Toddler and tv

PhillyGal34

E is obsessed with smacking our tv. It's a flat screen and on a low tv stand in the living room. He constantly walks up and smacks the screen. Sometimes with items in his hand. He thinks it's hilarious and when we say no he laughs. He's only 15 months and we try to distract him and get him away but I'm worried either he is going to get hurt (screen breaking) or the tv is going to break (and I really don't feel like paying for a new tv) trying to think of ways to keep him away and although a baby gate would work it would cover half the screen. He pushes everything we put in front of it away too (like our ottoman)

Any suggestions?

Eta TV is approximately 15" off the ground ... It's not letting me upload a picture.

jessica0602

My son will be 2 in a couple of weeks and we had the same issue.  Plus we're in an apartment so space is limited to begin with.  That said, we just redirect.  He stopped banging on the screen on his own.  He might still touch it now and again, but he listens when we tell him to get back.

That's probably not all that helpful to you.  But at least you know you're not alone.  Just keep those screen wipes handy.

letranger

Do you have it anchored? That would be my only concern. And just re enforcing we don't use hands on it.

Amerbutt81

We have ours gated off so he can't get it. 

This is a random picture I took of our feet (odd, I know) but you can kind of see how the TV is fenced off

JenD1018

I have found that not making such a big deal about it and redirecting seem to work (so far).  J constantly wanted to push the buttons on the cable box, dvd player and receiver and in the beginning, we would keeping telling him no and removing him, which only made him smile and go back to doing it. Repeat, repeat, repeat.  Now, we tend to ignore it or not make such a big deal and say 'no, don't play with that, come over and show me this/play with this'.

PhillyGal34

Thanks guys.
I've definitely tried redirecting and it works... some times.  You are right that when I say no or try to pull him away it makes him want to do it more. So I've tried to stop that.  I've thought about a gate and we may have to but it is so low that the gate would cover the bottom half of the TV which would be annoying. If it isn't attached I can see him trying to move it and if it is attached it will be a pain to move every time we want to watch TV.

I thought it was anchored but yesterday realized our old TV was anchored and this one is not. I am not sure how we can anchor it so we need to figure out that out ASAP.  I definitely think we are going to need to have some kind of barrier for the time being until we figure that out.

I'm cursing myself for wishing he would start walking.  What was I thinking???