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E is 15 months and since he started walking (12m) he's been into everything and is acting exactly how I've expected toddlers to (iyswim). He's a little whirlwind, requiring eyes in back of head and loves nothing more than a good cupboard/drawer emptying session! Obviously everything dangerous is put away or high up but for the most part I just let him get on with it at home and tidy up once he's in bed for a quiet life. 

I work 30 hrs and Mum is my childcare which he loves and I'm happy he's with family. However SIL is a nursery nurse and over the past few months when we've seen her she's made more and more comments about E's "behaviour" and that he'd be better of in nursery plus lots of things on facebook to that effect as H's niece is 12 wks and at her nursery now so there are lots of pics and comments. 

I've hidden them all from my newsfeed now to avoid the comments, but it gets me so riled. We're happy that E is a normal toddler indulging in normal inquisitive behaviour, however I just wondered what others thought? Are your toddlers the same? This weekend it's made me feel like he's abnormal in some way! 

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  • E is ten months, and exactly the same.. Could it be jealousy? Is the niece sils LO? Could it be jealousy that she doesn't have the same offer?

    Either way, if you are happy, and it's not a problem, I certainly wouldn't make it one iyswim x

  • Thanks LM, I've just been bobbing along thinking we're doing ok (exhausted but ok!) and i don't know why I've let her get to me as I've never really got on with her and wouldn't choose to do things her way anyway. Niece is H's brother's daughter and SIL and BIL are thick as thieves anyway whereas we keep our distance generally. Just seems like they've all been talking and passing judgement. I need to just shrug it off as we're happy we're doing the best for our family. H refers to her as 'the god of childcare' (sarcastically!) but the fact that he's been riled by comments gets me as he's usually so laid back. Every toddler I've had contact with has been like E so I didn't think of it as "bad behaviour" just "toddler behaviour" but she makes out like he's the devil!

  • Sounds like typical toddler behaviour, ignore her.

    We have locks on all the cupboards else N would be in them all the time! N goes to nursery and as a consequence likes to 'tidy up', which is lovely!

  • Sounds very normal to me! I can post pic of my Tupperware drawer emptied and festooned around the kitchen, some shredded toilet rolls in the hall, and my toast-encrusted sofa if it helps? We just tidy up once he's gone to bed too! (He's in nursery 3 days a week and behaves the same on nursery and non-nursery days, I'm not sure why she thinks being at nursery would make him any different!)

  • Sounds totally normal to me too. My son is at nursery 4 days a week too so don't think not being at nursery makes any difference!

  • Sounds totally normal to me too. F is now 21 months but as soon as he could, he was into cupboards, drawers, everything! That's how they learn isn't it? I'd just ignore the comments. I'd rather F be inquisitive than the other way round x

  • Sounds totally normal to me. My daughter went to nursery from 7 months till just before her second birthday and did all the things you describe. My son never went to nursery and did all the same. I really don't think nursery makes much difference in that sense.

  • Thanks everybody, just needed a little reassurance! Starting to think she might not be the best nursery nurse if she doesn't know about toddlers! Laugh

  • Emptying drawers and cupboards is perfectly normal behaviour. But some children do it more than others. My friend's second child was opening everything - she had to put locks on all the cupboards and drawers whereas with her first child she'd never had to do it because he wasn't as interested. So I think unless you have a child who does it a lot you might find it unusual in another child. Also nurseries don't generally have cupboards that children can empty like that so she may not see it at a nursery if that makes sense.

    Baby/toddler play is divided into different 'types' of play - there's a technical name for it that I can't remember - and lots of children do one 'type' of play much more than other 'types' of play. Opening and emptying cupboards would fall into one of those 'types'.

  • It all sounds normal to me. Let's wait until the 12 week old starts moving. I bet when she starts doing it they will marvel at how inquisitive she is!

  • Cedar

    Emptying drawers and cupboards is perfectly normal behaviour. But some children do it more than others. My friend's second child was opening everything - she had to put locks on all the cupboards and drawers whereas with her first child she'd never had to do it because he wasn't as interested. So I think unless you have a child who does it a lot you might find it unusual in another child. Also nurseries don't generally have cupboards that children can empty like that so she may not see it at a nursery if that makes sense.

    Baby/toddler play is divided into different 'types' of play - there's a technical name for it that I can't remember - and lots of children do one 'type' of play much more than other 'types' of play. Opening and emptying cupboards would fall into one of those 'types'.

    Thanks Cedar, I looked it up to show H later. You'd think she'd know about the stages of play though surely, even if they don't have the opportunity to empty cupboards as such at the nursery? As a family they're always very negative about things anyway, comments have always been about how big E is compared to other babies the same age at her nursery. He was 9lb 3oz born though so not likely to get smaller, and he's always followed his curve. I ignored those comments though as I couldn't do anything about his size! Now it seems as though its something I've done wrong, I think thats why it has bothered me so much.

  • This post has made my day!  My youngest  is 17 months old and empties the drawers/cupboards in our kitchen constantly, which is not something E ever did.  She also like to empty the dishwasher, the washing machine and the tumble dryer.  She's at nursery 5 days a week, and comes home every day and heads straight for the kitchen cupboards.

    Now at least I know it's perfectly normal behaviour.

    N

  • nftfi

    This post has made my day!  My youngest  is 17 months old and empties the drawers/cupboards in our kitchen constantly, which is not something E ever did.  She also like to empty the dishwasher, the washing machine and the tumble dryer.  She's at nursery 5 days a week, and comes home every day and heads straight for the kitchen cupboards.

    Now at least I know it's perfectly normal behaviour.

    N

    Laugh Happy to help! Maybe we should start a rambunctious toddler support group! Weep

  • Play schema is the word I was trying to think of earlier.

    Some children will concentrate on one type of schema, others will show interest in several types at once, apparently.

    Trust your instincts and ignore your 'helpful' family.

  • Cedar

    Play schema is the word I was trying to think of earlier.

    Some children will concentrate on one type of schema, others will show interest in several types at once, apparently.

    Trust your instincts and ignore your 'helpful' family.

    Thanks xx

  • You could have written this post about my 16 month old.

    I've just been reading this - www.babycentre.co.uk/.../toys-for-18-to-24-months so at 15 months, your little one is very advanced! You should be proud! x

  • Ooo thank you MamaD that's really interesting, I'll have a good read x

  • Photos removed!


    This weekend's adventures! Laugh

  • Bless him, he looks very please with himself! And I'm impressed how he's got up on the grill - he's use his initiative there!

  • Oh my!

    My daughter would empty the clothes out but she wasn't a climber.  It wouldn't have occurred to her to climb like that at 15 months (and in fact she wasn't actually walking properly then so I don't suppose she'd have been able to manage it anyway). On the other hand, she was a champion eater of mud Laugh

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