my 23 mth old is obsessed wih doors?

Question

i posted this question but didnt explain very clearly. my son has a thing with doors, and since he could walk ive had child locks on everything fridge, oven, all the draws, cupboards i have been so persistant in trying to stop this behaviour but its just become a routine and eventually after hes been so constant he'll brake the lock or they'll bend and open. he always used to go near the oven but i always stressed that it was hot but now hes starting to learn the difference between hot and cold he opens the door and slam it shut , or he'll turn it on and the light comes on than he tells me its hot. he even tells that cats that its hot and moves them away but he wont listen to me hes burnt himself twice now only minor and he still goes back what do i do?

Answer 1

Make the kitchen OFF LIMITS. I've always done this with my 3 1/2 year old, to prevent any possibilities of injury. You'll have to teach your son this after he already has had access to the kitchen which is going to make it more difficult, but it sounds like that needs to be your only option. Not only can he get burned, he can get into the cleaners, knives, etc. from his obsession with opening things.

If the kitchen has an obvious line between the flooring (carpeted dining room/tiled kitchen), use that line as the "no pass zone". Enforce it with positivity, make it a game! Don't let on how important it actually is, or else your son will do it on purpose to test you.

Answer 2

Is there any way you could block him out of the kitchen completely with a baby gate? My son is also 23 months old & he pretty much does whatever I tell him not too. I think they are entering the terrible 2's at this point & want to exert their independence by disobeying Mom & Dad. He could even like the attention he get's when he touches the oven. I would think that he would remember though if he's burnt himself on it before & would be scared to touch it again. Maybe he just finds the kitchen so interesting because it's so off limits. You could always use the baby gate when the stove is actually on & maybe you could dedicate a special drawer or cupboard just for him to play with (when you're not cooking). My son has his own special drawer in the kitchen & I put some safe cooking utensils, a duster, some pads of paper etc. so he likes to play with that. My son also has an obsession with doors but ones that open automatically, garage doors & automatic doors at the store. He goes crazy when they open! Anyways, best of luck!!!

Answer 3

I would suggest an oven lock. And maybe a baby gate while you're cooking, or put him at the table to color or play while you cook. My son loves our cabinets, and I got tired of pulling him out of it every 2 seconds, so we let him have 2 to himself, with plastic bowls and spoons, and he doesn't try to get the other ones as much because he knows hes allowed in that one. Good luck, and be careful, kitchens are a hot spot for injuries!

Answer 4

Assign him a "naughty chair" in the corner and make sure he is facing the wall so he can not observe what is going on. When he turns around to look, turn his head towards the wall until he knows that he is to face the wall until you say his time is up.. When he touches something that is out of limits, tell him "NO!", then put him in the naughty chair and tell him why he has to sit in the "Naughty Chair". If he leaves the naughty chair, keep putting him back until he knows that you mean business. Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and tell him when he hears the ring of the timer, then he can get up and tell you he's sorry and that he won't do it again. I learned this by watching "Super Nanny". Her methods work every time.

Answer 5

we keep a child gate across the floor where the kitchen begins. especially when you are cooking or something. The last thing you want is for him to really get hurt, so I think this would solve the problem. My daughter learned how to climb the shorter gates, but when I put up the taller ones, she doesn't try it anymore! You can even attatch the gate to the wall to where you can just swing it open and back, and you can take it off whenever you want. That way you aren't constantly hopping over it!

Answer 6

Children are naturally inquisitive. It is a healthy sign that you should not impede that natural instinct.

However, you should prevent your child from getting hurt by his mischievousness.

Lock up cabinet doors where things may fall out on him. Lock doors to the outside whenever you are not free to supervise him, if he wonders off.

Divert his interest to other fun things. You will need a lot of patience to experiment with him. Introduce new SAFE toys to him. Toys that can create sound, like musicals, which he can bang on it himself and get a result from that, like the closing bang of a door after he open it.

Do not punish unnecessarily. Children need to learn positively.

Answer 7

This worked for me. I grabbed my daughter's hand and slapped my own hand which was holding her hand to let her know I was serious (I really don't like spanking but I wanted her to hear the sound of the spank without it actually touching her). I told her no in a very firm voice and moved her away. She has never since gotten close to the stove. She tells everyone it's hot even when it's not on. Good luck! If you need to, a little spank for his own safety won't hurt. The spank should not physically hurt him but be enough to startle him so he will behave.

Answer 8

Hard one, But put all dangerous things in higher cabinets and leave only stuff in the bottom cabinets it is safe for him to play with . Try emptying one cabinet and designate it as his to play in. Get an over door lock, and high locks for the exits to the home to prevent him getting out without your knowing. but you still have to be strict and enforce rules for safety

Answer 9

you know this is a tough one, you have to think kind of like he is thinking. Try telling him it will bite him instead of burn him. I had to tell my kids the electrical outlet would bite them to make them FINALLY stay away from them. When he does go near it , give him a very stearn no and sit him in a crib or playpen for a minute, then let him down and continue doing it until he gets the picture. oh and by the way, one day when you are by the oven, make a big fuss about how the stove bit you and do it in front of him. Hope this helps ya

Answer 10

i know this may sound weird, but you just nedd to scare him out of wanting to go near it. next time he touches it, when its on or turns it on, yell at him really loudly and sternly, maybe whack him on the hand a little (not to where it'll hurt him tho). it'll scare the crap out of him and he definatly wont do it again. you do the same thing if kids run into the street. you dont just give them a warning first, because its really dangerous if they dont obey you right away and kids never just listen to you just because you told them something, they'll keep testing it out. if hes scared of it, he wont test it and it wont happen anymore.