This boy is trouble...
This little boy is fast becoming a real handful and no amount of discipline seams to work on him. Anyway, how do you discipline a two year old? We've tried the 'naughty step' - he literally jumps straight off it. We withhold treats - he whines and whines until you can distract him enough to take his mind off of the treat. We send him to his room - he jumps on the bed and plays with his favourite things. We point our finger and tell him he has done something very naughty - he puts his hands on his hips and 'growls' back. All of his reactions to our poor attempts at a telling off involve a smile and a giggle, he honestly sees life as one big fantastic game. What do we do?
In my heart I hear the word - Patience. Just be patient with him. I know that I need to be firm, not laugh myself in the middle of a 'telling-off' moment and be consistent. Let him know when he has behaved badly, and help him to recognise his mistakes. 'Sorry' is an incredible important word in our home, and I won't settle for anything less then a full and proper apology, even from my two year old. It's just incredibly hard to do when this boys is so stinkin' cute.
3 comments:
Don t know if you were just thinking out loud, or asking out for any thoughts. Naughty step, super nanny Jo would advise to keep putting him back on each time. Very time consuming at first but eventually they stay there. I have watched programmes of hers where parents have spent 2 hours returning them back to the naughty step. When I studied childcare I decided not to send my children to their room as punishment. Just because in studies it was evaluated that for some children it made them fearful of their bedroom if sent there for punishment = trouble at bedtime/wetting the bed etc.
Thanks Ali, I guess it was both a rant, a 'thought's out load moment', and a cry for help. You're absolutely right about everything - return to the step, don't use the bedroom. I completely agree. I guess that's why I need an extra helping of patient with my boy! Thanks.
Dearest Em, your little boy and my little boy seem to be cut from the same cloth, indeed! I had thought that I would be a better mother by the time I got to #7, but I suppose every child is different. For me, I find that my two year old gets more naughty and aggressive when he is tired, hungry or bored. So when I realize he is starting to "wind up", I try to take the time to meet his needs, be it a snack, a cuddle, a story or whatever. But I'm not perfect, there are certainly times that I growl very loudly over his behavior, and he has ended up with a swat on his bum more than once.
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