How to discipline toddlers?

Question

I am at my wit’s end in trying to check the behavior of my 2-year old son. I am not into spanking and physical punishment. So is there any other proven tip for disciplining toddlers please?

Answer 1

I am lucky to be forty three years old and more than 10 years removed from my last duel with a toddler. Like the battle-scarred mom that I am, I would like to share some lessons that I picked along the way:

First, be firm – no is no, yes is yes. Teach him early that you mean exactly what you are saying and you’ll have fewer instances of constant battle of wills. There will be lots of crying at the start but your kid will eventually learn to live with it once he realizes that you will not give in.

I is very helpful if you know your child’s tendencies. Observe closely what makes him cry and what makes him happy so you can call on them when needed. There are a lot of things that can trigger tantrums so it will be helpful to keep them out of your kid’s way.

And also, be consistent – praise your child whenever he does something good and reprimand him when he does something bad. Young kids often do things that solicit response from adults around them. You will observe how they repeat doing things that make you laugh. Reinforce this tendency by letting him know of your displeasure when things get out of hand. Do it consistently and he will learn to stop doing the things that you disapprove.

Comments

Very informative answer to how to discipline toddlers! Thanks!

Answer 2

I share your predicament because I also have a young son who is always testing my will. There were times when I am tempted to just sit and watch him do whatever he wants to do. But what I find to be effective in keeping my sanity is not getting too emotional when he ignores my words. I find this rather difficult to do at the start, because I always take it really hard when I cannot make him stop crying or doing something wrong. But now, I realize that it’s all part of growing up. My role now is to guide him and keep him out of any potentially dangerous situations in and around the house.