Do You Have a Limited Space or Allow Full Access?

[Francine]

Good Morning!

My house is set up so that the main level has a 1/2 bath/laundry room, dining room, kitchen, living room, playroom, hall.....it's in a big circle. I try to keep all of the toys in the playroom other than a small basket of baby toys that I keep in the living room. I use an opened superyard to block off the living room from the kitchen because it's a wide opening and a regular gate to block off the hallway from the dining room so that the kids have access to the living room and the playroom to play. I let the older kids come out to the dining room to play with lego, paints etc. that I don't want the little ones getting into. I have 1 18 month old and 2 14 month olds, if the gates are in place and one of the older kids is in the dining room playing with something or if I am in the kitchen doing something all 3 of the "littles" stand at the gates and scream. The minute I step back over the gate they stop screaming and start playing, step back into the kitchen screaming starts. I don't feel like I should have to allow "the littles" full access to my house but the screaming is driving me nuts!! I realize that part of it is their age and I know that they will outgrow it but in the mean time it is really stressing me and the other kids. Any thoughts?

[Play Care]

When kids are that little and I am busy, I put them "up" near me with an activity. It could be as simple as some wooden spoons to "help" me make lunch with, and I'm in sight chatting with them. They may not love it, but I can't do screaming, so it works for me. If they are doing it when older kids are in their area, I would gently redirect them to the little group with a "shhhhhh, that hurts our ears" I have also blocked off hallways so that they couldn't get to the gated area to see the other/older kids because out of sight as out of mind

[daycarediva]

Dh calls me Trump. I built a wall. :: (technically the daycare parents paid for it, this is hysterical to dh)

Anyway, why should they have full access? It isn't safe to be underfoot in the kitchen. I would put them in a highchair with the veg portion of lunch if you were cooking, and for all other times, redirect like playcare said!

[Nurse Jackie]

The front part of my house is my designated daycare space. I use to have a gate blocking access to my living room and kitchen area but when I would go check on lunch my crew would come cry and wobble the gate which ended up making the gate unstable. The funny thing is now the gate is down I don't have a problem with the kids coming in the living room area they just know its off limits. Wish I would've known the invisible gate worked so well before I drilled holes in my walls

[Blackcat31]

My kiddos learn invisible boundaries too. I have half doors and gates on all doorways but can't remember the last time any of them were closed. The only one that remains closed is the half door between the cubby/coat room and the main house. It helps keep the yuck and the cold air from rushing in and hitting my littles on the floor.

As for teaching kids to not hang on gates, I put masking tape on the floor BEFORE the gate. (think goalie zone/area for soccer and hockey players etc) The kiddos are taught they can not cross that line.

Pretty soon that line becomes invisible but the rule remains. This stops the kids from physically hanging on the gates and from physically touching them/opening them. (more of my kiddos seem to know how child safety latches work than parents : The RULE here is NO CHILD NO MATTER WHAT AGE touches a door/gate or any part of the door/gate that leads outside. EVER.


OP~ I'd start with a visible boundary line.
Teach them not to cross that.

[AmyKidsCo]

Yup - invisible boundaries here too. (Except when the licensor is here!)

I keep the living room gated off all the time but the kitchen gate is only closed when I've got a new/young child I need to train, when I'm cooking, or when I'm in the bathroom/basement/elsewhere that I can't monitor it.

[galaxy]

When my youngest one insist on being in the kitchen with me he has to be in the highchair. The illusion of a choice has helped. Play in the play area or sit in the high chair. Either way I am ok with it and he thinks he's won. The older kids have accepted the invisible boundaries and stay in the play area.

[LostMyMarbles]

Dh calls me Trump. I built a wall. :: (technically the daycare parents paid for it, this is hysterical to dh)

Anyway, why should they have full access? It isn't safe to be underfoot in the kitchen. I would put them in a highchair with the veg portion of lunch if you were cooking, and for all other times, redirect like playcare said!

I laughed so hard at this post! First I spit my coffe all over mu iPad and chocked, then I laughed.....I love it!

[Francine]

Thank you all for your thoughts!! They are greatly appreciated, it also helps to know that I'm not the only one dealing with this LOL