Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Can you clicker train a toddler?

I've got a table surfer. I borrowed the terminology from the dog training world where "counter surfers" (dogs who steal items off of kitchen counters) are a common issue.

See, the real problem is my "surfer" has opposable thumbs, and maintains an impressive level of silence, considering his normal noise level can often be somewhere north of an air horn.

The thief caught in action.




You can tell he's really ashamed, eh? (I promise he actually wears clothes most of the time.)

I've also found him up there:
- emptying out the salt shaker
- knocking down a vaseful of water and flowers
- unrolling a roll of paper towels
- pretending to whisk with a bowl and a fork (Ok, I'll admit that one was pretty cute)

He's just so PROUD of himself when he gets up there. I'm thinking a clicker and "positive reinforcement" via cookies might cure him, but then we've got the childhood obesity epidemic to worry about! Oh, the double edged sword.


I've decided to list the funny things Payne is saying every now and then, since he's started talking he cracks me up on a daily basis.
- Last night he was "counting" in his carseat on the way home. It went something like "Wuu-uhn!, Doo-ooh!, Oah-er, Iiii-ive, TREE! Yaaaay!" Uh, I guess he's creative?
- When we were leaving the house this morning he turned to Ethel and Stella (the dogs) and casually said "Bye girls!"
- My Mother's dog, Hannah, recently had back surgery. I've been pelting Payne with phrases like "Careful! She has a boo boo. Don't touch! Be gentle!" etc...in the vain hope that this might inspire him to NOT land her back at the vet. Soooo now he has renamed her. When she waddles up to him he gleefully yells "Hannah Boo Boo!"

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