28 May 2008

Cruel and unusual?

I've heard that people with cats sometimes use a squirt gun for disciplinary purposes, e.g. to warn Kitty away from the Christmas tree.

Anyone ever tried this with toddlers? Sure would be nice not to have to interrupt Baby's eating and get my lazy bum off the couch every time BoyTwo approaches the stereo with that incorrigible gleam in his eye...

11 comments:

Erich Heidenreich, DDS said...

Somewhere between baby 3 and baby 6 we got smart and baby proofed EVERYTHING. It just makes life a lot easier. We even put hooks and eyes on doors (at adult height) we don't want little ones opening. Put your stereo out of reach, and don't buy a television with buttons on the front. If you do, I have a trick for baby proofing that too. Buy one of those plexiglass picture frames and put the big part under the TV with the shorter part covering the TV controls. Then put your remote control out of reach of the toddler.

Oh, and about the cats... we have countless numbers of cats -- all OUTDOORS where they belong. Sometimes one will get the idea of climbing the screens on the outside. A full glass of water works better than a squirt gun. If they sneak into the house, they get caught and are immediately THROWN out (yes literally!) the same door they entered.

Erich and Heidi

RPW said...

Okay, if you get this twice its because something went buggy...

We bought a cheap plastic thingy that went in front of the t.v. buttons. The kids just learned if they pressed hard enough, they could get the plastic thingy to turn the t.v. on.

As far as cats and squirtguns. It never really deterred our cat from climbing the drapes, but he did hate it enough that we at least got a perverse thrill out of it. Would it work with a toddler? It depends on how much your toddler hates being squirted. Also, cats get ticked and run away. Toddlers scream and cry..or laugh and keep going.

I'd get the stereo out of his reach.

utahrainbow said...

You think that's bad...
For one moment last Sunday, when I was in the cry room with the baby looking through the window into the sanctuary at my older, misbehaving children in worship, I actually wished for shock collars. Just a little shock, of course. My waving, snapping, and face making they could not see.
Sigh...
Lord, have mercy on pastor's wives.

Erich Heidenreich, DDS said...

Rebel Pr's wife,

Try one of these. They're thicker acrylic. Put the picture side down on the table under the TV with the short stand part vertical in front of the buttons.

Susan said...

My cat LIKES being spritzed with the water bottle. So much for "discipline." I can imagine my children would react similarly.

Reb. Mary said...

Yeah, our house generally looks like a combat zone, but there are still a few aspects of babyproofing that we're finessing (different kids find different ways to get into trouble), and the stereo placement is one of them.

I'm afraid my children would just be all too delighted to be squirted, too. That's probably why I haven't actually tried this.

Utahrainbow, I've contemplated whether the neighbors would turn me in if I hooked the toddler up to the dog tie-out outside. Shock collars seem like they'd come in handy too :)

Jane said...

I never tried squirting the toddlers, but it is good for getting recalcitrant teens out of bed. :)

Dawn said...

Squirting would work for my kids. The getting wet, they wouldn't mind. But they would marvel that I could touch them without getting up.

Read _Smarter Than You Think_. Sure, it's a dog training book; but let me tell you, I learned a lot of helpful tips for rearing babies. It did not, however, contribute one thing to the training of our wretched dog.

Reb. Mary said...

Jane: Ha! I will have to file this for when we hit the teen years.

Gauntlets: Uh-oh, the Great Beagle Experiment goes not so well? We often quote the PetSmart training guidelines 'round here (applied to the kids, not the dog): fun, fair, and firm :). (Though the fun part is sometimes debatable...). And a friend who trains dogs has informed me that kids and puppies have a great deal in common. Which I have no trouble believing, particularly whenever a teething young'un eagerly attacks any shoes that come in reach.

Dawn said...

Great Beagle Experiment = Work in progress. I'm still making up my mind. ;) He's taught me a lot about myself, that's for sure.

Rebekah said...

I'm always impressed with the ways visiting kids are able to prove our house un-babyproofed, although it's sufficient to keep ours out of serious trouble. :P