spirited baby Sam.....

[~emmalou~]

This isn't a problem as such just need some ideas! Sam is very very spirited, he's eleven months old, crawled at six and a half months and is now walking at eleven months. I have lots of push along toys for him plus other toys that are age appropriate. The problem is He loves to climb. I have baby proofed my house to the Max, stairgates etc, but He seems to just enjoy climbing onto the top of the couch, climbing onto the table, walking along the couch!!!!! I can't turn my back for even one second or He is scaling stuff and of course falling! Then He will get straight back up after crying and repeat the same thing again! I take him out to groups nearly every day where He can just run wild, but when there He tends to run up to other kids hug and kiss them and then sometimes bite them, whack them and chase them, He especially loves it when they scream lol! Just need some activity ideas for a spirited baby. How to handle the fact He hurts other kids, I know He is too young to realise this obviously that He is hurting them x just need some spirited mums been there done that kind of thing lol x XX

[my3girlsjde]

You just described my twins lol.
Honestly the best thing we found was outdoor time in a safe place to get that energy out. At 11 months he's way too young to comprehend fully what he's doing. (By all means a great time to start teaching but a lot he's bot going to get)

My girls climb everything. We've bolted bookshelves to walls and moved climbing tools such as play chairs out of the room. Perhaps someday I'll even be able to have a Christmas tree in the living room lol. 

What you're describing that he's doing at playgroups my girls did to each other. It WILL get better with patience and boundary setting but it really does take a while. A big thing I learned was to protect their sleep. Make sure he gets enough, which for the girls is always a lot less than I'd like to see. I also found that waking up from a nap was a transition they sometimes had a hard time with. I always found it best to make sure they were up for an hour before going to a playgroup, had a really good snack and drink just before going too. But the outdoor time is best, especially this time of year when it's cool.

[Deb_in_oz]

you just described liv to a tee.  you are doing all the right things.  for more of the same but safe too - how about piling loads of cushions and letting sam jump from sofa to them or dive onto them.  liv was best in the garden / playgrounds so she could run, climb and swing at that age.  she was a biter but only ever bit alex (and me once too) - when frustrated like at the top of slide waiting for alex to go, she would get impatient and then bite her.  we just kept talking about only biting food, never people and eventually it stopped. 

[skatty]

Sounds like you are ready to join in here 

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=174841.0

Leorah climbed before she crawled and I learned from "Raising YOUr Spirited Child" (which I totally recommend reading!) that some kids are just born to climb and be in constant motion so maybe you should work on him climbing safely, I think  we were lucky that L never seemed to fall and had great balance so I let her sit on the table and in the window sill. She is 4 next week and still has to climb everything, she can't go through the gate at nursery, she climbs the fence instead and she can climb trees like a monkey! As the others have said, outdoor time in a safe place is best, gives them time to burn all that energy. As for the hurting other kids, I think you have to be on alert and ready to step in before he lunges, did I mention how tiring it is to be mum to a spirited toddler 

[~emmalou~]

lol thanks guys!!!!!!!!

Wow this IS hard work, im exhausted!!! thanks for the tips and thanks skatty for that link, will go and have a looksie now i have proper internet and not rubbish mobile internet

[lyeats44]

~emmalou~  - I was thinking last night that I was needing to post a similar thread.  My darling little girl sounds like your Sam... I think the two would get into some serious trouble together! 

Jaden also loves to run across the couch too... she climbs EVERYTHING... was walking at 10.5 months and is a busy busy busy kid!  We joke about having to take her to "run off" her energy everyday... I also got bit last night.  She likes to kiss, especially if she has been away from me for a period of time during the day and last night she was kissing me and just latched onto my cheek!  Im scared she will do this to a little one at daycare.

I was thinking she was 'spirited' but wasnt sure... I think I will be checking out the support thread as well.

[~emmalou~]

hey there, yep deffo sounds like my sam to a t lol   i think they just have the eneregy of 8 kids lol xxxx

[ikesmummy]

Just came on to post about my spirited son (he just turned 1), his latest trick is climbing on the arm of the sofa and then leaning out for the door handle - he just seems to have no sense of fear. He also walked early and now runs everywhere often waving his arms and singing as well, everyone we pass smiles at him but it's exhausting when it goes on all day isn't it.

We don't have biting but we do have hitting (especially his older brother if he trys to stop hi from playing with one of his toys). The weather has really turned here this week so am hoping to get an all in one rainproof this weekend as I find he is happiest an easiest outside, we also go to a lot of playgroups that he can run wild i and some nice sing and dance ones which he loves, we also go swimming once a week which he loves.

Think I will be checking out the raising spirited children thread as well!

[ikesmummy]

Oh was just thinking how much keaton loves to dance so if I need to Di the wading up or something I put the radio on so we can both dance while I an doing it. He really loves it when daddy and his big brother are there and we can all have a dance together!

[my3girlsjde]

I strongly suggest reading: Raising Your Spirited Child". It put a lot of things in perspective for us as we're the parents that need to know WHY lol.

[ikesmummy]

I ordered the book online last night