Since becoming a parent, just about every aspect of my life has been thrown topsy-turvy. Every room in the house in the house has been torn asunder. Like a Molière farce, you close one door, he opens another. You put away the pot, turn around, and he’s got the lid over his head making “Oooooo” sounds. With a one-year-old boy who has been walking for several months, no cabinet remains closed, no countertop is safe.
A few things I’ve learned since baby Rowan started walking:
- My son is tall. Anything on the edge of a countertop is not safe. I’ve often done diving rolls in the kitchen to prevent him from knocking a glass on the floor. You can generally tell just how tall he is by how high things get put away in the cabinets. As the months wear on, appliances get higher and higher and higher…
- One cabinet is not enough. We’ve put baby locks on all the cabinets but one, filled baby safe goods from cups to lids or whatever knick knacks and do dads he wants. While he does play in that cabinet, he always seems drawn to the ones he’s not supposed to play in. Is this a boy thing?
- He is obsessed with the trash bin. Obsessed. We have to empty the trash sometimes several times a day and keep the bin clean until we can find another trash unit he can’t get into.
- The dog food is not safe. While I’m cooking or cleaning, I’ll hear the dishes rattle and run over. Often it’s too late. Either he’s elbow deep in the dog’s water or he’s dumped the water on the floor.
It’s been my experience that from the time of walking to about age 2 ½ is the toughest time for parents in terms of keeping their children out of things. You’re constantly blocking your baby from bumping into this, running into that, pulling the lamp down off the coffee table, eating the remote control…. No room is safe. Nothing is off limits. I cherish the times when he’s secure in his high chair eating his food. And because he prefers to use the spoon by himself now, there’s very little I can do but observe him smear sweet potato or yogurt all over his face, his hair, and just about every other part of his body. Bibs? I don’t even bother. He’s been ripping them off since he was six months old. I’ve tried towels. Nope. He can’t be fooled. So we just settle for “costume changes” and baths. A lot of baths.
It’s exciting to watch the development between age 1 and age 2. It’s also exhausting. This is why I wear tennis shoes… even in the kitchen. As children grow, there’s nothing like a good pair of running sneakers to catch the little guys.
Do you have a story of a time when your munchkin got into something they weren’t supposed to, like tearing out all the wipes from the diaper bag or unraveling the toilet paper roll? Have you ever turned your back for a second only to find a big surprise? Share your crazy kid stories below, and invest in some tennis shoes. And some strong soap.
