Touching the TV
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22362
Printed Date: 27 July 2025 at 1:33pm
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Topic: Touching the TV
Posted By: mamanee
Subject: Touching the TV
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 6:45pm
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How do I get Sam to stop touching the TV?
He's been doing this for a long time now and I don't know how to stop him. I have taped over the front on/off button and the channel changer buttongs on the top, but he still reaches around and pulls the aerial out repeatedly which means I have to get up and plug it back in. I can't put the TV in the corner to stop him from getting to it because the aerial is in the middle of a wall and so is the powerpoint. Also, if I leave the room for two seconds, he pulls all the plugs out of the wall and hands me the double adapter. I have tried ignoring him, he still does it. I have tried getting down to his level and telling him not to touch the TV and distracting him with something else, he goes back and does it two minutes later. I have tried a naughty spot, like taking him just inside the hallway and putting him in one spot and counting to 10. He pulls the plug out, runs to the hallway yelling WAAA, TOOO, TEEE and laughing! He is such a lovely boy and very very good apart from this, and it's driving me batty!! |
Replies:
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 7:04pm
| If you figure it out, please tell me. Our tv is in the corner but he still manages to squeeze around the back and play with the plugs. It drives me nuts |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 7:14pm
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I'm considering getting an electric fence or wall mounting ours. She doesn't play with the plugs (thank goodness) but we have finger smears all across the screen. What about putting the TV in a play pen? Or making tv touching a time out offence? -------------  
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 7:22pm
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Taine eventually grew out of this, but used to have long battles about him pulling plugs out....lots of fun when you try and vacuum.
we "timed out" immediately and after giggling, he stopped. We had duct tape over the controls ad I often thought of inventing something to stop the plugs being pulled out. didn't think of anything though |
Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 8:10pm
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Oh I'm going to watch this thread... Cooper has just discovered the TV and knows how to turn it off.... Diversion is working so far... ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 8:17pm
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I would do the naughty spot with him still but instead of counting to 10 make him stay there for a whole minute. We did this with Spencer to stop him biting things (namely me and the coffee table) and it has worked. It took quite a while for him to get time out though so you really need to be persistent and might have to return him to the spot 30-40 times or more. Spencer also pushed it, as in he would sit and do his time out, hug to say sorry, and then go and bite the coffee table, I think just to see what I would do. One afternoon he spent the best part of an hour in and out of time out, but that only happened once thankfully.
Oh and also I don't look at Spencer whilst he is in timeout, I have him in my vision so I can see if he moves from the spot though so I can return him. The first time I knew it worked was when he stopped laughing and starting crying. Which sounds really mean, but once he knew I meant business and cried I knew I was on the right track, cos before it was just a big game too him. Oh and good luck  ------------- 
 
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Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 8:37pm
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Caleb doesn't use his toy box but has a 'toy pile' as such. This is heaped in front of the TV cabinet. He has to climb over/wade through all his toys to get to the TV so usually gets distracted on the way.
Having said that once he gets focused on the TV and there is a clear pathway there is no distracting him. This seems to be happening less and less. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: KH25
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 8:57pm
Yeah we still have that problem here  Although it is just touching the screen - she doesn't really touch the buttons or play with the cords. I actually think she touches the screen as it is a plasma and gets quite warm. She stands there and puts the front, then back of her hands on the screen. I'm forever telling her to stop touching but I have resigned myself to watching smudgy tv now as i can't be arsed cleaning it all the time  ------------- Kelly, mum to DD, 19Jun06 (26wks 1lb15oz) DS1, 24Oct10 (32wks 4lb11oz) and DS2, 31Dec11 (32wks, 4lb11) http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: fairsk8
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 9:17pm
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Xanda has now learnt not to touch the tv, but it took him climbing up on it and then it falling over and breaking. We had no tv for 2 weeks while insurance came through and he missed Mickey Mouse so now knows not to touch the tv because if he does it may break and no more Mickey Mouse.
Especially now as it is a Flat Screen and a lot lighter than the old heavy thing we use to have. This is not a method/idea that I reccomend though lol, but it did work compared to all the other techniques we tried. So maybe if your child likes watching something on tv or has a favourite dvd talk to them about what would happen if the tv broke and they couldn't watch it. Not sure if this post really makes sense, it has been a very long day and now I am rambling. ------------- http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/"> 
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Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 9:53pm
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With Sam we have just done repetition and distraction. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled her away from the TV and said, not for Sam. It seems to have worked after what feels like a million times and now she seems to leave it alone.
My brother on the other hand has taken a very sucessful approach and has bought an adjustable heater guard that he has put in front of his entire TV cabinet etc. It is very effective but still means the adults can get to it if needed. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 10 November 2008 at 10:40pm
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We have had sparky Kalyx destroy two TVs so far!
Umm!this kid knows how to pull out safety plugs & pull stuff round to plug in  
WE just dont have a TV anymore  
but caging in the TV & plugs/cords would be your better option ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: mamanee
Date Posted: 11 November 2008 at 10:56am
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I am persisting with the spot in the hallway today. I am putting him there without speaking to him or looking at him, and then leaving him for one minute and then going back and explaining to him that we don't touch the tv and giving him a cuddle.
At first he would grin at me and I could see him out of the corner of my eye, which made me laugh, which made him laugh, so I refuse to look at him and I 'think' he might have realised that I mean business. You know it's working when they don't like it and the bottom lip comes out! ETA to add that we have done this 8 times in the last hour.
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 11 November 2008 at 8:16pm
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Sounds like you are getting on top of it. Is good once timeout is established as I found that Spencer then started listening at other times when I said no. He very rarely has to go in timeout now as normally no and/or distraction is enough and I only use timeout for really naughty things anyway, like biting or hair pulling etc.
Is kinda nice when they get a little upset as you know it has worked and has become a punishment rather than just another game to them. (IYKWIM) Spencer no longer cries in timeout but he does sit and sulk....lol Oh and also, this one is really really really really hard, when they are pushing it try to stay very very very calm. I catch myself getting really wound up sometimes when he is pushing it. I find counting to 10 whilst he is in timeout helps me calm down too. -------------
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Posted By: fiona10
Date Posted: 11 November 2008 at 9:18pm
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cuppatea is right try the naughty room/step technique and keep them there 1 minute per age age of the child. The only way this is going to work is if you are consistent with it. You might want to watch this video the Supernanny - Naughty Step Technique it will help you out, here is the link http://www.positiveparenting.co.nz/parenting-videos/
http://www.positiveparenting.co.nz/parenting-videos/ - http://www.positiveparenting.co.nz/parenting-videos/ good luck ------------- http://positiveparenting.co.nz - PositiveParenting.co.nz social networking for parents in New Zealand |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 12 November 2008 at 8:35am
| We have tried the naughty spot. It doesn't work for the tv so far - about 3 months so far of trying it. The bummer thing is our tv is huge and there isn't enough wall space to mount it. He hasn't figured out where the buttons are at least |
Posted By: ooEvaoo
Date Posted: 12 November 2008 at 12:56pm
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lmfao. Since we've got a new tv Kahtrell doesn't turn it on and off anymore......simply because the button is too hard for him to push so he's given up lolz. However he has moved on to pulling the sky card out........and still pushes to old tv button on and off when he's in the bedroom.
Bu before we did cellotpe a block of staples over the button and that worked......until DP said that looked too hori and pulled it off!. ------------- 
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Posted By: Phat_Cat
Date Posted: 16 November 2008 at 9:04am
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constant time outs on a big naughty chair (after counting to 5, takes him longer to get off lol) is slowly worked for us. He still does it occasionaly but its usually when he wants to watch a DVD so we are teaching him to bring the DVD to one of us to put on for him. Seems to be finally working ------------- Tristen - 24/06/07 Rylan - 11/12/08 Angel Babies -14/08/05 & 21/01/2010 Curtis - 26/02/12 |
Posted By: kakapo
Date Posted: 16 November 2008 at 9:26am
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Jimmy is still a baby (not for much longer though
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) but has always been fascinated with the TV/stereo/plugs/cords etc. We've opted for this method so far: