This new stage of development does not agree with me. I much preferred the days when Judah would sit still, snuggled safely in my arms out of harm’s way.
It’s not that I wanted to keep him that way forever. I’m really looking forward to the fun stuff that comes along with having an older kid — the increased freedom, the family vacations, the conversations with my little person. But I am struggling with this in between time when he wants to go go go, but he’s not yet old enough to understand caution or danger or reason of any kind.
For a while, he was content to crawl around in the playpen if I needed a few minutes to get something done around the house, or you know, use the bathroom. But now he’s suddenly rebelling, and even the playpen is too much containment for his taste. He no longer plays contentedly in there. Now when I put him down, he stands up and screams at me until I take him out again and let him wander the house on all fours.
I realize this stage is crucial to his development, so I baby proof the house as best I can, do my very best to keep him safe, and chase him all day to prevent him from hurting himself. But on days like today when I’m exhausted and longing for the time when he snuggled safely with me, I start thinking crazy thoughts.
What if we converted the spare bedroom into a padded room so I could let him bounce around in there while I fold laundry?
What if we just padded the entire HOUSE? Then he could crawl around bonking into things to his heart’s content, and I wouldn’t have to worry.
Do they make rock climbing helmets and knee and elbow pads in size 6-9 months? They really should consider that for daredevil babies with absolutely no sense of self-preservation or caution.
Why on Earth don’t human babies learn to walk proficiently within hours of birth like colts and deer? Wait. That actually sounds worse. Scratch that. The LAST thing I want is a 1-week-old bonking his head on the coffee table.
I’m trying my hardest to relax and accept that I’m not always going to be able to protect him. The best I can do is prevent serious injury and hope that he’s designed well to withstand a few bumps along the way as he learns to get around. My dad always says, “They’re built low to the ground so they don’t have far to fall,” and I think he’s right. Mobile babies really are built tougher than we think and designed to handle the normal bumps and bruises that go along with learning to walk.
While this attitude helps my fear a little, it does nothing to help the exhaustion that comes with chasing him all day. Pfft. Slow down, baby! Mama needs a break.
found this a a few years ago. thought I’d share. http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=537131&cmSource=Search
Lol! It exists! Something tells me Judah would HATE wearing it and freak out until I took it off him, though.
My motto “Babies (toddlers) are durable”
But, yes, I totally understand. We don’t have carpet in most of our house, so the falls always end with a sharp “bonk” noise that makes me cringe and wonder if all this falling is causing lost IQ points. But, somehow our species survived.
I have the same problem! All laminate floors. We try to keep him on the rug so there’s a little bit of cushion, but yeah. These days there’s no keeping him within one 8X10 space. I hate that thump noise when he falls, but at least it doesn’t seem to faze him much!
We all understand what you are going through. Have you considered looking for a Supergate? (As seen here..http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=5766&parentCategoryId=85183&categoryId=85217). I know it’s pricey but you can usually find them onsale on Craigslist or at speciality yardsales. I had one for my twins and it gives them more area to play and you can feel secure running to the bathroom. This even comes with extension so you can make it wider.
I think children need to know that they may have to be “contained” at times or nothing will get done.
I also made one room just a playroom that they couldn’t get into any trouble. My dining room became the playroom with a gate at both openings.
Good luck!