My Son Keeps Tearing Apart My Stuff.

Updated on April 28, 2010
C.T. asks from Harlan, KY
7 answers

OK first of all children get into everything especially things they aren't supposed to, but there is a problem in which this happens every morning. My son sleeps in his toddler bed and my daughter sleeps in her crib and I sleep in the corner in my bed. Only because we have to share a room in my sisters apartment. There are two closets in the bedroom that are locked with hooks so that he cannot get into them. There is one closet that a crib is pinned against the crib, so if he was to climb into it he could reach the lock then get out of it and move the crib then get into the closet. Since these closets are so small, I have made a make shift hanging clothes rod that is in a bay window that covers the space heaters that used to work in the apartment. (the ones that are made of steel - really heavy) The main issue that I'm having is every morning my son does not wake me up - instead he gets into the window and pulls down all, and i mean all the clothes including the hangers and breaks some hangers in the process. Also he gets into my daughters bed and shares the newly found clothes so hes not going to be the only one into trouble. The first time this happened I set him in timeout for ten minutes then had a talk with him about mommies things and his things. After that I told him that i would make him pick up the mess and he would sit in time out. After the next time I told him to pick all the clothes up and that its mommies things not his things time out again. Well this happens every morning so Ive tried to think of things to do when he does this. I am at my wits end because he isn't really old enough to put clothes on a hanger and hang them up yet - so i am left to do it myself. I don't know what to do at this point. I could make him sit in his room on his bed with no toys only coming out to eat. But I think he would act out the next morning just because he was punished the day before. Anyone know what I could do? I cant move the clothes into a different room - mainly because there is no other closets to put them in. And I don't want to live out of a box just because my son terrorizes the make shift closet.

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So What Happened?

Both kids are going to daycare now. They leave early in the morning like 8:15. They are usually asleep until this point, so no more broken hangers and clothes all in the floor. YEAH! Thanks for all your ideas. Ive got an alarm to wake me up early enough that I can get them ready and out the door for school.

More Answers

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Personally, I would not choose to fight that battle! I'd minimize my stuff ideally to fit in the smaller closet. Or move the stuff to a basement, another room, under the bed bin...
Also, can't you hear him getting up and doing this stuff (breaking hangars) if he's in the same room? I think getting up before him would solve the entire problem.
It makes me nervous that he's getting into stuff AND his sister's crib with no supervision! O. of them could get hurt. And he is little so I don't agree with the idea of "making him sit in his room on his bed with no toys only coming out to eat." Good luck!

2 moms found this helpful
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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

.

2 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

General rule of thumb is 1 min in time out for year of age. So a 2 yr old would have a 2 min time out. I'd worry about him getting into the bay window, not so much because of the clothes but because he might fall out (less of a worry if you are on a 1st floor). He needs a safe place to play where he can't get into trouble. Short of getting things into an armoir so they are not accessible, I'm not sure what you can do with the living space that is available.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.A.

answers from Denver on

They make a motion sensor device for cats that squacks really loudly when it is triggered. I would be tempted to surprise him with setting it up and having it go off when he disturbs the closet stuff, thus waking you and catching him in the act rather than after the fact. He then doesn't get the fun of success, just the consequences.

I also think this is his way of saying he's bored and it's not okay that you're not awake and taking care of him. He's getting attention out of it, even if it's negative attention. Perhaps you need to re-evaluate how your day is set up so that he is getting more one on one attention and you are getting up earlier and engaging him in something else.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.H.

answers from Johnson City on

I agree with the others about getting attention. I would ignore him the next time he does this. Just pick up the mess and don't show him any attention. Go on about your morning. Later on, tell him that you don't like when he does that and how much it would help you if he didn't do it anymore. Toddlers will test you and when they get a reaction they keep it up... whether it's a positive or a negative behavior. Good luck neighbor! I live in Hazard.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

I love the motion sensor suggestion. I have a 2 yr old and she gets into everything. She opens my drawers and takes things out so I have everything all over the floor. Very frustrating. I cannot just lock her out of my room because it is her room too and we do not ahve anywhere to put her stuff (we already have her toys ina bench in the living room). One thing a friend of mine did long ago when she did not have a bedroom closet or have room for a wardrobe was put planter hooks in the ceiling. Then she used the kind of chains that would hold a heavy hanging plant to hold as rod for her clothes. This might work for you. The clothes would be higher up than he would be able to reach.

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E.M.

answers from Louisville on

how old is your son? if hes 10 then 10 mins of time out is fine but its one min per age is the normal guideline any more than that and they forget why they are there. you could try putting a piece fo wood on the heater so its a little more tippy and might scare him sorry im not more help

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