It is usually an amazing sight to behold when your toddler tries to climb the couch for the first time. Sometimes it is hard to control the excitement you will feel at that moment.
It could be that you even recorded the moment for future reference, you will watch back and see him struggling to overcome the height all by himself. After that first moment, your toddler from then on will begin to climb everything he sees in his path, from furniture to any vertical structure he finds.
It is from this point of play onwards that you will be fully welcomed into the world of being a parent because you have to constantly check him to ensure he does not get injured.
It can sometimes be frantic for you to handle. Gross motor is a skill in children that gets developed at this stage of life, however, managing this situation can be a herculean task for most parents(1).
Most times, you may look at it as inappropriate behavior, but nothing could be further from the truth.
This stage of development in your child can lead to the destruction of so many things, like your bookshelves, or even your couch cushions. However, as a parent, your biggest concern at this stage of development should be the safety of your child.
You have to do all you can to ensure that they don’t fall off from any height as this can cause serious injuries.
It is indeed a normal phenomenon in the development of every child, the moment they reach a stage of walking, they begin to explore their environment. And start trying to maintain balance on any height they can find (2).
Just anything that will give them more height above the ground. You may never understand how he feels at this stage of his life until you can get yourself down to his level. Think about the excitement that he feels when he gets up that height and begins to see a lot more things than he used to.
Maybe that flower on the table that looks very appealing.
This climbing habit of your child gets stronger in a little over 18 months, at this point, he could get on a couch without much stress then turn himself around and takes a sit like a big man.
And his demeanor will read “yes I did it, and I am pleased with myself”. You have to also encourage him to achieve more, by giving him praise for his little achievement. By the time your toddler will be a little over two years old, he would start climbing on things to open the door.
The more he grows the higher the tendency to climb.
Some of these physical challenges that your toddler goes through are what makes him grow stronger in both body and mind, that is why you have to encourage it while at the same time managing it.
It will really help him to gain better coordination and grow strong bones and muscles when he learns to climb and balance on heights above the ground. Always moving and going through any obstacle in his part will really stretch him, and lead him to start wondering why things are the way they are.
These activities will actually help to stimulate his brain.
Keeping Your Toddler Safe If They So Like to Climb
If your child so likes to climb, you should not try to stop him, rather you must let him continue. The more he climbs on things, the better he will get at climbing. However, you must keep a very close watch on him at all time to know when he is about to get endangered.
Regardless of how close you may be to him during his adventures, injuries are bound to occur, all you must do is just to minimize the extent of the injury he will sustain during this stage of life.
Considering how much harm he could be causing himself; you might want to put an untimely end to his adventure. Doing this will not help you in any way, rather it will make the child feel unhappy and deprived.
What you should do in this regard is to find the things that often makes your child want to climb, try to redirect his adventure into things that will be safer for him even when you are not there.
Just do anything that will reduce the risk of him getting injured, never think about putting an end to his adventure. You may also want to distract them by standing in front of where they want to climb or with anything they may like, but never caution them (3).
Why Do Toddlers So Like to Climb?
Toddlers climb because they can climb, or they feel the instinct to explore the new world around them. The moment your toddler reaches the age of eighteen months old, he will be able to gain more control over his own body movement.
It is at this stage that he begins to realize that he can actually do certain things, like throwing a ball, running around the lawn, or anchoring himself on a huge couch. At first, it is very innocent, he just wants to sit up on that couch because he has seen adults do it without getting hurt, so he sees nothing stopping him.
The moment he feels the power within him to do anything, trust that he will do it regardless. In climbing, your child may want to go over the boundaries as he does with anything else. To some children, the fear of going too high will definitely keep them from going, while some will be undaunted.
However, soon they will learn by the experience of so many falls that bookshelves are for keeping books they are definitely not staircases and that chairs are built for sitting and not to be climbed on.
How Do You Consciously Reduce Excessive Climbing?
Apart from making a conscious attempt to take every vertical object from your dwelling, it is very almost impossible to stop your climbing child from climbing new heights, and you really do not intend to stop him, but his safety is more important to you in the meantime.
Climbing for toddlers is an impressive way to build balance, flexibility, and strength. It serves as a means for toddlers to explore their environment and be happy and confident.
Directing Your Toddlers’ Interests into Some Other Venture
With so much having been said about climbing, your toddlers could have other things that arouse their interest, though climbing is an instinct. If you can pay close attention to those areas that will often arouse the interest of your child, you can direct their energy towards such things, this will reduce the stress you are being put through in managing their climbing habits.
If what arouses their interests is something that will keep them moving on the ground, you still have to be patient.
You have to live with the fact that toddlers by nature like to be on the move all the time.
One thing you would have to do is to give your toddler space and time he requires to move since It is his natural instinct to always be on the move. Giving him one or two hours at the lawn, or any playground should be enough for any playtime. Your toddler may get tired from the play and go to sleep, giving you much relief, but the moment he wakes up, all he thinks about is either food or the playground.
You may want to provide toys for your toddler to sit and play with, but toys do not work for active kids, they do not like to be confined in one place. Active kids like to always be on the go.
Keeping Your Climbing Toddlers Safe
You may have accepted the fact that toddlers by nature are meant to explore new environments and do things that give them joy, but it still won’t keep you from leaping off fearfully when you see your toddler steering off the edge of that couch.
Bearing in mind that you cannot stop him, you may want to focus on the things that would help him to stay safe. Because little ones will definitely fall down, it is a part of the development. It is inevitable.
If you feel that your child might want to climb down from his crib, then you may want to place a large stool near the crib. Climbing down from the crib can be dangerous for your child since the crib is too high, he may fall down and break a limb. Therefore, placing a stool near the crib will make the child climb onto the stool then slowly climb down to the ground from that reduced height.
You may use a mattress that comes with a play yard. It is recommended by experts that you should avoid placing pillows in the crib because it may cushion the fall, and pillows can easily move away from the position which may leave your child vulnerable to all sorts of injury, or even death (4).
Try to take away every unstable furniture from close to the window. Also, try to ensure that all the windows are secured properly to prevent unnecessary falls.
And lastly, have it at the back of your mind that toddlers are born-climbers, it is a stage of their development that cannot be skipped for any reason. You may pass through so much stress this period, but just know that it is a passing phase. Soon your toddler will be able to take care of himself.
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