Please! Can give advice on toddler?

Question

I can't seem to manage putting my two-year-old son in his playpen/bed/high chair for more than two minutes w/o him screaming uncontrollably! I need a few minutes break everyday to wash clothes, clean the kitchen, etc. I can't let him run all around my house b/c there are just too many ways he could get hurt. I am just looking for suggestions as to how to keep him happy and occupied for a few extra minutes every day in his playpen! Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Mine would never stand for being put in a playpen at this age...she's much too much of a big girl...just ask her. We child-proofed the heck out of a couple of rooms in our house (including hers) and filled them with her favorite books, stuffed animals, coloring books, etc. (we're lucky...she won't put anything in her mouth because she thinks everything is much too "yucky").
Sometimes she helps me, but if I need to get something done fast (i.e. my infant is screaming), we find something for her to do in her room (we have a baby monitor up there, so I can hear her) or (yes, I know I'm the devil) we pop in a 30 minute Caillou/Barney video...this is usually a special treat for when I feed the baby.
Save some of it for nap time, but for goodness sake, you could use a little break, too!

Answer 2

First off, your child sounds overtired. Does he have a naptime everyday?? If not, he definately needs one. Second, he may be crying because you come and pick him up...hey, stick with what works, right?? That would be natural for any child. If you have met all of his needs, and given him ample quality play time with you, then you should be able to sit him in his high chair with some snacks, or some interesting toys, and when he starts protesting, give him a firm "No, mommy is cleaning. I will get you when I'm done." And stick to it!! He'll eventually learn that he is not going to get his way. You have to take control. Also, you mentioned you can't just let him run around because there are too many ways for him to get hurt...why is that?? Toddlers just learned how to walk a few months ago...they want to run and play and explore...and while it's perfectly reasonable (and recommended!!) to put up baby gates, your toddler should have free range of at least a few rooms in the house....have you thought of baby proofing your living room and kitchen?? That way, you could get some work done in those rooms while he plays. Oh, and btw....most toddlers HATE playpens... hence why baby proofing really is a must.

Answer 3

I agree with others who say your son is definitely too old to want to be put into a playpen or bed while you do housework. I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old which makes getting work done hard so I know how you feel. What I have to do is wash my floors before I get them up in the morning (if I don't they will slide around all over the place!). When they are up I do as many things as I can do while they are playing. My 2 year old will sit in his high chair eating his lunch for a good 30 mins to an hour, watching one of his DVD's, so I can do things then as well, and again when they have an afternoon nap. Neither of them will tolerate being put in their rooms or anything like that so I have to work around them. If he won't just happily play with his toys while you do your housework then TV is not a bad idea as a distraction. My sons will sit on our lounge chairs or on their own little flip-out sofa to watch their favourite shows (I will resort to that if I have to!).

Answer 4

At 2, he is most likely too old to be occupied in the playpen. That was about the age I put my daughter in hers cuz she was being naughty, and I was gonna let her stay in there for a minute or two, and she put her leg up on the side to crawl out. Give him something to keep him occupied, instead of caging him. (not to sound barbaric, only word I could think of) My daughter loved the Crayola Color Wonder books and markers at that age, and they don't make a mess. Just keep an eye to make sure he's not putting them in his mouth. Give him some laundry (like washcloths, socks), to 'fold' so he feels like he's helping and he's busy at the same time. Get him some toys (broom, vaccuum) that he can play with while you are cleaning so he also feels like he's helping out. My daughter has a little toy dirt devil upright vacuum that she loves! With a light and noise and all. Other than that, try to do the things during any nap he takes that you can't do when he's up.

Answer 5

My 22 month old begs to sit in her highchair all the time.
I give her crayons and a coloring book, and she goes to town.
I also put the show Blue's Clues on TV, and she actually does NOT want to get out of her chair!

Maybe girls are different than boys, maybe 22 month olds are different from 24 month olds.

Can he talk yet? I am able to ask my 22 month old what she wants. If I can give it to her, I do.

If I can't, I "mirror" what she is mad about. Right now her big obsession is my husband's cell phone. She goes CRAZY when she sees it, and he doesn't let her walk around with it.
I call her over to me, and I "mirror" what she says: "You want the phone.....yes, I know, you like to hold the phone....you want to hold Daddy's phone". I repeat this for a couple minutes, and comfort her.

It sounds so silly, but many times kids that age are screaming because they think we aren't listening, or we don't understand. It isn't that the child isn't listening...they are just very FOCUSED, and it is hard to distract them.

Also, 2 year olds are into "goals" now....NOT saving $10 by the end of the week, but they are interested in accomplishing something. "I see daddy's phone....I want to hold it....I WILL hold it." When an obstacle comes between their intended outcome and their will, they go ballistic.

I read about it on babycenter.com, and thought I would give it a try. It WORKED so nicely. I don't apologize that I can't provide her with what she wants, and I don't scold her.

So, to finish the scenario, I let her know that I understand what she wants, then I slowly ease another subject into the conversation to distract her: "You want the cell phone....hmm...where is that cinderella doll? Where is she hiding? Go find her"...and before you know it, she is in her room happy to have found her doll.

In the end, she feels like Mom understands exactly what she wants, and then focuses on something else.

I know a gal who gives her 2 year old a roll of toilet paper to play with! Not a bad idea. It isn't hard to clean up, and it is fun for the child.

I understand your situation with cleaning the kitchen. I can't have my daughter in the kitchen when I am cooking, or putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Way too dangerous. I do it while she is in that highchair, coloring.

Best of luck to you...I feel your pain!

Answer 6

Well since hes two years old, he can watch television as long as its limited. There are plenty of short shows on tv that would keep him occupied while you do your errands. Also, you can put some of his toys in his playpen with him, and reward his behavior with something that he likes say a lollypop after he sits in his crib and plays independently for awhile. I'm a nanny for a 2 and 3 year old, and I also live with my two year old neice, so I understand how it is to feel like you need a break! Hope that helps.

Answer 7

You may want to consider turning on his favorite video and offering him a snack. I would label this time "snack time" each day and then, let him know he can have the food only if he sits in his playpen/highchair. This should be done around the same time everyday so it becomes part of the routine.

Answer 8

It is just like when you put them to bed and let them cry it out. You will just have to let him scream for a few minutes until he wears himself out and stops.
Put him in the playpen with a few toys or in front of the T.V. for a few minutes and let him cry it out. He will calm down once he realizes that his screaming isn't going to work.
Right now it's like a game to him- he knows how to get your attention- don't let him get away with it.

Answer 9

When my boys were little, I used to have to lock them in their room during naptime to get stuff done. We had to take everything out of their room except for their beds. We even put a safety device on the window to keep them from opening it and screw down the vent in their room because once they took it out and used it to break the window! They did all of this stuff and STILL would take naps. Naptime was the only time all day that I could get anything done and not worry about their safety!

Answer 10

You can try engaging him in activities that he can do with you. If you are doing laundry, get him his own little basket and let him pretend to clothes. If you are in the kitchen, find a safe spot for him to play with his own pots and pans ( preferably out of the kitchen or atleast away from the stove and out from under foot). It's worth a shot!