https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:54:23 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2328032 Wed, 21 Oct 2015 04:15:23 +0000 Bubbles 2328032@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: haha the joys of pregnancy! Now I am pregnant we bought a really light cheap umbrella stroller so it would be easy for me to carry up and down the stairs. The city mini is hard work these days, and no chance of carrying my 30lb LO at the same time! :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2327254 Tue, 20 Oct 2015 13:46:31 +0000 Foodnerd81 2327254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: ugh the power struggle. That's exactly my problem with everything this week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2327225 Tue, 20 Oct 2015 13:18:50 +0000 MrsSRS 2327225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Awesome! It only needs to work for long enough for her to forget that it's a fun power struggle. Fingers crossed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2327190 Tue, 20 Oct 2015 12:58:13 +0000 Foodnerd81 2327190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lovehoneybee: she can't open the door yet- too tall and heavy. </p> <p>@ShootingStar: I actually am going to start doing peapod more anyway, but even just with the regular stuff I have to bring up its a pain. </p> <p>@MrsSRS: the video worked!! Not sure how long it will last, but today before we walked up we sat at the bottom and I explained that if she could go nice and quickly and didn't stop, and she washed her hands nicely, she could watch a video before lunch. Took a few reminders but she did it! And she didn't even watch the whole video (4 minute video of puppies and kittens I found on YouTube). </p> <p>I'm going to have to cue up a few short ones to have in the rotation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326876 Tue, 20 Oct 2015 10:12:25 +0000 ShootingStar 2326876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't really have a suggestion about the stairs, but what if you did Peapod delivery for groceries until after the new baby's here? Then at least you're not trying to carry stuff up *and* manage your DD? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326690 Tue, 20 Oct 2015 07:59:32 +0000 lovehoneybee 2326690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is there a door at the top of the stairs? Evan LOVES opening doors, and asking "Can you be a big boy and go open the door for Mommy?" always works for me. (Of course the flip side is that if he doesn't beat me to the top and open the door a tantrum will ensue...) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326681 Tue, 20 Oct 2015 07:48:07 +0000 Foodnerd81 2326681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bubbles: well the other thing is I always need to pee. I've been really tempted to leave her downstairs, run up and pee and then wait her out. The needing to pee does NOT help my patience! </p> <p>Also- OMG you must be really strong. I lived on the fifth floor of a walk up when I was single and just climbing up with my purse and one grocery bag would make me winded. My neighbor had a baby and would carry the baby and the stroller up- and still manage to look less frazzled than I did- and I was in awe. Thankfully we have a garage here where I can leave our stroller. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326669 Tue, 20 Oct 2015 07:36:42 +0000 Bubbles 2326669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh I can really sympathise - we live up 4 flights of stairs and while my LO never wants to be carried, he loves to mess around and make it take ages when I am carrying loads of bags and a pushchair! In your situation I think I'd wait her out. It would be frustrating and take even more time at first, but once she gets the message that you aren't going to carry her, and that nothing much fun happens on the stairs maybe she will be quicker? I would just say 'I am not able to carry you right now, if you need a rest then we will just wait for you to be ready to walk up' - and then just stand there as neutrally as possible, and put my bags down if I needed a break from carrying them! My LO would test but I know before long he would get the message that he's not going to get his own way and he's also not going to get a reaction! Good luck :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326641 Tue, 20 Oct 2015 06:57:48 +0000 Foodnerd81 2326641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: hmmm that might work. I'll try to find some short videos to try it with. </p> <p>@Jess1483: songs and counting haven't worked - counting did for a while and I think it's partly how she learned to count to ten. I'm sure my neighbors would appreciate a sticker chart at the top of the stairs. :wink: I haven't tried the sticker chart for anything yet but might start. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326481 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 20:58:50 +0000 Jess1483 2326481@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you sing a silly song, but only when she is climbing? My LO was refusing to wash hands, and we started singing "twinkle, twinkle, little ______" with silly alternatives. But if he stopped washing, the song was over. It would start again when he was washing. Or count the stairs? Or put a sticker chart at the top and she gets to move one when she climbs the stairs quickly? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326478 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 20:55:17 +0000 MrsSRS 2326478@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Eventually LO just lost interest. We used a 90 second music video of Old McDonald or something like that on YouTube so I didn't mind doing it for quite a while. Not an entire TV show. Frankly those 90 seconds gave me time to deal with other things in peace (pregnant, always thirsty, always have to pee, etc...) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326472 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 20:48:15 +0000 Foodnerd81 2326472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Tiger: no, I feel like I still need to be behind her. It's rare that she trips but it happens. And once she has the keys she throws a tantrum when I try to take them back. Maybe a knock or something... </p> <p>@chopsuey: sometimes bribery works but only if I have something good today offer. Like, if she's having Mac and cheese for dinner that gets her moving, but I won't give that to her every night. </p> <p>@MrsSRS: but then did they always expect the video? How did you break that habit? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326423 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 20:13:53 +0000 Mrs. Tiger 2326423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is it/she safe enough that you can continue walking and she'll catch up? That works well for my son since he hates if I "win" Racing has worked for us too, if she likes animals you could try "snail race!" Where you actually go at a normal pace)...</p> <p>Can you give her a job at the top of the stairs? Like, carry the keys or give the door a knock or something? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326360 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:33:38 +0000 MrsSRS 2326360@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When we had a similar issue we did a combo bribe/consequence. It sucked for about three days and then the problem was solved. So it looked something like:<br /> Walk up the stairs, please.<br /> LO stops.<br /> Walk up the stairs and then we can watch a video. If mommy has to carry you there will be no video and I will carry you straight to time out.<br /> LO refuses.<br /> Put crap down, calmly carry LO to time out.<br /> LO requests video.<br /> Nope. You didn't walk up the stairs. You can have a video next time if you choose to walk up the stairs. </p> <p>Totally emotionless, like a robot. Like you don't even care that you just had to carry her and your back hurts. For my LO the combo of not having the power to make mommy mad plus the bribe/consequence double whammy worked well. But it was a rough first few days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326346 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:21:03 +0000 chopsuey 2326346@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: probably not the best solution, but does she respond to bribery?<br /> Go up the stairs fast for mommy and I'll give you a (her favorite treat). 😬 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326340 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:05:52 +0000 Foodnerd81 2326340@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LibbyLou: yeah- racing works in the hallway but not the stairs. I swear she knows when I can't really do anything about it (like I'm carrying groceries) and that's when she sits and just looks at me and says "no". In the hall the race does work. </p> <p>Plus it's hard because I don't want her running in the stairs. Just walking like a normal person. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326288 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:41:14 +0000 LibbyLou 2326288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>have you ever tried to race her? I know my 2.5y.o. Niece is also very slow and my sister tries to act like its a contest/race. With bribes of candy or whatever for who wins. The whole time we go down or up their three flights we say "we are catching you!!!" And she tries harder to win. Also she loves saying "I win. (Her name) win". </p> <p>Sorry not much help but I just did this over the weekend! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-toddler-to-cooperate-on-the-stairs#post-2326222 Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:02:32 +0000 Foodnerd81 2326222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm losing my mind. We just had a bad scene in my condo building stairs and i could really use some help here. </p> <p>My 2 year old is obsessed with climbing, yet takes so, so, so long on the stairs in our building. We have two flights up to our unit. I try to build in extra time when we leave for her to be slow on the way down and usually can keep my patience then. Coming back up is killing me. </p> <p>She wants to do it herself, then will just stop what she is doing and sit or say "mommy carry you". I'm almost 32 weeks pregnant and my back is absolutely killing me, plus I'm usually carrying other things- I cannot carry her. We have this fight every time we leave the house. I try being positive. I try counting the stairs. I try yelling, which unfortunately seems to be the most effective, but not exactly how I want to parent. </p> <p>Tonight I finally dropped the groceries on the landing and hauled her up the stairs, which made her start screaming and hurt my belly. Then we both had a meltdown in her room. Please tell me there's a better way? Otherwise we won't be leaving the house until they build an elevator or i am in labor. </p>