How do you effectively disciple your child when they are not feeling well?

Question

My 3 1/2 year old has a head cold, but tht has not stopped her. she has been climbing , and getting into everything. Refusing to clean up her toys. Her response is a loud NO, then she told me that I was a loser. I have no idea where she heard that at. I am still in shock. When she realized that what she said to me hurt me, she kept saying it. She may not feel well, but if she can go from room to room and get into things, and climb, isnt she well enough to go into her room and pick up her toys? She told me No. I don't like it, but I am not going to push her to clean up, she is only 3 1/2, as long as she is playing in her room while i am cooking dinner. Anyway, I am fairly new to disapline and setting boundaries, do parents still put their kids in timeout when they have a cold?

thnks for all the answers guys. I just really wanted to not feel like I was abusing my kid by putting her in timeout when she is sick. I know that I am the parent. I just want to be the best parent i can. That is why i am asking the question!!!

Answer 1

Yes, discipline her. YOU are in charge, not her. You don't want to raise a spoiled brat, do you? You're not her friend. You're her mom.

Answer 2

Yes they do. The young lady will immediately pick up on anything that appears to give her an excuse, and if you allow illness to be a reason to "cut her some slack" you will soon find that every time you try to set limits, she's "sick".

Your stated response - "as long as she's playing in her room while I am cooking dinner" is a recipe for disaster. She has shown by her ramming from room to room getting into everything and climbing all over that she is in serious need of discipline. You ignore her and next thing you know she's found matches to play with or has decided to poke a long, thin metallic object into an electrical outlet. Or she's decided those neat-looking cans and bottles under the bathroom sink oughta taste real good and you find her on the floor deathly ill from having drunk clorox or put drano in her mouth or shrieking madly because she's gotten it in her eyes.

You are not her friend, you are her mother. She needs to be told how to behave and that behavior needs to be enforced. At her age it is quite enough, when she screams "Why?" to say "Because I'm the mommy and I say so!" Yes, dear, to successfully raise a child, you have to be as tough as a drill sergeant. When she does right, of course, then you switch from drill sergeant mode to loving mommy mode - but never, never, NEVER allow her to set the rules and the limits! No child of her age has ever been capable of handling that, and none ever will.

By the way - where's her daddy in all this? Tell him from me, who's raised six of 'em - he best not be sitting on his butt in front of the t.v. and ignoring all this! He's supposed to be your partner. He's supposed to help with the discipline too. And if he refuses - you need to tell him to hit that door with his suitcase in his hand - and don't let that door hit him in the behind on the way out!

Yeah, I know - parenthood is hard - very hard. Nobody ever begins that lifelong process perfectly prepared. But it is absolutely critical that you step up and take complete charge, you and your husband! Good luck!

Answer 3

Timeout is appropriate any time your child is acting up. But you must enforce it, and follow up what you say. Don't just TELL her to pick up her toys. Take her to her room and insist that she do it. If she won't, then take the toys away. Put them in a bag or box where she cannot get them for at least a couple days. SHe's young, so don't carry things too far, but make the point. Always try to make the punishment reasonable and suit it to the bad behavior you're trying to stop. Taking away something the child really likes for a specific period fo time usually works quite well.

Answer 4

If my child ever called me or another adult figure a name, they'd get a major butt-warming.

Spank her butt---time-outs are ridiculous. If sitting is a punishment, I'm being punished right now.

Answer 5

If she is strong enough to do all that, she is strong enough to take a spanking and I think she can clean up for herself a little as well.

Answer 6

yes you discipline your child even if she is sick, if being sick is not stopping her from causing trouble and misbehaving then why should it stop you from disciplining her.