How to deal with a climbing toddler?

Question

My 17 month old has gotten into climbing lately...I walked out of the room 10 minutes ago with him happily playing on the floor..and was back less than 2 minutes later and he is on the back of the couch trying to get the toy he just put back there..he was so close to falling it isn't crazy...I pulled him down on the couch and I scared him..I didn't mean to..I was in a hurry to get him down...He is playing beside me at the moment but he has already tried to get back up there and do it again..he likes to climb in the glider that I turned around today so he can't do that anymore...He also likes to try and climb on the little tables that I lay snacks out on for him..I am at loss at how to deal with the climbing..

HELP HELP HELP!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

It's all about training.  A 17 month old is old enough to learn not to do something.  A little negative reinforcement will do the trick.  I'm going to get dinged for this but it works.  

When he starts to climb on the couch tell him no.

When he tries again, flick the back of the leg and say no. (it will only sting a little and it's better than letting him break his neck or ignore you)

Each time he tries repeat.  My guess is 2-3 times and he will get the message.

Man am I going to get the thumbs down for this.  Oh, well you want to know how to train him.

Once he stops with you in the room, leave the room but keep an eye on him.  If he climbs go in and repeat the flick and say no.  Leave again and repeat as needed.  

Some how people think that all negative reinforcement is bad, however we all learn from feedback both positive and negative.

Answer 2

Well my son is 20 months now... and at the same time your son started climbing mine did too... The good thing is that it is just the beginning of the "climbing stage"  so you have to try to bite it in the butt right now and fast.  You just have to reallllly watch him close.  Any time mine started to climb, I said very loudly "WHOA, oh no, you will go BOOM, and get hurt :-("   Then I moved us to a different area of the house and got him distracted with something else.  If you keep reinforcing this, he will get the idea.  eventually the stage will pass... The tricky part also is when you go play at the mall or mcdonalds and they get to climb all over the place... they have a GREAT time.. and I love taking mine there, but then when they first get back home they try to continue it on the couch and oher furniture, haha... they forget... so kids need lots of reminders.  and I also label things... like he knows what "the mall" is and "mcdonalds" is, so i say "no. no, only at the mall!" or "only at mcdonalds".  I also try to teach to "be nice to the couch, we don't want to break it."  I try to teach to be nice to property.  If it's ours, someone else's, or a stores or restaurant's.  I have a big pet peave against parents who let their kids climb all over the chairs or furniture out at the store/restaurant.  But, hang in there, he will slowly learn what he can and cannot climb on.... just make sure you never once let him do it, b/c if he does it once, he'll think it's ok to do all the time. Be consistent!  Good luck- hope I helped

oh and by climbing i mean on the baby gate, the dinner table, or standing up on chairs or tables (dangerous climbing)... i let him climb up into a chair to sit.  I just  tell him "big boy bottom please!"  then i smile and say "thankyou" very happily as he sits.  positive reinforcement helps too :- )

Answer 3

You have to just kinda deal with it. I have a 2 year old who is a climber. She climbs on cupbaords in the kitchen. She has opened the stove door before and used the oven racks as a ladder to climb up. Another time I caught her on the bathroom vanity sitting in the sink with the water going, brushing her teeth. Some kids just like to climb. Every time your son climbs into a place he shouldn't be, just pick him up and put him on the floor and tell him no. He'll eventually learn what is off limits. You have to kind of train him. Most likely he won't know why you are placing him on the floor, but he'll eventually learn that he isn't supposed to climb in some areas of the house, like the kitchen for example. Maybe when you remove him from where he was climbing give him a warning that he'll get hurt if he climbs where he was at. Sadly, sometimes it does take an accident for them to realize what you're saying. My daughter has fallen before, now she is more careful as to where she climbs. There is nothing wrong with a child who likes to climb. This shows your child is healthy and is using his imagination. Just be patient and just keep pulling him down to the floor everytime he climbs someplace he's not supposed to. He'll eventually get it, just be patient. Also remember that a little fall won't hurt him. Sometimes the parents are more paranoid than the kids.

Answer 4

Make sure you have a TV strap, and make sure that book cases etc are attached to the wall.  Any tables that are tippy or breakable get rid of them.

If you are really paranoid get thick carpet or foam pads (like the puzzle mats)

I just let mind climb.  There are a few things he isn't allowed to climb (like the baby gate so he learned to take them down) and the computer desk (too crowded) but basically you just have to make the environment as safe as possible unless you want to spend every minute of your day saying no and redirecting.  I firmly believe if there are more than 10 no's in a room, or you are saying no more than 10 times an hour (average) then the environment/expectations are unreasonable -not the child.

Answer 5

Ava likes to climb now too. Her favorite place to climb: Our chair, that rocks.

The way I deal with it is by saying "No climbing, Ava!" And she gets this serious look on her face and gets down. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.. so.. I am interested in some of your answers :)

Answer 6

you can maybe get toys for him that are made for climbing, maybe you can get him a playground or something or maybe take him to a park or playgroung a coulpe times a week. but remember, even at a young age use discipline, so tell him "bad" if he climbs on anything, or give him a time-out:)

Here is a website that sells climbing toys

Click the Link>>http://www.nextag.com/baby-climbing-toys...

Hope that Helps and Good Luck

♥ Bella ♥  

Answer 7

Be happy that your son is climbing, that is showing his motor skills.  He is going to keep climbing and climbing no matter what you try to do.  You can place pillows on the floor just in case he falls trying to get down from the couch.  But he is going to fall a lot in order to learn how to get up and down from the couch.  My daughter is only 11 months and she is climbing down from the couch, and I let her get down, BUT I have my hands ready just in case she falls, BUT I don't hold her.  Just like when your son learned how to crawl, walk, talk, now it's climbing.  Your child will be okay.  Good Luck.

Answer 8

What I've been trying (and it's been working so far) is to pick what I'm comfortable with him climbing on and what I'm not.  Our sofa is backed up against a wall, so that is fine.  Our living room chair is in the middle of the room, but he hasn't tried to climb over the back, so that's okay for him to climb on too.  The kitchen chairs are okay for him to climb on and sit on as long as he doesn't climb onto the kitchen table.  If he does we turn the kitchen chairs over for a while until he finds something else to do.  The same goes for our computer desk.  

The idea is to let him climb on things that are relatively safe and that you don't mind too much.  Personally I wouldn't mind mine climbing on to the "little tables that I lay snacks out on" if I used them.  Really it wouldn't be that big of a deal if he wanted to sit on the little table and eat, but of course that's up to you.  By giving your son a specific set of things that are okay to climb on it makes enforcing the no climb things easier.  He's going to climb and going to really enjoy it, so save your energy for the things that you absolutely don't want him climbing on.  I've learned that you can let him climb on things on your terms, or he's gonna climb on things on his.

On an upside, he isn't getting stuck under things anymore.  :D

Answer 9

Rhymenoserus- hello she said that this HAPPENED 10 mins ago! not that she was gone 10 mins. LOVE your comprehension skills buddy.

My daughter does this too, my older boys did this to the point that they caused near heart attacks!

I had to learn to have eyes in the back of my head. i had to make sure i knew where they were at all time. sometimes they would get into things, you can't always be supermom!

if i have to leave the room, i try to find something that will grab my 2 yr olds attention and hold it for just long enough for me to well....usually go to the bathroom, or stir the lunch I'm making on the stove..etc.

sometimes if i have something i NEED to get done, like laundry i have her come help me. she likes to help.

it's a never ending cycle really. I've been chasing my kids around for 12 yrs! lol sometimes i think i gave birth to a troop of monkeys, not children!