2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Baby now walking on all fours, you have two choices: either you follow it step by step, or you follow these 3 easy steps!
Finally, baby is 9 months old, he becomes more independent, walks on all fours and climbs the stairs. But in the 2e child, we quickly realize that this new autonomy will become more difficult to manage than in the first child, and this, precisely because our eldest must understand that his brother or his sister cannot yet play or go for walks as she pleases. I therefore give you here some ideas of what awaits you, in order to be well prepared and to be able to take advantage of the small victories of your baby, without failing to die of a heart attack by surprising him with a toy too small in the mouth or balancing on the stairs…!
1re step: putting away unsuitable baby toys
Your oldest probably has toys that are not suitable for babies either because they are too small (Lego, Playmobil, etc.) or because they cannot be put in the mouth (breakage -cardboard head, metal cars, painted wooden blocks, etc.). I suggest here sorting out the playroom with him. This will allow him to understand and identify toys that are too small or unsuitable.for baby. It can even become your ally to watch baby.
Then, to continue to involve the child, we can ask him to decide, with us, a special place for his sibling's toys in the playroom. As for inappropriate toys, we can suggest to our eldest to choose some to take to his room, provided that he closes his door tightly as soon as he leaves. The other toys can be used in activities planned alone with mom or dad or even become "table" toys (like Legos) and must be put away as soon as the game is over.
You can also choose to close access to the game room by closing the door or using a barrier. However, you will find in the following steps that this may be more difficult than you think.
The first step now taken, you have just saved yourself several scares!
2e step: close the doors
Doors! Ah, another problem that is so easy to solve when you are alone, but which becomes quite a headache when you have a child in the house who only opens them as soon as you have just closed them! I tell you: my daughter was finally walking on all fours and my son was learning to go to the bathroom alone. I would quickly realize that these two new developments in my children did not go together! My son goes to the bathroom and forgets to close the door behind him. My daughter, finally seeing a dooropen, rushes to enter. She walks on all fours on the ground (I remind you here that my son learns to pee alone standing up and that sometimes he doesn't aim too well… ouache!). My daughter then comes upstairs standing after the toilet (still very clean!) and I grab her just before she puts her hand in the toilet water (my son obviously hadn't pulled his chain… phew !).
This little anecdote illustrates very well what you will experience on a daily basis. As your baby crawls, you will have to start closing all the doors in the house: patio door, basement door, bathroom door, etc. However, you will have the double challenge of having to constantly close them because your older child will open them behind you. If your child is old enough to understand, you can explain to him why he has to close the doors behind him. Otherwise, as soon as you pass a door, make sure it is closed. And don't forget the bathroom door!
If you have successfully completed this step, congratulations, you may have just saved your baby from drinking the toilet water!
3e stage: the barrier
The famous barriers, what a great invention when you're adults, but what hell with children! When you're big and you have to go to the other side of the barrier, no problem, you step over it, but a child can't get through. I give you an example. Your child wants to go up to his roomlook for a toy: "mum, I can't go up, there's a barrier". You pass it over and go back to your business. Two minutes later: "Mom, I can't get down, there's the barrier". You leave your task again and return to pass it over the barrier. You see? Hell!
Fortunately, there is a solution! Some gates are easy to open for older children while being very effective for babies. It can therefore be very interesting to get one or two, and, of course, to show your child how to close them!
Congratulations, you have completed the third step. Your baby will thank you for the fewer bruises he will have and you will have avoided becoming a gatekeeper!
To follow soon, the routine at 9 months and the routine at 12 months.
