How to keep your wild child alive
This post may contain affiliate links. This means that, at no extra cost to you, we may gain a small commission should you make a purchase. Please see our Disclaimer for more information.
Baby climbing stairs
So you think you’ve got a wild child?
I sure do! When my second daughter was born, nothing could have prepared me for the ways she would challenge me on a daily basis. My eldest, Elaina, was under near constant supervision (hello helicopter mom). She never really had a chance to be anything other than well behaved and reserved.
Enter my second born, Laura. When I tell you this girl was walking at 8 months old, I am not exaggerating. One day as my dear husband was working at his computer and I was making breakfast for the kiddos, Laura (9 months old at the time), toddled her way to the stairs where the baby gate had been left open. She climbed what I imagine was at least half the flight of stairs, and fell.
We were extremely lucky that all she suffered from her fall was a buckle fracture in her left femur. I shudder to think of what could have happened to our spunky little babe. Three weeks in a hip spica and our little spit fire was walking again. When removing the cast, the doctor informed us that she would probably not be walking until a week or so after removal. He clearly did not know Laura. She was walking the next day.
A visual of the horror that is the hip spica cast.
Fast forward to today and we’ve got a super jumping, running, dancing, climbing 19 month old. She has tried to land herself back into the ER ever since being discharged. If I turn around on this little girl for one second she will be standing on the closest, most dangerously tall perch she can find. Sound familiar? Then buckle up buttercup because you’ve got yourself a wild child too.
Now that you have confirmed the wildness of your baby, you may be internally screaming HELP ME ALREADY WOMAN! Don’t worry. I’ve got you girl.
Gates, Gates, Baby
Chances are, you aren’t going to be able to be within arms length of your baby at all times, nor should you be. Kids need the freedom to explore… SAFELY. That being said, you’re going to want gates. Gates everywhere. Gates that you don’t even think you need. Gates WITHOUT doggy doors! You already know why. Don’t even think about placing anything near the gates that your baby could use to hoist themselves up and over the gate. It’s like a prison break up in this piece. They’ll do it. You know they will. Most importantly, don’t be like the me of the past. If there is ANY possibility that your baby is mobile enough to get up the stairs, double check those gates, momma. If the baby is awake, the gates are locked.
This is a link to our absolute FAVORITE baby gate. We have tried five different gates with our girls, and so far this one takes the cake! It’s retractable and has a lock switch on top for extra safety for our velociraptor-like toddlers. They’re truly “Clever Girls.”
Get on their level
It sounds silly, but get down on your knees and Spider-Man your way around the house. If you’ve got a baby who likes to climb, keep an eye out for anything that looks like a potential jungle gym from your child’s angle. These could be a stack of books, shelving, ottomans, you name it, she’ll climb it. These things should not be in your gated “safe” area. If it’s a shelf, anchor it. Not only is my adventurous baby into climbing, she’s in the 98th percentile for both height and weight on her growth charts. Baby girl is BIG and she could easily topple a shelf… or ten. I’m telling you, once you’re on the floor it’s like a whole new world full of baby death traps.
Evolve your baby-proofing methods with your baby
Once you’ve gated your little dare-devil into a particularly safe-ish space in your home, you’re now going to want to super-baby proof that space. You might think something is baby proofed, but you could be wrong. I found I was wrong a LOT! Laura started pulling the electric socket covers out of the wall. She ripped corner protectors off of our furniture. She ripped cabinet locks off of doors, and then learned how to open those locks. You are going to have to be on your game. Switch to magnetic cabinet locks, use the box style electric socket covers, and maybe use a pool noodle to cover sharp edges (hey you do what you gotta do). Once your baby inevitably figures out how to get into whatever it is you’re trying to keep them out of, it’s time for a new method. These babies are determined to get themselves into the emergency room and give you a daily heart attack (You may very well find yourself in the hospital with heart failure.)
These magnetic cabinet locks have been the ONLY thing to keep our kid’s out of the cleaning chemicals. Worth every single penny.
When in doubt, don’t trust a toddler
As much as we would like it to be, there are simply some things that you cannot trust your baby around. Pets are a great example. Toddlers cannot be trusted alone with pets. They do not understand boundaries, nor do they totally understand the concept of being gentle. This could cause undue harm to both your child and pet. Fluffy really isn’t interested in losing a whisker, and it’s pretty difficult to baby-proof a cat. If there is a toy, a piece of furniture, an appliance, whatever it may be, that is setting off your mommy-senses… Do not trust it. Remove it from your toddler-safe space.
Opportunities to be Wild Safely
The energy that our wild children have is not a bad thing. Their “wildness” is likely an asset to them. Usually, these children are strong, bold, and daring. If we can keep them alive while their brains are still developing the idea of self-preservation, these kids could grow up to do amazing things. As parents, we can foster these strengths in our children by allowing them to be wild safely. Sign your climber up for a gymnastics class, take them to the playground and let them dangle on the jungle gym under your supervision, take them to a trampoline park… Just give them a safe outlet to explore and use their creative movement to learn about the world around them without landing in the ER.
Remember… Bumps and Bruises Happen
While we want to protect our sweet babies from all harm, it’s simply not always possible. Well it might be, if we kept our eyes glued to these little daredevils 24/7. I once had an ER doctor tell me that it is developmentally appropriate to give your baby space to learn and explore their environment on their own, and this inevitably means that there will be injuries along the way. I am forever grateful to him for giving me such immense reassurance when I felt like I had absolutely failed my child. Despite how I blamed myself, it was so freeing to be able to hear an outsiders’ perspective and the way he gave me grace. So, here I am giving you that grace and pleading with you to give yourself grace too. Sometimes, your baby might dive-bomb head first off the couch, just beyond your grasp. Other times, she’s going to climb into the laundry basket and knock it over on herself…. Not that I have any experience with that personally *cough, cough*. These accidents don’t make you a bad or incompetent mother! They make you a mom who allows your children to experience the world. They will be better off for it, and trust me Momma, you’re going to keep them alive just fine. <3
