostly have to keep an eye on her when we are out because she starts to climb on equipment that isn't really for climbing, and insists on upping the ante for everything.

[AJP]

Gosh, it's exhausting! lol Their playroom is gated and looks right into my kitchen so I can see them while I cook, clean etc. She drags little people stuff over to the gate so she can stand on it and try to climb out. I don't leave anything in there that she could get hurt on or over the gate with. I am constantly bringing her off of things and telling her to sit instead. Can she even understand me???? She sure acts like she has no idea what I'm saying!
As I was typing this she was standing on the LP school bus and had her mouth on the edge of the gate. One foot slipped and she hit her mouth. Poor thing was bleeding. She's fine now, but I'm sure she didn't learn a lesson this time either. Pretty soon there will be nothing left in their playroom but books. Untill they learn to stack them high enough to climb on!!!!

[hillview]

DS2 is a climber -- always has been. I try to remove what he can climb (2 step stools, 2 foot stools, 2 living room tables etc) and monitor what I cannot move (changing table, train table, dining table). ALSO as he is older I ignore some climbing that I believe is not as risky. It is just too much to say no 1000 times a day. SO. Remove what you can and pick your battles.
/hillary