Friday, August 8, 2008

Conundrum

The monkey is stubborn. Very Very Stubborn. And persistent. I used to say that he gets his bullheadedness from his dad, but since I like be honest on this here blog I have to admit that genetics can be additive. He is more stubborn then either his father or me (and I am pretty pig-headed). He is also persistent. As in if I have pulled him off the 6 foot ladder 10 times he will still go there 111 more times. He will watch to make sure I am not looking and then run over to the ladder. He will wait until I am occupied so that he can run over to the ladder. These are good traits I know. I do not want to break his "will", but seriously I need to. The boy needs to learn who is the boss. I don't want to stop him from exploring or being curious but after he tried following his dad up onto to the roof - yes he climbed to the top of the 6 foot ladder and then grabbed the gutter to climb onto the roof, I have become a bit concerned about his adventurous spirit. Then yesterday he tried to put something onto bbq when the bbq was ON. He knows he's not allowed near the bbq. He stays well away from it while I am watching and will jump away as soon as he hears me or his dad. But every chance he gets, he will go to the bbq. His dad puts things on the bbq and plays with this contraption and by God that boy will do whatever his dad does. How do I break him without breaking him????

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, if you don't do it, he will get 'broken', ie hurt, from the sounds of it. Encourage exploration in safe environments, allow him some learning by experience that some things are dangerous, but big things like ladders, roofs, and BBQs? Yikes.

Maybe get him kid-sized/safe versions? Friends of mine have a toy BBQ for their son. A stepstool style ladder against the side of the house for him? Cameron watches me cutting up veggies and wants to try too - so he has wooden veggies and a wooden knife, even a cutting board of his own and a pot to 'cook' soup in.