Misbehaving 1 yr Old - WHAT?

Mommy2Isabella wrote: OH GEEZ!

I am the mother to a very strong willed 1 yr old. We have tried the No Mam, No Thank You deal, and even praising her when she does the right thing. NOTHING WORKS. She still continues to do the bad thing.

She was climbing on top of her toy yesterday and when she would get down I would say thank you for getting down bella, and then she would just get right back on it so I would say thank you again. I tried doing a pressure point hand thing, well she just started raising her hand for me to do it and saying MOM bad be-la.

WHAT IN THE WORLD. ...

Any advice, I mean I am all for anything you've got.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Oh she is still so young IMO. I think you're doing the right thing by telling her no and using words like thank you. That will sink in eventually. But don't expect her to understand after one or two tries. Even my 3 year old doesn't get no until maybe the 15 time!! It's all about consistency and repeating things over and over again. Distract her, give her another toy, redirect her. That's what works for Wesley. He climbs our stairs constantly now and it drives me nuts...super dangerous. I tell him no, take him down, redirect him to his toys...and a minute later he is back to the stairs. Again, just repeat, repeat, repeat.

tammyhopkins replied: She wants your attention and by saying thank you for getting down she is getting attention and it is giving her a reason to get back on it.

At 1 you should take her away from the situation and put her down beside something that she CAN play with safely. They have short memories and if you can get her attention on something else she will forget for the time being about what she was doing that is bad.

moped replied:
Good answer Tam!

Mommy2Isabella replied: Thanks!!!

It seems like even when I redirect her she turns right back around and goes back to what she was doing when I redirected her ... LOL!!

But atleast I know its not just my strong willed child, that other people have the same issue. I can't ignore her getting on the toy though, I am too scared she will fall off and hurt herself!

** The stairs, bella climbs them, doesn't play on them just climbs them. I put a gate up and she screams and hits it to make it fall. I think she just wants to play in her room. ...

luvmykids replied: Distraction, distraction, distraction. Yes, she'll go right back to it, so you have to distract her again. When she gets on the toy, do you just say thank you for getting down? Or do you tell her no while she's on it? She is young but you just have to be consistent.

I'd get a better gate if she can make the one you have fall, I'm still paranoid about the stairs and my kids are 3 and 5.

gr33n3y3z replied: she is 1 and she is pushing your buttons and thats what 1 year olds do
wait till you have the twins LOL you think its bad now oh boy you have no clue.

Calimama replied:
You need a more secure gate. We have one for the top and bottom of the stairs and it's on so tight sometimes I can't even get it off. Anyway I agree with the previous posters. I do the re-directing A TON with Miabella. Her new thing is to climb over the couch, I take her down say "no no" and then I bring her to the other side of the living room and sit there and play with her. If I say "no no" and go do something else than of course, she goes right back over there. Good luck, you definitely aren't alone.

Calimama replied:
What's that? I've never heard of that.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
ITA. Take her away and divert (sp?) her attention with something she can play with or do. Also, I have learned that it helps to word things in a way to tell them what "to do" versus what "not to do". Example: "keep your feet on the floor", versus "don't climb on the table". Saying "keep your feet on the floor" tells her what your expectations clearly are, whereas if you say "don't climb on the table", she might just find something else to climb since she still wouldn't be climbing the table technically. That's just an example, but does that make sense? She is still very young so just keep on being consistant and use redirection as much as possible. She'll learn.

momofone replied: When my daughter was that age she used to fight me with the car seat and stroller by arching her back. Used to drive me nuts! LOL So I know what your going thru.

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
I agree.

She's only 1. She doesn't "get it" just yet... she is "getting it". Just take her away from what it is you don't want her to do, distract her. Eventually, once she realizes that she just can't play on it, she won't even bother with it.

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
Not to sound harsh... but sometimes that's what it takes....for them to have an owwie.

I sound like a horrible mommy, don't I... but hey whatever... my kids don't climb on the couch anymore...

JLIEMARILYN replied: Thanks a bunch!

sweetpeasof3 replied:
Yes, what she said! It's misbehave/ake-ommy-go-crazy Land at my house, especially w/ my 4 yo!

Cece00 replied:
Yup.

If you need to, even move her to a different part of the room or different room all togehter.

Just be really consistent and she will start to get it. My 1 yr old (well, he's almost one) is JUST like this- always wanting to play with stuff he isnt supposed to play with- like the nightlight.

I always go and tell him "No, no" and pull him away. He often goes back but we keep at it & now if I tell him "no, no" while he is heading towards it, he usually will stop (though sometimes just for a few seconds ). I say it so often, that today my 2 yr old saw him heading for it and say "Jack! No, no baby!" and was trying to block his way