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Wrong. Oh, so, wrong!
Miss Bea is a handful — has been since the day she was born.
At every milestone we’ve thought, “Okay, well I’m sure she’s going to relax/start sleeping/not be so wild or crazy now, right?” And each time she would remind us that she is who she is — a wild one.
And now our little wild one is on the move.
Honest to God, with the exception of two baby gates, we never had to baby proof our home whatsoever for Ari. He just didn’t get himself into dangerous situations.
Miss Bea is … different.
So here’s how we’re prepping for our very mobile, nearly-walking, speed-crawling, spirited child:
- All of the baby gates! Though our home is small, it seems as if you can’t move a few feet without having to unlock some sort of gate to get through. And that’s been a bit of a godsend. I can safely leave her in a contained space while I wash dishes/use the bathroom/change laundry.
- Plug covers, and drawer and cabinet-stoppers. My sister’s home was just built with those electrical outlets that have built-in baby proofing. And I am so jealous. Because, for the life of me, I cannot seem to get those darn plastic thingys out of the outlets when I need to plug the vacuum in! While, I’ll admit, we did do this for Ari out of caution, he never once actually went for an outlet. But this Miss Bea, she’ll get into every cabinet, every drawer, every space she isn’t allowed to be. So we’ve covered every outlet and we’ve locked every kitchen cabinet and drawer, in hopes to keep her out of spaces she shouldn’t be.
- Practice the art of doing things quickly. I’m not saying this in jest; I know that if I set her in a contained area, I have about 30-45 seconds to literally run to the other room to grab that item, before she’s gotten herself into something unexpected. So my husband and I have learned to move very, very, quickly.
- Use Huggies ® Little Movers to prevent yucky leaks. This child has had more blowouts than I care to count, and now that she’s on the move, we needed extra protection.We’re lucky to have a Sam’s Club membership so that we’re able to pick up Huggies ® Little Movers biggest pack ever — a 2-month supply — so that we only have to fit in a trip to the store for diapers once every couple of months!
- Giving her a safe space to play. Supervised playtime, in a space that is as safe as can be expected, is a fantastic way for our little one to learn what she is capable of. That’s right — it’s not all about preventing her from doing things; plenty of her growth and learning at this stage is from just freeplay.
So parents, tell me — what is your favorite way to help a spirited child learn and grow while still keeping them safe??
The exersaucer has been a godsend for me. I pop Matthew in if I need to do laundry or help Jeanette in the bathroom.
That’s how I felt about the jumperoo! But she kind of outgrew it! 🙁
Oh we have a spirited one too! She is older now and becoming more fun, but good luck in those little years! They are fun too though!
Same here! Our second is giving us a run for our money! This is such a great deal- I’ll have to run and pick a pick up!
We have a wild child too!! One thing that really helped me to channel the energy was outdoor activities. In the morning we would water the plants, pick any weeds from the garden, and then in the afternoon we would go to the park or draw with chalk, and go for a walk in the evenings! Hope she settles down a little as she gets older!
My 4 year old gives me a run for my money daily but it’s all worth it because he is just the sweetest guy (when he wants to be!).
My little one has lots of spirit too! I’m sensing that I need to raise my baby-gate game… also that ball pit 🙂
Oh man, my little guy is nonstop motion from the moment he wakes up. I’m with you on having learned to do things very quickly, haha. We had a ball pit for a while that he loved but now we are trying to figure out something else. Maybe I’ll try moving his teepee into the living room. Good luck, mama!
Oh how I can relate! I knew we would have to baby proof the house but my three year old and one year old are still proving I have to do a better job daily!
This describes Liam perfectly. I never had to childproof with my older 3 kids but I did with him!
My son was slow to get moving, but once he did… watch out! Into everything! Far more than his companions. I did a mix of classes to wear him out, as well as outdoor activities as much as possible. Rotating a sensory table indoors to keep his attention was another winner. He also loves a good book nook for 20 minutes per day — Whew, time enough for coffee for Mommy! And music calms him down when he starts really winding up. So ITunes is my new best friend.
I had a little mover and she hasn’t stopped moving!! Never napped, never missed a beat!
ROFL….oh my goodness. Your kids sound like what my mom described as me and my brother. I was the dream child, and my little brother was the wild one. Didn’t sleep through the night until he was 4. He took everything apart that he could (like removing 2 of the hinge pins in the front door to try to take the door off (he was 3 at the time.) I only have one and she is a wild child with a capital WILD. But, she is sweet and loving, too. I just want to sleep for more than 4 hours straight…Make it 8…a mom can dream, right?
These are great tips! I love safety gates for blocking off the upstairs and downstairs. I have two very curious little ones.
I hear you! We didn’t really baby proof much with our first. Our second though…
My oldest was our wild child. My second has been so mellow compared to him. I don’t know how I would have handled it if it were the other way around!
Oh man kids are all so different it is crazy!! It sounds like y’all are doing a great job!
Love your sweet little wild girl! Reminds me so much of my own!
my daughter is wild one too.
We just started using Huggies Little Movers with our youngest… such a game changer!
She is so cute, we used to also use the ballpit for my daughter
She sure is adorable! We love Huggies too!
She sounds like my wild one! We had to get a baby corral to keep her contained so we could do ANYTHING! Love that cute face too 🙂 She looks like fun!
Loved having a diaper that I could depend on when my kids were little. Sounds like you have a fun little one!
Yes to the less amount of trips to the store per year. Dragging the kids out to the store is NO FUN!
These are some great tips!
Get outside as much as you can. Let her roam free!
I hate taking the kids to the store. The less I have to go the better! We are huge Huggies fans around here.
I LOVED this post! So cute and I can totally relate!!! <3
My daughter is wild from morning till evening and it takes quite some energy…
We love huggies in our house too! My son is potty training so hopefully he won’t be in them for much longer! They’re my favorite for at night
Such great tips and the ball pit is such a fun toy to have! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, J
http://www.cheersj.com
I don’t know what we would’ve done without our Huggies diapers and wipes when my girls weren’t potty trained! They were a lifesaver!
“Practice the art of doing things quickly” ?? Nailed it. That is motherhood in a nutshell!