15mo DCB Not Walking- How To Keep Him Safe From Others?

[SunshineMama]

My 15mo dcb is not walking yet.. I care for 5 other running, playing bigger kids, and I would like some ideas on how to make sure that he doesn't get run over by the rest of them.

I am always helicoptering over him to keep him safe when we are not in the play room, and have divided the play room in 2. I want him to play with the others but with him crawling, I am afraid he will get run over, literally.

I am starting to get stressed by all of the hovering over him (especially outside the play room). When he is on his side of the room he screams to play with the others. I keep telling myself he will be walking soon, but he will only take a few steps with me helping him then he sits down. This has been for a few months now.

Suggestions on how to help him be happy and safe and me not so stressed?
Thanks!

[My3cents]

that's a hard one, until he is walking and stable on his feet it sounds like your doing all that you can do. Maybe talk with the older kid's about being careful around the little one. I would also do a "no" running rule inside. Think outside the box and instead of keeping him safe from the big kids, keep the big kids safe to be around him. Sorry this is not much of a help. Remember it will not be long and he will be joining right in with the best of them-

[Blackcat31]

Here, EVERYONE plays on their butts.

No one walks or stands so there is no jumping, running or accidental stepping on others.

The only time my kiddos are on their feet is during transistion times or to move from one room to the next.

Having a mixed age groups requires ALL kids to be aware of where others are and to look out for the younger ones....all part of the daily routine.

[Oneluckymom]

Here, EVERYONE plays on their butts.

No one walks or stands so there is no jumping, running or accidental stepping on others.

The only time my kiddos are on their feet is during transistion times or to move from one room to the next.

Having a mixed age groups requires ALL kids to be aware of where others are and to look out for the younger ones....all part of the daily routine.

That's clever....how do you implement that rule? I like it

[Blackcat31]

That's clever....how do you implement that rule? I like it

Hmm, I don't know.... I have just always had the kids play on their butts I guess so they have all learned by watching others over the years.

I do say "SIT!" alot so maybe that works....LOL!! Seriously, I guess I don't know how I actually taught them to stay sitting but if they start to stand, I would tell them they can't play anymore unless they sit down so that helps.

Reminders (to sit) and removal (from the group) all work. Sit or you don't play. Easy enough for even a little one to understand.

Once you start doing it, it really doesn't take long for everyone to play sitting down. Makes the running in the house and the stepping on others and the basic chaos that comes with groups of kids a lot more bearable!!

[MizzCheryl]

Here, EVERYONE plays on their butts.

No one walks or stands so there is no jumping, running or accidental stepping on others.

The only time my kiddos are on their feet is during transistion times or to move from one room to the next.

Having a mixed age groups requires ALL kids to be aware of where others are and to look out for the younger ones....all part of the daily routine.

This sounds great. How in the world do you do that? How do you have them sit to play??? Tell us more please??????

[Ariana]

I also agree that it should be the older kids responsibility to not trample the non-walker. Implementing a playing on your butt would certainly work...or you could try explaining the rule to them etc.

[My3cents]

This sounds great. How in the world do you do that? How do you have them sit to play??? Tell us more please??????

I like this idea- I have space invaders..... They want to run, climb, and topple each other. How do I keep my little's to keep to themselves? I want them to have the room to move, but at the same time the room to move just makes for more running, jumping and tackle moves.

[Blackcat31]

This sounds great. How in the world do you do that? How do you have them sit to play??? Tell us more please??????

I like this idea- I have space invaders..... They want to run, climb, and topple each other. How do I keep my little's to keep to themselves? I want them to have the room to move, but at the same time the room to move just makes for more running, jumping and tackle moves.

Like I said above, I am honestly not sure that I went about teaching the kids to play while sitting. One day I just got tired of the stepping on others, the running and the constant moving from one place to another.

I started having the older kids pick an activity and sit down to do it. Nothing needs to be done at the table except eating and coloring type activities so everything else basically takes place on the floor already. I started saying "Sit!" alot and pretty soon, they all just played while sitting down. Even block building has it's limits as I don't allow any towers to be taller than their shoulders in a sitting postion.

I don't allow my groups to get too big (no more than 3-4 playing with something) and I even started using a timer (30 minutes per activity) so that constant changing from one thing to another stopped as well.

Now all my kiddos sit and play with whatever thing they choose for longer periods of time than they used to. The bigger ones are wonderful role models for the littles ones and if they big ones aren't constantly getting up and switching things out, the littles don't do it anymore either.

I guess it was all a slow and gradual process that slowly "conditioned" the kids to learn to play on the floor for an extended period of time without standing or being on their feet. I wish I had a set hard fast rules for you all to follow but I don't. It just happened with a little prompting and follow through.