If you have a little explorer who climbs everything, he will not want you to help him in anything and he will only want to show how he is capable of going up and down any space ... But he needs you to protect him to avoid hurting himself. Although the first time your little explorer climbs the sofa it may seem adorable, it can actually be dangerous, especially if you fall and get hit. The feeling of happiness may disappear as you watch your little one try to scale every piece of furniture or vertical structure on his way.
Climbing is an important stage in the development of gross motor skills, but it can be a difficult behavior for parents to handle. At the very least, it may seem inappropriate and a bit irritating. The biggest concern for most parents is safety.
Your child is going to fall and if you are not careful he could be seriously injured. It is possible that to avoid this damage you want to put an end to climbing, but it is necessary for your child to do it for their development ... the best thing you can do is learn what motivates your child to climb and look for ways to redirect that urge to avoid injury.
Why Little Explorers Climb
They go up because they can (or at least they can try). Children begin to gain more control over their body movements around 18 months. They find that they can throw a ball, run quickly through the park, and get up on furniture. At first, is innocent: your child just wants to sit on the couch like mommy and daddy.
However, once he finds the power in his body, your child may want to explore the limits as he does everything else. For some children, bumps are unavoidable and the understandable fear of those high places is enough to prevent them from doing so. These children are likely to be easily discouraged from climbing with a few firm reminders and demonstrations that chairs are for sitting and the shelves for books and not to climb on them.
There are also other children who will not stop no matter how long they are reminded not to. These two-year-olds, climbing is too exciting to give it up. They want to flex their muscles and satisfy their curiosity about what's on the top shelf. Young children with older siblings can be even more determined climbers because they are trying to mimic the children around them.
How to stop an explorer without limiting him too much?
Aside from removing all vertical objects from your home, as well as objects that could be stacked vertically, you really can't stop a climber. And really, you don't want to (at least not in the long run). Climbing is a great way for young children to develop strength, flexibility, and balance. It is also a way for young children to learn about their environment and gain confidence.
Of course, even if you relax the no-climb rule in your own home, there are places and times when climbing can't be allowed. In this case, you can try to apply effective discipline techniques to stop the specific behavior, but try to avoid making it appear that all climbing is prohibited. If your reaction to any and all climbing is dramatic and loud, you could accidentally fall into one of the worst traps in young children's behavior: turning what's forbidden in a fun game that attracts mom's attention.
Channeling your child's energy and interest elsewhere
While some children appear to be "climbers" by nature, it does not mean that your child will only be happy when he is climbing tall (and not so tall) structures. At the heart of the desire to climb is the basic desire to be active. You may be able to avoid the worry and chaos that climbing brings if you can satisfy your toddler's urge to move with activities that keep his feet on the ground.
The first thing to do is accept that young children should not sit still. Coming to terms with this fact can help you be more patient when faced with a crafty little one. Then, you will have to give your child enough time and space to move.
An hour or two in the park or on the playground is great, and can tire a child so young that they will want to take a nap or rest for a while afterwards, but once they are awake again, they will be ready to move again. . If you try to keep your child confined or provide toys that are only of the "be quiet" variety, it is very likely that he will turn against it and start climbing anything because of his desire for constant movement.
Mothers and fathers who accept that their little ones have the urge to run, jump, and even climb could have a little control over the situation by setting up safe play spaces for climbing. Find a place inside or outside where you can give your child some freedom to explore independently and fill that area with toys that encourage young children to be active, as well as pillows, sofa cushions, and soft materials that children can stack and climb.
Having a playmate nearby can also distract your child from climbing. even if the two of you are only in the parallel play stage, a friend can remove the need for some climbers to find something more exciting to do.
If your young child wants to climb it all, remember that this is not a bad thing at all, you just have to make sure that he can satisfy his exploratory cravings ... But with caution that he does it without danger! Your little one like this, will be able to develop both physically and emotionally in the best way, and also, will have his best teacher to get it ... you!