how much do you let your child explore?

this is both a practical and a philosophical question for me.

now that ds is crawling and lifting himself up on stuff, i am constantly following him around and having to decide what i'm willing to let him try to do.

on one hand, i don't want him to get hurt.

on the other hand, i've got to let him figure out the world, even if it means letting him slip and fall sometimes.

sometimes i'll be watching him do something, and i'll just know that he's going to fall or smack his head on something. but many times i let him do it, because if i stopped him from doing every little thing i'd always be yelling STOP and giving myself an ulcer in the process.

but when he actually does hit himself, i feel bad and think i could have prevented it.

thoughts?

Re: how much do you let your child explore?

You'll relax as he gets better at it. When DS first started crawling, I followed around behind him. By like 3 weeks later i was letting him do his own thing. I shut the doors to our bedroom and bathroom and leave his room open so he can go back and forth from his room to the living room, dining room and kitchen. There's nothing I'm worried about him getting his hands on. I'll be in the kitchen and he'll be in the living room playing. Only once or twice did I ever hear a cry and it was usually because the dog was in his way.

A little bump here or there isn't the end of the world. That's how they learn. As long as your house is baby proofed.

Re: how much do you let your child explore?

I let him explore in a supervised area.

I decided that I could not protect him every time and that he does need to understand to be careful. He fell a few times and cried a few times. I do not let him "discover" danger zone or I am right there with him. ie. the glass china cabinet, the TV and the dog crate (it's metal).

He does understand "be careful, kaboum the head". BTDT. He will stop when I say that and watch VERY careful/slow down.

Re: how much do you let your child explore?

I let them crawl/walk everywhere in the house. I don't follow them. I listen to everthing they do but I let them fall and they are fine. When they fall I act like nothing happened. I don't pick them up. My girls are tough when they get hurt they cry for less than a minute and then its back to exploring. At 22 months I have yet to have to take my DD to the ER for anything and she is a dare devil (she climbs on everthing and thats they only time I intervene and make her quit). I think they just need to explore. I do close bathrooms and have anything that could harm them (like cleaning supplies) out of reach.

Re: how much do you let your child explore?

When we are home I let him go wherever he wants. THe bathrooms are off limits - and my kitchen cabinets are all childproofed - so he really can't get into much.

I haven't moved my breakables yet - and he listens to "NO" - even if I have to say it a few times. I am hoping to leave my nice things out if possible.

When he first started crawling/cruising/standing I was much more paranoid - but as he got more confident in himself I realized I had to let him fall so that he can learn how to pick himself back up.

When we are at other people's homes I keep a closer eye on him because I don't want him breaking something or getting into something he shouldn't.

Re: how much do you let your child explore?

He has free reign pretty much - I put myself in front of a dangerous area or my hand over a table corner, but I let him go everywhere and anywhere as long as he isn't in any danger...

Re: how much do you let your child explore?

We just keep them from needing to go to the ER. Knives, chemicals, etc are out of reach. Sometimes I'll watch them do something that I know will hurt them a little. I'll say "Careful! That's going to hurt!", then when they bump their head a bit, they realize that maybe they can't stand up under the table anymore.... I think letting them explore within relatively safe bounds allows them to figure out on their own what they can and can't do. I think it makes for safer kids in the long run.

Then again, it could totally backfire, and DC may think "Oh, this must be sorta safe. If it was really dangerous, Daddy would have said something by now...."

Re: how much do you let your child explore?

Basically I let him figure things out on his own. He did a couple of face plants when he first learned how to crawl, sit up, and pull up. It was those face plants that taught him what NOT to do. He'll still cry when he falls but it's usually b/c he's PO'd that he fell not b/c he got hurt....He's actually pretty good and listens to NO. Im determined not to gate him in (as I did with my older girls) and just give him the run of the house (within reason of course).

Re: how much do you let your child explore?

I am limiting. He is a nut. I swear there were a few months where I felt like all he does is hit his head on things.

He climbs over all my fences though...I have close to ZERO trust with him.

I have found him as young as 8 mos standing on my window sills.

He uses his bed as a runways...runs then flys off the end of it.

Jumps off dining room table.

The other day, he comes running to me with a steak knife in his hand....

He rigged his dump truck and put his drum inside it. Stood on there, climbed over my counter and grabbed the knife out of the sink

AT the park, I try and give him free reign...I will just stand below parts where there is an opening...mainly to tell him get away from there.