Within the past few weeks, Niko has started to climb things.
Climbing the sofa; OK.
Climbing the fire place; not OK.
Climbing the rocking chair; not OK.
Climbing a chair; not OK.
Climbing in the toy box; not OK.
Climbing in a storage cube; not OK.
Climbing on an IKEA 4×4 storage cube; not OK. He has only gotten airborne once and it was really funny. I was watching him and when he finally accomplished his task, all I saw were his feet sticking out.
So, with all the stuff that isn’t OK, how do you tell a 15-month old child to stop doing it? You can’t punish him because he doesn’t understand yet. When I see his leg start to lift to climb something that he shouldn’t be climbing; it’s really for his own safety, I say NO and I pick him and hold him for a minute and I repeat No many times! Does it work? Not really. Most of the time, he looks at me and starts crying because he wants to climb again or he looks at me and starts laughing.
The sofa is actually a safe place as long as Nina or I are on the sofa with him. Hey, he knows how to safely get off and that is legs first. But, sometimes, he rolls off or goes head first. Mom and dad are smart and we have lots of pillows and blankets and even a rug so when he falls incorrectly, it doesn’t hurt. The nice thing about the sofa is it is much more comfortable than the floor; even with all the cushions on the floor. He also enjoys sitting on the sofa and making us read a book, but it always has to be picked by him. He also enjoys looking out the window.
In his play area is the bottom of a hutch; the top is stored away, and not just any hutch, but one that came from my parents and it’s at least 40 years old. In my childhood and even adulthood years, that hutch held extra platters and plate sets for when he had company. I have liked it my whole life growing up and my parents were happy to give it to us and we needed the storage it contained. For Niko, it is empty; except when he puts his toys in it or when I put his toys in it when I clean. Then, I tell Niko to find his toys! He loves opening and closing the doors and climbing in it. Well, not really climbing because it’s ground level. He likes playing hide and seek in it! Before it was a Niko toy storage area, it was locked and held extra kitchen appliances and Nina’s yarn
My parents are 73 and 68 years old and when my brother and I are at their house, we are always picking furniture that we want when they die! I got dibs on a kitchen and dining room table.
I almost forgot, he also climbs the stairs when we go up for naps and nighttime. But, always under adult supervision; each time he does it, he gets faster and faster. It’s so cute to watch him and when he gets to the top, it’s interesting to see where goes. Does he go to his room, the bathroom, our bedroom, or the laundry room? As soon as we get some free time which doesn’t come often, we have to do a little bit more work in his room to make it baby proofed.
