am i creating a brat????

we have a "baby jail" set up on our deck with tons of toys for our 16 mo. old...he gets bored and whines after about 1/2 hour..he just wants to walk the yard...so we walk the yard for about 1/2 hour...then try putting him back in the jail with his toys and he whines and whines...should we ignore him...or cater to his every whim?????

Answers:
Get off your butt and play with him more. He is not a bratt he is a baby who wants attention. Get rid of the "jail" and be a mommy. Yes they are work but that is your job. Love him and play with him. Give him attention.

Other Answers:
maybe he is smarter than you know and he is just bored with toys made for other children his age, try challenging him a little, use the internet to discover new ways to teach him diffrent things

Don't put him in a "jail", what are you thinking? I would whine too. Get him out of jail. Play in the house.

ignore him. don't let him play you like a violin, little kids are REALLY manipulative. dont set a precedent

You should try and get some new age appropriate toys for him and he might Like it maybe you could put the baby jail in the backyard!

Children must be deciplined. They will push you to see how far they can get and what they can get away with. I would reccomend that "baby jail" be a place that he hates going. Do not put any toys or things to play with out there. This way, he will dread going to this punishement and eventually behave.
Good luck

catering to every whim definately creates a brat. I'm not saying totally ignore him though either. You have to find a midpoint, but he needs to learn that whining isn't going to work. nope please don't ingore him!!!!!!!!!! try and do something from him...........

Perhaps he has too many toys and he is overwhelmed. Try picking out one or two of his favorites and see how that goes.

He's probably bored if you are leaving him in there by himself. Babies at that age need lots of stimulation and physical activity is great for him. I would encoursge you to be more active with him in the yard and save the jail for when you absolutely have to leave him to play by himself (like potty breaks and cooking).

wow a child that wants to exercise rather than sitting on hais backside. take him for a longer walk to tire him out and only give him a few toys at a time on a rota basis so he does not get bored. your baby NEEDS interaction. the reason the whining stops is b/c your baby is getting the NEEDED attention. it's for sure not 'catering to every whim' and ignoring is never a good solution.

putting him in a playpen or whatever you called it doesnt hurt him any , and if you cater to his every whim youll be creating a monster . you have to make a happy medium both u and ur child can live with

Kids need interaction with their parents, that why we have them in the first place!!! Obviously you thought that they had to amuse themselves their whole life. You have a lot to learn. Your baby probably thinks he is in jail when he is not just on the deck. Sorry for the harsh words.

well for one, don't call it a jail, that just sounds crazy! It's called a play area. How would you like it if someone stuck you in this tiny arear blocked in and just a few feet away was freedom! Thats how your child see's it, and this age they love to explore, so NO you are not raising a brat, don't even think like that! It's nice that you take him out to rome about the land, and then you put him back in, you do have to teach him, their is a time for freesdom (which is when mommy or daddy is their) and a time to play.

Good Luck!
Don't worry you are doing fine!

no dont ignore him. He is just bored and wants to be doing other things with you. He loves to be in the yard obviously because he can move around and explore. THat is fun for a 16 month old. My kids never liked "baby jail" either. Little kids like being entertained. Its just the way they are. Just make sure its not manipulative on his part, and you'll be fine. If he's bored, its totally different than him just whining to see you dance to his tune.

My little girl sounds exactly like your boy but I do not keep her in a playpen. He probably needs a routine, so you set aside certain parts of the day where you do things together. He will learn these times and look forward to them, and eventually he will learn that the playpen is just an interlude to more fun time with you. I recently asked my health visitor this question and it is simply a case of some kids are more hard work than others but time spent together can be just as rewarding

try your best to ignore him when ever you pick him up or cater to him it teaches him that this is what he is going to get each time he cries and i dont think you would want that

Children need and desire boundaries. You should have times when he can entertain himself inside the boundaries you set up. By allowing him to "call the shots" you are teaching him that whatever he wants, he gets. That is not reality. In school, you must sit where the teacher tells you for how long the teacher says. At work, you must sit at your desk for how long the boss says, etc. There are boundaries and rules that we all must follow throughout our lives. If you don't teach him to obey authority now, he is going to have a very tough life. What will happen when he decides he doesn't want to stay in the backyard, you turn your head for a moment and he goes into the street....it has happened. Rules and boundaries are good for us all. Have a routine for every day.

Part of that routine should be interactive,part should be independant play.

Once this routine is established-smooth sailing.

Help it along-when you play together-encourage him to take turns,talk,name colors and letters,make faces,ect.

When it's independant play-don't run to him every second,he may fuss,but chances are,just when you're ready to scream-wait it out,and he'll play. Or just let him cry. He'll learn.

With a good balance of both,he and you will be happy.

I think all children need both.
Source(s):
Mom of 2

Kids that age need lots of interaction and their attention span by themselves is very short. He does need to learn how self-comfort and self-entertain. Deff. do not cater to his every whine because girl he is playing you well. he knows that when he whines he gets out. So just let him cry. It does not hurt him and its good for the lungs!! you have to let him know that you are the boss not him.

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am i creating a brat????

Pregnancy & Parenting