Help...17month old boy tearing up the house...I am going crazy

[4pillars]

Seriously, how am I suppose to homeschool my 12, 11, and 8yo... and keep up with my 3yo girl with a 17month boy climbing on everything... it is chaotic and very crazy.

So.. I know some of you guys have been in my same situation, and I would love some advice as to how to schedule this little guy!!??:001_huh:

This boy has been the most fiesty little boy EVER..

How do you do it??

Just to give you an example of what he does... He climbs on each and every chair, then onto a table, climbs on the toilet or plays in it, and so on, and on and on. We do discipline him with a spanking, which does absolutely NOTHING at all. I honestly do not remember my other guys being this fiesty. Please help me with my little :auto: crazy boy:lol::lol:

Thanks,
Jennifer

[Chris in VA]

Just some quick ideas--

Tire that boy out with lots of exercise outside. Then put him down (not getting overtired). Long walks, lots of climbing and sliding at the playground, etc. He sounds bored.

Use the MOTH idea of getting one child to play with him (and his sister) for half an hour while you school the others, then have him spend another half hour with you, then get the 11 yo to watch him and his sister for another 20 mins or so. Then spend some solid time with him, preferably outside. Lay him down for a morning nap,or at least a 15 minute room time.

So maybe something like

Breakfast 8:00-8:20

Clean up 8:20-8:30

Ds w/littles, 8:30-9:00
11yo and 8yo do
math

11yo w/littles 9-9:30
while 12 does math

Mom with littles
while 12, 11, 8 9:30-10
read

Everyone has 10-10:30
snack
and takes a chore
break

Room time for
17 mo, grammar
or science for others 10:30-10:50

11yo takes 17mo 10:50-11:15
for walk or does something
active, while you
work with 8 yo and supervise
12 yo

Etc. In other words, short lessons, plenty of interaction with you, but let your olders help. Give 17 mo plenty of exercise, use naptime or roomtime to your advantage.

[Alice]

Maybe I could drop my 17 month off at your place and they could play together....that would wear them out...right?

[Jenstet]

I have a 2 year old and he is fiesty and LOUD. He is starting to come out of it now but trying to include him was a nighmare. My son likes to clean toilets too...at least he uses a brush but EEWWWW.

I would make him play-doh. He likes cutting it up.
I gave him kid scissors and let him go to town with a magazine.
He liked counting chips even throwing them on the floor.
Peeling boiled eggs...don't ask
The thing he likes best is the bounce house we put in the livingroom. Best $100 I ever spent.

So those things would work 3 out of 10 times. I have a gate up in the kitchen so when he was being extra fiesty I could toss him over. He would eventually entertain himself.

When he was being EXTRA EXTRA fiesty I could put him in his crib for a few minutes of peace with the others.

Not great solutions I know. You know he will grow out of it, it's just a matter of making it through the next few months. Now my son likes to participate and knows that if he is ripping someones book he has to leave.

[MichelleWI]

I used the MOTH system of sibling play before I ever read the book.

Have you heard of tomato staking? Basically you and your little guy are glued together at the hip. The only reprieve he gets is sitting outside the bathroom while you are in it. You are aware of his every move and able to direct him, or redirect him, as needed. There is a site that talks about it. Again, it's a concept I used before ever hearing about it online.

We have a fairly sedate household but lately my 4 year old and 2 year old have been driving me full speed on the Migraine Train. The 2 year old has actually been trapped in the high chair several times this week, just to keep her still while I work with the other children. She loves it. *shrug*

I honestly think this long winter is getting to everyone here (in our house, not on this board) and we're all ready to pop. The little ones are able to flame through the house without knocking everyone else down. If I wasn't a lumbering pregnant woman, I might just try to do the same. LOL

[Jennifer in NH]

I have no good advice..I've been shutting most of the doors in our house lately! Mine is 22 months old and loves to play in the toilet or climb on top of the toilet and get to the sink where he plays in the water...gets into all the glue, tape scissors and everything else in the office if the door is open. All that stuff is way out of reach, but he manages to quick as lightning, get a step stool, find a chair climb up everything..well, you get the idea! He takes about a 2 hours nap and almost all of our school is being done then...too bad there isn't enough time to do it all in that 2 hours!:D

[Amy in NH]

How about a playpen?

[jail warden]

a playpen is a great tool. :iagree: I also do blanket time and chair time. It makes her sooooo much happier and not into everything!

[Natalieclare]

I notice we have many kids close to the same ages: I have a dd14, dd13, ds11, dd3 and ds 16 months.

When I first saw your thread, a little thrill went through me. NOW I will get all the answers, thought I. But I don't know, looks kinda like we are just gonna have to get through it.

My little guy would be thrilled if he could play outside all the live long day, but I often can't spare someone to watch him out there. I find it difficult to take my older girls away from their studies and my 11yo, though sweet, is unreliable. That's my problem with the MOTH system too, but maybe I haven't given it enough of a fair shake.

As far as wearing my 16 month old on my hip... I don't know...he doesn't really seem to want to stay there. He wants to explore. (If you are a toddler-wearing mama, please let me know if your toddler WANTS to be there or you are *training* him to be there or what.)

And playpen people: do you mind if your toddler screams in the playpen or crib? It's hard for me to feel good about that option when he seems so unhappy. My little guy cries and cries if he is stuck in baby jail/crib/or even high chair.

The 3yo sometimes plays with the baby, but she is in the stage of Little Set-ups right now (hours and hours of little scenes with her various animals and such--not conducive for play with baby!) We do require "play with others" time, but then that gets so noisy!

I have pretty much trained the whole family to close the bathroom doors EVERY TIME, so that's one thing I don't have to worry about. But this kid IS my first climber. Table tops, window ledges, arms of couches, brother's bed, top of desk which holds the turtle tank (EW)--he loves to climb! It's exhausting, making sure he doesn't break his neck.

He did have fun playing with play dough the other day. And Timberdoodle has this really cool silicon sand tray thingy that looks promising, though a training period will be required. A big bouncy ball bought us some time today. He also adores his sister's nesting dolls.

And can you say "eye teeth"??? Oy.

:grouphug:Sorry I don't have much but sympathy to offer! :grouphug: :grouphug::grouphug:

(I'm trying to remember to have my dh hug me a TON--I always feel physically depleted by the tornado stage and his hugs help replete me. At this point in life my family keeps me so hopping, I can forget to get that hug!)

[4pillars]

Thanks everyone!! I guess this is one of those "This too shall pass" type of things. It does help to know that I am not alone.

He does still take an AM & PM nap. I think I am going to purchase a gate to keep him in his room for 20-30 minutes at a time. Then, I will schedule my older children with him for 30min a piece...hmm, this may be tough because they are already doing this with my 3yo, and she loves this time with them, and I don't know if it would be fair to expect them to watch both at the same time??!! Anyway, I think I will have him sit in his high chair to "color" and then have more outside playtime, which is a whole new adventure. We have a big tree house that my hubby built a few years back for the kids AND a Rainbow wooden swingset and both of these have LADDERS... which is NOT good for an adventurous 17month old boy! I am going to have my hubby make something to cover the ladders up, maybe a board to take on and off for the time being.

So, I am rambling, talking out loud in my typing! If you have any other "activity" suggestions, please let me know!!

OH.. I have one I can share with everyone. My boy loves balls, and so we bought him 2 big balls, 4 medium size balls, 3small balls and 3 tennis balls. His will stay in a room and play with all those balls for a little bit:) Ball is his favorite word!

Thanks again... I really don't know what I would do without this board. I love it for sooooooo many reasons!

Blessings,
jennifer