My Son Is Ready to crawl...What to Do?

Use a playpen/pack n play for when he's awake and you want him to be "safe". My twin boys are 11 months old and I use a playpen whenever I can't be on the floor with them. Put some toys in the playpen, put it where he can see the TV and that's it. Enjoy!!!

My daughter is now 2 1/2 and, believe it or not, things have actually gotten easier now that she can entertain herself for short amounts of time. But, when she started crawling, and even before then, I had to do things only when she was sleeping. The only thing I found that helped, for a few minutes at a time, was the play pen I invested in. It's one of the larger square ones that has activities attached to the sides of the play pen. (More playing room than the pack n plays) I think it's a Graco. It was totally worth the money. (I think it was around $90) I bought it from Baby Land before they closed. I have also seen it on Walmart.com. It has a few different, fun colors. Red, yellow, blue, green, etc. I love it! Good luck!

Hi C.,

Yay for your little one who is ready to move! It's a whole new challenge once they are mobile. I have a 22 month old son and a 2 month old daughter. I read the other responses and agree with what many other mommies have said about creating a safe place for your son to be where he can move and play while you ge things done. My son never liked playing in his pack n play, so we ended up getting a super play yard. It's a gate that forms an enclosed area. I would put toys in there and he would spend some time in there playing on his own so that I could do other things. Of course, I would keep this area nearby and in view, but it gave me some freedom to cook, do laundry, etc.

As for the dogs, I think that most important thing is that you always monitor their interactions. Know your dogs and what they will tolerate, and what you can expect from them. At this age, it is much easier to keep them seperated than it will be down the road. I had two dogs until my son was about 17 months old. One of them had a history of anxiety induced aggression. We were working with him on obedience, took him to a behavioralist, and he was even on medication. I was diligent about keeping him away from my son, or being right there if we had my son on the floor. Unfortunately it was, for me, impossible to keep them apart and/or to be right there ALL the time once my son was really walking and climbing, etc., and was not confined. This dog ended up biting my son on the hand and we decided that he be removed from our home. We found a rescue and hope he is happy. I was pregnant again when this happened and could not responsibly keep this dog.

Our other dog has been fine with him, and we allow them to be together all the time, but we are always watching to be sure that my sone does not hurt the dog or antagonize him. When the dog does not like what my son is doing, he walks away. I am also trying to help my son learn to interact with him appropriately. I am confident that this dog will not hurt him, but still watch their interactions closely, just in case my son pushes him too far or hurts him.

If your dogs are generally well-behaved and do not have aggression issues, I am sure you will be fine as long as you monitor their interations and try to anticiapte any problems. I found it very difficult, once my son was walking, to keep him away from the dogs. He became more interested in them and, being more mobile, would go them and follow them, etc. So, for me, sepeating them was not an effective long term solution. They needed to learn about each other under our supervision.

Good Luck!

Hi C., I am a certified dog trainer and mom of an 11 month old who is a crawling maniac (soon to be walking). A play yard can be a great idea when you are unable to watch the interaction between your son and your dog.

I would also take the time to teach your son and dog to interact nicely with each other. On your own, make sure your dog is comfortable being touched anywhere (nose, ears, tail, paws). If not, you should gradually work with your dog in these areas.

When our dog is laying calmly on the floor, I sit next to her with my daughter in my lap and show her how to pet the dog "gently". I take my daughter's hand and stroke the dog saying "gently". We play ball with the dog together. When my daughter gets one of the dog's toys, I ask her if she wants to play with the dog. We call the dog over, count 1-2-3 and "throw" the ball to the dog. The dog then brings it back (most of the time) and drops it in front of my daughter to throw again. Both my daughter and dog love this game.

I hope this helps. Enjoy your son and your dog together.

I put all 3 of my kids at that stage in their playpen while I got some things done...it's the only way you'll stay on top of your house work! My daughter would scream for an hour...but she survived it!! She's 5 now, my 3 1/2 and 1 year old don't (didn't )seem to mind it.

I created an area that was safe for my son, and he had full access to everything. It was baby-proofed and protected, so nothing could hurt him. There were toys and things for him to crawl on and over, as well as a couch for him to start cruising on. I felt comfortable enough to leave him in there when I was in the shower or cleaning up from breakfast/lunch, and he had a blast in there.

It gets more complicated now that your son is on the move, but it definitely gets much more fun!

I have a 100lb dog ("Monster") who grew up with my 1st daughter, Sierra. He is wonderful with her and she could do anything to him. Now that he is almost 9 years old he has some arthritis and pain and loves the 22 month old , Isabella but "grumbles" when she tries to play on him. He, I don't think, would ever hurt her but I don't let him or her have a chance to hurt each other. My solution is BABY GATES! My house is set up that with a baby gate between the kitchen and livingroom and one in the hall I can keep them seperate but still intereact with a gate between. The dog is happy to know what we are doing and the baby happy to get kisses over the gate. Also I can cook, do dishes and clean the kitchen and still know that the baby is safe. With 2 steps I can see her and know what she is doing. As for activities my daughter loves just about anything. At 7 months she liked the soft rubber blocks, board books (they tend to have bright fun pictures),or anything soft and squishy. The soft books that have different textures on each page, (one crinkles like plastic, one sqeeks, one is velvet, one rough) she loves still (22 months old). A.

I always had a dog when my children were crawling and a 90 pound one in fact. Let your son crawl, the dogs will respect him. I always relied on the jumper that hung from the doorway. I loved it and my kids loved it to. You can't stop him from crawling and if you have to put aside the cleaning and cooking to let him go so be it, you are a mom now he comes first. Mine always did. They are only little for so long, and you will be doing manual labor FOREVER, so just enjoy the break and enjoy your son. Hope this helps a bit. A.

Welcome to the crowling stage. It's time to baby proof the house...cover corners of tables, put away the breakables and anything that can be swallowed and you might want to gate any steps as well. And don't forget safety hooks on those cabinet doors that he might be able to open. This is the stage that they discover the world and get into everything. And don't worry as you will survive it!!

It's also the stage that you'll be teaching him the word "no"... Be sure when you do have to stop him and take something away from him, to replace it with something safe that is HIS. Stay calm as you want his learning experience to be pleasant. Usually getting him focused on something else should help.

A playpen filled with toys would be helpful. In the kitchen you might want to sit him on the floor and give him a few light pots and wooden spoons to play drums with or tupperwear (not as noisy) in different sizes will keep him busy as well.

In terms of the dogs, this will be a new experance for them as well. No telling what reaction they might have when he pulls or leans on them or takes a toy away from them...not to mention their dog dishes and food.

Hi C.
I just wanted to comment on a couple of your concerns. Crawling is an extremely important neurological milestone for your baby; it prepares him for the coordination necessary for walking. The more he crawls the better. On the other hand, the bouncy seat and the jumperoo, are actually, detrimental to his development. His hip joints are not ready to bear weight, let alone take the impact, as subtle as it may seem of his bouncing in the seat. I am a chiropractor, and parent, and i am always advising my young parent patients as to the best way to optimize their childs normal natural development, as well as how not to interfere with it.
D. C

I have 8 month old twin boys who have been crawling for over 2 months and now standing - watch out !!! (haha). It is so cute but a lot of work. I just moved to a new house and we didn't furnish the living room. We put rubber mats over the carpet and made it their play room. They have their exersaucer and jumperoo and swings in there. The room is gated and there is nothing they can break. However, I understand how you feel because I used to be able to shower and get things done when they were in there crawling, but now that they stand I need to be in there because they get stuck standing and cry or pull on eachother, etc. It is very difficult. I usually wait for them to nap now to do things like shower where I can't be there. Other chores I can do because I can hear them and be there in an instant.

The pack n play works great too. We have a dog and several cats. The animals love them but again they are gated off. They all interact when I am around. I need to keep a close eye on the dog becasue she is very dominant. The cats can care less!!!!

J. B

Hi, C.!

We have a one year old, Duncan, who is very active and wants to do, see and touch everything and now that he is walking, he can suddenly get to these things faster and reach them all easier. Heeheehee...I remember when he was on the verge of crawling. We were delighted and anxious. We are renovating our house ourselves so you can imagine that we are not completely baby proof. We don't have the dog issue. For that I would try getting them used to your son. You won't be able to keep them separated forever. A boy and his dogs can be wonderful friends. I would consult you vet on the best way to do this as I am not familiar with your dogs and how they behave around your son.

Now, what we did to prepare for our crawler? Bought baby gates and made the living room a baby safety zone. In there, there is nothing he can break and nothing that can hurt him - that is until he learns to climb! Heeheehee....I vacuumed and scrubbed every floor (note on this: no matter how much you clean, his knees will always be dirty. This is not a reflection of how good a housekeeper you are. Just see it as a preview of bigger and better dirtyness to come for your son and invest in some Oxy Clean spray and powder. This gets out EVERYTHING.) Then, let him go to it. Baby gate him in the kitchen with you when you are doing dishes, cooking or whatever. Duncan and I chat, sing and dance in our kitchen while I work on our meals. My sister-in-law gave Duncan a Fridge Farm Magnetic Animal Set from Vtech and he loves it. Duncan is also a drummer. Everything becomes a drum for him so try giving your little guy some pots and pans, plastic or wooden bowls, etc. and some wooden and plastic mixing spoons or other utensils and let him go all Animal from the Muppet Show on them. He'll love it and it is fun to watch them experiment with different sounds.

The key is really you. He'll want to be in the room you are in so make those rooms you spend the most time in baby proof and while you work, talk to him or involve him. When I fold laundry, I do it in the livingroom on the couch and give Duncan the sock pile on the living room rug to play with before I match them, then we match them together. I talk and sing with him all the while. I narrate what I'm doing - great for language development. He babbles to me and we have little "conversations." I turn on some music and we dance a little between things.

I used to wait for his naps to get things done, and I still do get most things done when he is napping (like phone calls, email, bill-paying, etc.) and play with him when he is awake but if you take some of my ideas, even your housework will seem more like play and you'd be surprised how much you can get done and still be spending some really wonderful time with your son that you may look at fondly later on - like, "I remember when you were a baby and I would fold the clothes and you would play in the sock pile." or "When I was making dinner, you would bang on the pots and I would sing your favorite songs." I even take pictures during these times as they are just as fun and cute as any trip to the playground or zoo. I have a picture of Duncan, when peek-a-boo became his favorite game, playing peek-a-boo with me from the leghole my husband's under shorts. This is a fun memory for us and pictures of times like this helps his daddy share his day even when he is working.

Well, hope this helps. Have fun with your little dude!

S.

C.,
you may want to purchase a play yard (large white plastic gate pieces that lock together, too high for child to climd but large enough to baby to crawl around in and even large enough for you to get it and play together, dogs would have a hard time getting it unless they jumped over). i think they are made by safety 1st but not 100% sure, i believe kmart, walmart and target carry these. they are normally 6 panels and you can get extra pieces to make the area larger. i currently have 2 sets that i purchased at a childrens consignment store for $40 a piece and they have been a life safer, i needed them to keep my now 1 year old safe from the older kids, now i use them across my large doorways to keep the baby in the livingroom where it is completely friendly.

hope this helps.

C.,
They have all kinds of toys for children getting ready to crawl, they even make them to give them an incentive too crawl. There are activity centers for them to play with as well. Also if the dogs are crate trained they can be in their crates, it doesn't take much for them to get used to it. Our dogs are trained to a crate and they spend most of the time in it ( they are also 11 & 13), just leave the door open for them. When your sons on the floor if you want you can shut the door on the crate. Hope this helps good luck & have fun.

I am a SAHD of 3 girls, 15, 5, & 2.
My wife's brother had a yellow lab that was born at the same time as our oldest (V). They did very well together. V would play with, ride on, pull on, etc, the dog. The dog would either lick her or just lay there & take it. The dog was also very protective. When V was crawling & just beginning to walk, the dog would follow along & nudge as needed. So, in your case, dealing with the dogs depends on how they react to your son.
As far as what to do with him when you are trying to acomplish something in the house, you can use a gate if appropriate to the floorplan of your house. Or use a walker. That way you have some control over where he can & can't go. And you will be preparing him for the next stage of walking.

Make sure you're home is babyproof! Do you have a pack n play? You can put some toys in that and let him play while you do chores. They also make play yards that look like a "fence" that you can set up in an area, the dogs can't get in and the baby can't get out, it gives him a bit larger area to crawl around in.