How do you discipline your toddler?

Answer 1

There are various ways to discipline them depending on the situation. Among them are giving them time-out, setting limits, reinforcement etc. Check out the following site for details of each ways:

Answer 2

I have the absolute best book on parenting called 123 Magic by Dr. Thomas Phelan. It's super easy to implement and stay consistent. If your children are 2 or older, then this will definitely work for you. The basic gist is that there are two types of behaviours that you need to discipline: ones you want to stop (tantrums, etc.) and ones you want to start (eat your dinner). For stop behaviours you count, (1...2...3, that's a X minute rest) and for start behaviours you use a variety of means to motivate. The most important part of this system is that you don't get bogged down in discussion and you don't get emotional yourself. This is a book and there is also a video (we found it at our local library). It's used by teachers, parents, counsellors with amazing results. People who criticize this method can't have really read it properly. I can't say enough about this book. It totally saved our lives!!! We had the roughest year of our life! And it was over within 10 days of starting this. I

Answer 3

If she is repeatedly trying to get into something dangerous, she gets one (not too hard) pop on the bum.

But as far as regular discipline, we have a counting system. If we reach 5, then she has to stand/sit/be carried by one of us for 2 minutes (she's 2). If, upon asking at the end of her "sentence", she thinks she can behave herself, then she gets "release" *grin*. You'd be surprised how boring parents can be when you HAVE to stay with them. *grin*

If she goes off and attempts what she was doing again, after the time out, then she spends the rest of the time wherever we are (say, grocery store) confined to being with one of us. Or, if she's at the playground or something else she likes, we leave and don't go back for a week or so. If she asks to go/do the off limits thing, we explain that we can't go back until we can learn to follow the rules. A week seems like forever when you ask every day and hear "no". *grin*

Answer 4

By using a stern voice and physical/eye contact. I'm not telling you to BEAT your child but if she's grabbing something she shouldn't and doesn't respond to a verbal "Don't touch that." or "No." grab her hand and look her in the eye and tell her "No, don't touch that."

If it's something more serious, like touching the electrical plugs, I smack my daughter's hand. Not hard enough to do any damage, but hard enough so that she cries and gets the point. You want them to have a healthy fear of things that are truely dangerous.

If my daughter goes into the kitchen when she knows better (and she does) I pick her up in a forceful but non violent way and I put her in the other room and I say "You know better. Don't go into the kitchen." in a very stern voice. If that doesn't work, I give her a little swat on the butt. The objective is to give them an undesired result without harming them in any way.

It's hard to communicate with a toddler at times. You have to treat them like you would a dog (not in a bad demeaning way) but just a straight forward way. Dogs don't understand everything you say, but if you say it in a certain voice, they know what you mean. To teach a dog not to jump, you push them away in a forceful way- not harmful, just forceful so they get the point. Toddlers are the same. Let me be clear here: I'm not telling you to harm your child in ANY WAY or treat them EXACTLY like an animal. The point is that you have to think about the level of understanding a child has with these types of things.

It's very rare that my daughter does things she knows not to do. If she gets fussy or whiney about something, like being laid down for a nap or set down for a meal, I give her the benefit of the doubt and let her play and try again later. The only time I get stern or physical with her is if she has the potential of getting hurt or hurting someone else.

The only thing she fights me on is the booger sucker. In that case, I just distract her with a toy.

Answer 5

I tell my child what she did wrong and that she has to go to time out for what she did, she started kicking and screaming at first but I stood my ground and kept putting her back in her spot, once she was in her spot I set the alarm on my clock for how long she was to stay there (3 minutes for her), I tell her that when she hears the alarm she is done with time out, then i sit and explain to her why she was put there and tell her it was wrong. Now when she has to go to timeout she just sits there and waits for the alarm to go off without a fuss (sometimes).

Answer 6

Take away something they really enjoy. IE no cartoons for the day. However, sometimes a good old fashion spanking is what they need (not to hard). Usually just takes one. Then they know you mean business when you threaten one.

Answer 7

I use the naughty corner/time out technique. My son gets a warning when he does something wrong and if he continues then he gets placed in the naughty corner for 1 minute for every year of his age.....then when time is up i explain why he was put there, ask for him to apologise and to give me a kiss and a cuddle and he is allowed out of the corner and all is forgotten and forgiven...............it works wonders!!!!!

Answer 8

A firm voice. Take away some of their favourite things when they misbegave. Put them up high where they can see them, but can't reach them. When they behave they can have them back. Don't just make threats, follow through or it means nothing.

Answer 9

The world comes to an end with my 4 yr old son if he gets put in time out. My daughter...well, I haven't found her bargaining chip yet. She's two and good at it!

Answer 10

First we tell our daughter "NO" and if she still does it we put her on the couch for a minute and then if she still doesnt listen she gets a small smack on the butt, but it hardly gets to that point, shes a good girl.