1 year old: Curbing Mouthing/dump & go/into everything

[Dreamalittledream]

My group had mastered personal space, only food in our mouths & clean up one toy/activity before you get another. Then I had a 1 year old start 2 months ago...who definitely is not comprehending any of those concepts. He is still a crawler; barrels through any activity the older children are doing both on the floor or at the tables. Grabs, mouths and dumps toys all day...so frustrating (also dumps his food; but we're working on that). Suggestions other than the repetition, repetition? I do have another little guy same age that I have none of these issues with (he's a walker).

[Fun&care]

I was in your shoes a few months ago. Started two one years olds, one was very passive, the other, super active! I think it's a personality thing. But my savior was my gates. I put some up to block off my main floor play area and it was the BEST thing I ever did. No more dumping out the shoe closet, or yanking on my curtains! As for mouthing, they are both getting better, they know they are not supposed to put things in their mouths but they still do sometimes ( especially play utensils). It gets bette in time.

[bright sparks]

It is a normal stage of development for 1 year olds to mouth. Also between 12 & 18 months all my kids go through a dumping stage. I changed my storage units with a piece of beading on the front so tubs have to be lifted and pulled to be taken out rather than just pulled out and this seems to have stopped this from happening all together thank goodness. I think at age 12 months you should do yourself a favour and not be to on this child's case about mouthing. It's part of learning their senses and a normal part of development. Give it a few months before you crack down on it cause really its not te end of the world. Maybe to spare the rest of the group, just have one box of toys for him that he can mouth to make clean up less of an issue and once he puts it down put it in a tub outside the daycare space for naptime clean up. As for bulldozing the older kids activities, this is why in centres they are split up into age groups as an infant and a toddlers developmental stages and needs are very different. If you can section off an area of your room just for te infant independent play then I think this would be helpful if not, then just shadow the little one and say firm no's just before he tries anything as a form of conditioning him not to behave this way.

[Mum2Boo]

I've had a similar barreling issue with a 12 month old I have.
I ended up using a pack & play for her to go into at certain times of the day when the older kids are doing particular activities. She is out and about more than she's in the pack & play as I don't want to curb her development It's also come in very handy when we've wanted to do outside play in the snow & she clearly can't move around & I need my hands free to help the other dck's stay safe
I like safety gates, but the way my house is designed it would prevent the other children being able to move around as freely.

[Crayola kiddies]

I have a 16 month old that knows no boundries. I also have his 3.5 yr old brother. they like to rough house and so now the younger one climbs on the other kids takes anything he wants, and he wants everything that every one else has. he breaks up puzzles that the older ones are doing , knocks over lego creations, ect. soooooo I have a play yard (6 sides and no bottom) that I use when this child is having a hard time remembering his manners. but sometimes I put the older kids in it to do their puzzle or build their lego castle and they think its fun....sometimes I put a blanket over it and they go in there with flashlights .....I found mine on kijiji for about 40 bucks.

[mom-in-alberta]

Well, I think that it will be repetition that will eventually teach him. Definitely give the older kids their own space to do things like Lego, etc.

I do not think it is too soon to teach that "only food goes in our mouth". I think that as soon as they get to daycare, this needs to be implemented. Now that doesn't mean we get "angry" at the 12m old who just started and still chews on EVERYTHING. Just gentle reminders and removing the toy from the mouth to be wiped off. Some kids are more tactile this way than others, so if he/she is really struggling, I have been using the suggestion others made, of having a certain toy that the little one can chew on to replace whatever they are currently gumming. I have been doing this with my own 18m old who will NOT stop mouthing stuff, and it seems to be working!!