my baby is 13 months old now. When should i start disciplining him. And how should i teach him to beahve?

Question

How can u discipline a baby who is just over 1 year?

Answer 1

What a great question, my wife and I - who also have a thirteen month old, were talking about this subject only a couple of hours ago.

Our boy is starting to get mobile (a late starter) and is very inquisitive. So far we've been distracting or moving him when he starts getting into things he shouldn't - like the bin which is probably his favourite at the moment.

About four months ago I did smack him once when he was biting (very hard) my wife, and had done it a few times. While I felt dreadful for doing it, especially when I saw the look of surprise on his face after the smack, he hasn't bitten her hard since. It was a smack on the wrist, just hard enough to make a noise.

I think at our boys age, and yours, that it is time to start introducing some discipline - because he is getting to an age where he could start to endanger himself if he does not learn to follow some directions from us. I would limit this to serious issues though, so that there is some consistency with the message from both parents.

Thanks for the question, looking forward to reading the other answers from more experienced parents - and good luck : -)

Answer 2

Gentle guidance.
Don't put him in situations with things that he cannot touch, at his age he is not yet capable of that type of discipline. Keep your own home baby proofed, if that means things like putting the Xmas tree in a play pen, then so be it.
When he is approaching danger or going somewhere you don't want him to go, you guide him away from it and reinforce it with age appropriate words, animation, etc.
You are very aware to ask about this, you really cannot ignore a one year old (although it seems like a lot of parents do!)
There are many theories and books written about discipline, check the library and see which author matches your own personal philosophy on how children should be raised. You will find widely differing opinions.

Answer 3

Um. you actually start at day "one". You are 13 months too late.

Every response and activity is a form of training and discipline.

Discipline is not just beating the kid senseless with a stick. It's having a regular time schedule, teaching behaviors to reduce crying, to avoid associating whining and crying with incessant demands, teaching regular feeding times, , to adjust the child to the rhythm of the family.

Rent (or buy) the DVD series, "Super Nanny". You will get a college-degree in discipline children. How easy is that?

Answer 4

It depends on what you mean by "discipline".

Saying "No" to a child (at any age) is the first way to discipline, and hopefully you've been saying no when appropriate for a long time.

One of the best ways to teach children to behave is to teach them that their actions have consequences. If they misbehave, for example, they lose a privilege (such as TV, or playing with a favorite toy). When they behave well, they are given positive reinforcement (you praise them, hug them, let them do something they want to do).

If you start teaching your children from an early age that doing good things leads to good things, they will want to behave in a way that makes the good things happen.

And if by "discipline" you mean spanking, then my answer is "Never".

Note to MarkEverest: I think your advice is very well-intentioned, but the sad truth is that with a lot of people, the instinct is to scream, hit and shake, particularly when a parent is overwhelmed, tired, stressed. So I would not advice a parent to trust instinct alone.

Answer 5

Please bear in mind that this is YOUR baby. What your instincts tell you is far more valuable to your baby's future than anything anyone writes here.

I have two daughters who are exceptionally well behaved at 8 and 10, but they didn't come with instruction manuals and their mother and I have raised them using our judgement and instincts.

Of course, ask advice when a problem arises, but make your own judgement on whether to accept the advice and how much of it to accept.

Good luck. Because of you your baby will become a person. That is the hardest job you will ever do.

Answer 6

the answer is in your question................. he's a BABY. Of course you shouldn't discipline him......... move ornaments, anything hazardous (matches, knives, etc) out of his way. If he tries to pull the cat around/thump the dog etc., say NO in a stern voice. No need to smack him

Answer 7

you can start a bit now, like it time to start potty training for example. but major disciplining starts at 2 years i guess.

You could visit my website, http://www.learning-graph.com , which has excellent resources for children activities, children's diet, confidence building, skill building.

Answer 8

Start? Bet you have already without realising. Tone of voice. And I'm not referring to volume either. A heartfelt, and really meant "NO".

Answer 9

Time out or no food he likes. Though I would start at 2 years old, 13 months is a little young.

Answer 10

You can't discipline him yet. He or she is too young ...