Getting ready for new arrival

[trustingGod2]

Help! My 21 month old is into everything. I am expecting a new baby boy in May so I recently put the baby swing and bouncer seat back together as well as a new bassinet Johnathan has climbed into everyone of them and I'm afraid that he's going to break them but redirecting just doesn't seem to cut it he is determined to sit in them and play they were his so I can understand but also need to consider his safety. Any suggestions. Kate

[flowermama]

They sure can be persistent at that age (that's an understatement ;))! It can sometimes get rather frustrating. :hug

Is there a room you can put those items in where he can't get to them? If so, I encourage you to bring them out or let him around them only when you are able to give him your full attention and supervision so you are to redirect him before he climbs in them. There are a couple more months until it's May, so hopefully he'll understand more then about needing to stay out of them. When redirecting it can help to explain, "This is not Johnathan's. This is baby's," and then to show him something he can climb into instead (maybe a wagon you can pull around in or a large cardboard box), while saying, "This is for Johnathan." I think it does make it harder because they used to be his, but wording it something like that might work. :-) Maybe explain to him that it's not safe for him to climb in the swing, etc., anymore, and that's why he needs to stay out. If he gets upset when you move him, it can help to name children's feelings -- you feel disappointed, frustrated, sad, etc. -- and to validate them. I'm not so good at validating feelings as I should be, so I looked it up on the Internet and found a helpful page about validating feelings (http://eqi.org/valid.htm).

Anyway, those are some ideas to consider! :hug