How would you discipline your toddler??

Question

My little one is almost 14 months old and he throws the worst tempers ever when he doesn't get his way. And when he does get mad he will try to hit you with things and throw things at you and just scream bloody murder until he gets what he wants. What is the best way to handle this, and how do I discipline him when he hits people. I mean when he hits you it really hurts it put a bump on my head before. PLEASE HELP

Answer 1

Throwing tantrums can just be a way of expressing frustration - at 14 months your son is very aware of his limitations in ability & communication. Walk away (not in a store, of course!) and ignore the tantrum completely. If he pitches a fit in a store, tell him you're leaving and very calmly get in the car & go home. No other discipline is necessary - if tantrums never, ever get him any attention, he'll quit.

As for hitting the problem is that he still doesn't understand causing you pain. If it's fun for him, it must be fun for you, too. Spanking him won't help - he still won't understand that it hurts YOU.

Reacting with a howl, yelling, or telling him "NO!" are all terrific reactions as far as he's concerned. He'll keep it up just to see if he'll get the same reaction over and over again. Even a time-out is a reaction.

Put him down. Refuse to interact with him. Calmly say, "I can't pick you up because you hit." "I can't play with you because you throw. I don't like it."

If he hits someone else, give all the attention to that person. Say, "Oh, are you hurt? Do you need a bandaid??" Don't force your child to apologize, just ignore him.

Kids are smart, if his hitting gets no reaction and no attention (or worse, someone else gets all the attention), he'll quit.

Answer 2

Don't abuse him like that guy suggested, but I'm sure you know that.

OK, try a few things. One, try a time out. We decided when we saw the "Nanny" show that we should start that as soon as possible so it wouldn't be so hard to enforce later like the kids on the show. We started when my son was around one.

We put him on "the floor" in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room because we were making dinner when it first started and we knew if we used the "naughty step," he'd climb up the stairs instead. We tell him why he is sitting on the floor, and then we put the timer on for 1 minute in your case, but if he were 18 months it would be a minute 30 etc. We ignore him no matter how loud he gets or how hard he cries or how he cries out for us. If he gets up, which doesn't happen to often for us, we get him and put him back no matter how many times he does it. You don't talk to him then. When the timer goes off, we go over to him and pick him up and explain again why he was there and ask him if he's sorry. If he persists in his behavior, we put him back for another time. Once, we had to do it four times before he stopped.

Now he is three and when he does something he shouldn't, we count to five and he knows that if he doesn't stop by then or do what we asked him to do, he'll be "on the floor" for three minutes. He really hates sitting there.

Also, my son went through a short temper tantrum stage. We would ask him to stop and if he didn't, we'd leave the room and let him have his tantrum without an audience. A few times he followed us to have his tantrum with an audience, but we just left that room. You could put him in his room to do it so long as he's safe and won't break anything or hurt himself doing it.

You must remember to be consistent and follow through each time and never ever give in to a tantrum. He needs to stop first. If you are not consistent or if you give in eventually to his tantrum, you teach him that he can play you and get to you eventually. That's the last thing you want because then it only gets worse. Good luck!

Answer 3

DO NOT GIVE IN!! No matter what he does, and this will show him that you are the parent, not him. Secondly, put him in a safe place and let him throw the fit BY HIMSELF, when there is not an audience he will know he is wasting his time and he will stop. Third, when he calms down and talks to you tell him why you said no to something, real reasons, saying because I said so will not cut. Do this every time he throws a fit, every time. In a couple of weeks you will have a new kid, but you must stay consistent with this, with any discipline and NEVER GIVE IN. When you give in it just reinforces that he can get his way if he does this or that.

Answer 4

Since S/he Is 0nly 14 Months I Would Not Reccomend Anything To Hard BUT You Should Displicine Him And Make Sure He Doesn`t Get Everything He Wants, Or Spoil S/he Rotten! If You Spoil Them Too Much They Will Not Learn To Take No For An Answer!

To Disipline I Would Reccomend You Leave Where Ever Your At If Your Like At A Toy Store Or Park, Maybe A Little Swat 0n The Butt, 0r Timeout.

A Little Swat 0n The Butt Usually Works. Not To Do It Just hard Enough To Make Them Mad, But Do It To Where They Feel It And Get The Point!

It May Hurt You But It`s For Their 0wn Good!

Answer 5

Hitting is absolutely not acceptable, ever. If he uses an object to hit or throw at someone, it's gone. (put it up where he can't reach or see it and it doesn't come back until he has learned how to be a model citizen). Do not hit him to teach him not to hit-obviously that sends a mixed message. He can scream and throw any tantrum he wants, he just gets to do it alone in his bedroom or a designated time out spot. When he talks back or generally misbehaves put him up high so you are eye level and his feet are dangling (helps to establish the balance of power, he is no longer 'grounded' ) Zero tolerance is the only way - get other family members on the same page.
You must believe you are the boss. If necessary remind yourself before taking action,"I am the boss, I don't not negotiate. He will listen to me." Negotiations are for when your son is reasonable.(and older than 14mos)
It is about respect. He will say, 'Yes, please - No, thank you' and you must afford him the same courtesy.
If you are wishy-washy in your convictions, he is going to run all over you. You can do this!

Answer 6

1. And this is not just for a toddler. Define rules and stick to them. If punishment is required don't back off of it.
2. When he hits, loudly say 'NO' and then if it continues decide on a punishment and follow through. Put him in the crib for a time out. Take away a favority toy. But try not to hit as he has to be picking this kind of behaviour up from somewhere and you don't want to be the example that he is using.

You have to find what pushes his buttons in the way of a punishment and then use it and stick to it. Backing off or giving in is the quickest way to raise a child who thinks they can get away with anything if they just make enough noise or trouble. You have to stick to your guns.

Answer 7

Little smacks on the hand or butt is good like the other person said just not to hurt him but to let him know you mean business. Also time outs are good. A chair in the corner or hallway where there is no distractions or objects in the way. The worst thing you can do is give in. The more you do the more he's going to think its ok. Make him apologize after his fits if he hurts someone too. Reward him for his good behavior and take away for bad.

Answer 8

My son went through the same thing at that age. We got down to his level and told him that it's not nice to hit and why(ie: that hurts kitty - kitty won't want to play with you if you hurt him), and ignored the tantrums whenever possible. He eventually learned that it wasn't doing him any good, and wasn't going to get him attention, so stopped. He is 16 months now. When he is showing behaviour that we approve of, we reinforce it with telling him that we like how he is acting (ie: That's really nice, you are being very gentle with the kitty.) Good luck, and just remember to be patient - he will outgrow it. :-)

Answer 9

I would put him in his room and close the door tell him he can come out when he starts behaveing ..

I would also check in with your doctor something might be triggering this also medical wise...

My son is a headbanger .. He would just hit the wall with his head when he was tired of cranky...

He hit me with his head and it hurt like hell so I did the same thing back not enough to hurt my self or him but he understood that it was wrong .. He never hit me again ..

There are times where you have to disipline your child by spanking them ... Its sad that the goverment has control over the parents but I will spank my child if he needs it .. Its hardly ever that I spank him but if he did hit me I would hit him back and tell him that hurt and its not nice .. You don't like if mommy hits you so don't hit mommy he never hit me again..

Answer 10

Are you the parent here??????? Then use some discipline on your baby, and I'm not talking about timeout either. That is the stupidest concept ever I mean really. He is used to timeout. He has like 8 hours of it at night, and as it sounds he is probably an only child which means that he is used to being alone. You should spank your chile and I'm obviously not talking brutality here I'm talking about giving him a smack on the butt then telling him why he got spanked. It's the only way to go.