Conference moira::parenting

    Sure sounds like my Brad to me.  This is the kid with no motor skills
    who I caught climbing the fireplace wall with his little toes in the
    mortar space between the bricks.  Seems he wanted something on the
    mantle....
    
    Anyhow, we handled it by repeatedly removing him from situations, and
    putting him in time-out for climbing and diving where he wasn't
    supposed to be doing that.  It took a very long time, but he did
    eventually get the idea and has calmed down somewhat, but at 3 years
    old, he's still the one I have to watch constantly.  I think it's
    curiosity to see how things work and what_happens_when_I_do_this sorts
    of things.  I'm not sure it can be cured, but they can be taught to be
    more careful.
    
    Oh, and it gets a lot worse before it gets better. Wait til she starts
    walking...Oh, maybe I shouldn't tell you all _those_stories.
    
    Cathy
    

    Boy can I relate to both of you all.  My three year old (Evan) is the
    one that I have to worry about.  Since the day he was born, he is the
    one that has always been going and doing.    He rolled over for the
    first time when he was about a week old and he hasn't stopped since.
    
    Just the other night he took off out of the driveway on his bike.  It
    is a two wheeler with training wheels.  My oldest son (Jeffrey) didn't
    even have the desire to ride a bike until he was almost 4.
    
    So, I guess what I am saying is that you have to keep your eyes open
    at all time.  It seems like lately that I have grown eyes in the back
    of my head just to watch him.
    
    Good Luck!!!!!
    
    Lillian
    

    Rowan started to crawl on Saturday, and seems to have the same view of
    the world. If I can see it, its mine and I go in a straight line till I
    get it. :-} This includes crawling into table legs at full speed,
    launching himself (or at least attempting it) up the side of the
    settee/off the edge of the bed etc,etc.
    
    I don't feel a punishment would have any relevence to the action for
    him just yet (@ 9.5 months). We are just 'firefighting' at the moment,
    either retrieving him or moving things out of his way or both. I also
    take the (possibly controvertial) point of view that a few knocks will
    be 'good' for him, in that it should teach him that if he doesn't take
    care he will get hurt (which is the reason that everybody else takes
    care). When he's sitting and over balances, although we both try to
    catch him, he's learnt that he can make a 'controlled descent' to not
    bang his head too hard. It only upsets him now rather than hurts him.
    
    

    
    Peter is like that (22 months) When I wanted a one year picture I
    arranged to be on  "standby" with the photographer, so I could come in
    when he didn't have any bruises and bumps on his head!
    
    My suggestions:
    Get used to keeping your eyes open - ALL the time!
    Pad what you can, move other potential dangers out of harm's way
    Appreciate Atlethi's (sp?) zest for life!

    Donna,
    
    I do appreciate her zest, even though it wears me out after 8+ hours in
    network hell.  
    
    Fortunately we have a great dog, who is also willing to let us know
    when Atlehi has found something new to try out.  She has the fastest
    crawl I have ever seen, and can be out of sight in the time it takes
    top reach for the telephone.  I hope Sonja's herding instincts continue
    when Atlehi starts walking (any day now).
    
    meg

    Jason was the same way ..... the best I can tell you is to try to
    "remove" potentially dangerous situations, keep her close to the ground
    as often as possible, accept that the kid's going to look like she's
    been beat up, and realize that they seem to have a guardian angel that
    helps them make it through all this stuff!
    
    Good luck! (I'm so lucky Jonathan seems content to just lay there
    grabbing his toes (-:)

    Well the inevitable has happened, Atlehi is walking, or should I say
    running?  The bruise of the week is rapidly becoming the bruise of the
    day but after a short cry she is back after whatever she has fallen off
    of or run into.  I think she is the fastest climber I have ever seen,
    and taught my best freind's daughter how to climb and get down stairs
    when they stayed at our house for three days.  Tamara and Joe were
    thrilled with Shiloh's new skills, NOT!  Their daughter now climbs
    stairs, instead of sitting at the bottom step and calling for mom.  
    
    Last week she climbed the ladder Frank had out to paint our ceilings
    and made it to the fourth rung before she decided she had best figure
    out how to get down.  (yes I was right there when I saw her on the
    first rung, but I don't want to scare her so badly that she falls, or
    becomes fearful of heights like her mom.)  Now she hunts for the ladder
    to work on this skill as well.  I keep her on a leash when we leave the
    yard now as she really does run and is fearless.  
    
    meg

	Congratulations, Meg !  ;-)

	I've got a climber, too, and at 2 years, she still tries to climb
	everything she sees.  This weekend, she decided she's big
	enough to hang on the counter and try to scale the kitchen
	cabinets.  She can just about do it, too!  

	I think I need to make a tape recording of me saying, "Emily,
	please get down from there"

	Karen