2 year old had no "OFF" button! How can I teach him certain things are off limits?

Question

My son is 25 months old. His energy level is NEVER ENDING. I'm trying to make him learn certain rules, such as no opening the refridgerator, no playing with the window blinds, or opening the silverware drawer (the type of cabinets I have won't accept child locks- I've tried ALL of them and they don't fit) and throwing all the silverware on the floor. In my house EVERYTHING has to be out of his reach. He even pulls everything off the kitchen counter by opening the dishwasher and standing on the door. I've tried timeout, I've read books, I am consistent as I can sanely be, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. None of my friends have kids that have the same insatiable need to touch everything they pass. I know it's part of a boys development to be curious, but this is ridiculous! Please help!!!

Answer 1

Tell him you'll give him a cookie if doesn't do it or if that doesn't work tell him if he does it 1 more time you'll get his toy away or something like that!!! hope that's helpful...good luck :)

Answer 2

The first step is to babyproof the house. This means locks on anything that you don't want opened, and barriers to places you don't want him to go.

The second step is discipline. He's not too young for timeouts. At age 2, I'd put him on your lap for a timeout. Its important to explain before the timeout the reasons to why he's there, and during the time out (2 minutes) you do NOT argue with him. Let him cry, beg, whatever, but do not talk to him. It might seem tough at first, but he'll learn.

You have to be firm and consistent at first. it'll get easier in time.

good luck

Answer 3

In a 2 year old's world, everything is "no". In my opinion your best tactic will be to divert his attention to something that is a "yes". It's a phase that he's going through and things will get better.

I don't know how big your home is, but my suggestion would be to get a Little Tykes playhouse with a small slide for him to play on and maybe a KidKraft toy kitchen. When he wants to climb...he CAN climb there and the kitchen has doors and cabinets he CAN open and explore. Some play food and dishes and your interaction playing WITH him there will reinforce the positive area.

Your living room may be a bit crowded with these new playthings inside, but when he touches a "no" you can divert him to the "yes" area. Then when he's a little older, you can move them to a playroom or outside.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

A 2yr old knows that when mummy says no, she means no, it just seams the punishments aren't enough.  

Try putting him in his room alone (taking out anything he can play with).  When you are doing this, sit him on his bed and explain to him that he is not listening to you and your are feeling upset, you have asked him not to touch and he will stay in his room to think about what he has done.

When you open the door to let him out, get down to his level and and ask him why he was sent to his room, use suggestive words to help him tell you why and explain again that he needs to listen to you or he will go back into his room.  Continue to do this for as long as it take, seriously, it may take you a month, but he will start to listen.

You truly need to be consistant, just keep doing the same thing over and over until he learns.  

I don't believe in spanking either and I have done this with my daughter (using a naughty chair or sitting in the hallway against the wall) and it works.  I got my sister to use the bedroom technique on her son, as she couldn't get him to stay on the naughty chair and it worked.  He now gets two chances on his second chance he is told that if he does it again, he will go to his room, if he continues to misbehave he is taken to his room - it does work.

Answer 5

unfortunately there's not a lot you can do that's different to what your all ready doing. he has to learn that there is a consequence for his actions and that his actions are currently unacceptable (god i sound like the super nanny) but it's true. find something he enjoys doing like reading, drawing, etc and turn it into something that can be used as punishment ie if you do that you can't do the thing you like or have that toy you like. don't ever use food as a tool to 'bribe' kids as that can lead to a whole different problem with food later on.

from the sounds of things the punishments just aren't punishments to him. take him outside and run him till he's exhausted if all else fails. otherwise it's just going to mean that you have to be all over him 24/7 so that he can't get into things by occupying him with more constructive things to do. GOOD LUCK  

Answer 6

Put locks on the doors so that he can't get into room you don't want him in. Trying to use logic just won't work with him right now, and he will get over this stage pretty soon.  If you don't want to spend your life saying "no", just make it so that things are impossible for him to do.  Be glad you have a child with the intellect to be curious!

Answer 7

tell him no and if he keeps doing it u have 2 spank him or put him in his room for 1 hour with nothing 2 play with thats how he will learn

Answer 8

Its really part of their development, its just a phase.

Just make sure he knows its VERY bad when he does what you say. Its instinct for kids, especially young boys to push the limits to see what happens at that age. Make sure he gets a bad reaction, so he realises that pushing the limits is a VERY bad idea.

Tell him whats in there, and if he could get hurt, let him know.

"You'll get a fright" or "This will hurt you, if you fall, you'll hurt yourself, and mummy wont help you."

Answer 9

I tried everything to teach my first two kids good behavior to no avail.  I tried everything but spanking because the first time I ran out of patience and swatted my 2 year old daughters diapered bottom, she said "if you spank me, then it is okay for me to hit".  True story.

A mom I trusted--who has perfectly respectful, non aggressive, non defiant children told me that she spanks if her children DIRECTLY disobey.  In a younger child she will warn them once (if they are just excited and forget).  The scenario is that mom says don't do that or you earn a spanking.  If they are directly defiant and go and do it anyway, she calmly, patiently explains that directly disobeying is not okay and they have earned a spank, she gives a spanking appropriate to the child's age and understanding (not a beating), then she reassures them of her love and desire that they obey.  There are hugs and the child has learned boundaries.  She hardly ever spanks by the way.

So, I tried this method.  My daughter was 5 when she got her next spanking, but it wasn't a random swat on the diaper, she had been warned and knew she had earned it.  Soon, warning her by counting "1, 2, 3" was enough.  Her defiance, whining, back talk, and tantruming evaporated.  My son has stopped fighting other kids and hitting me, he knows it isn't allowed.  (He is so proud of his ability to control himself he beams)  My 1 year old stopped unrolling toilet paper, opening the cd player, fishing in the toilet, and climbing into the dishwasher (I didn't have to spank her, just a quiet, "no" and if she did it again, a tiny swat to the hand that was grabbing).  Now, a quiet "no" usually is enough.  A little explanation plus spanking (not running out of patience and swatting in anger) when you are calm can go a long way.  My daughter thought my first attempt at spanking was hitting and it was, but she knows an earned consequence when she sees it and has never associated this kind of spanking with hitting.