Toddler Discipline for Every Age and Stage: Effective Strategies to Tame Tantrums, Overcome Challenges, and Help Your Child Grow by Hargis Aubrey

Author:Hargis, Aubrey [Hargis, Aubrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rockridge Press
Published: 2018-10-29T16:00:00+00:00

Decide quickly what is and is not allowed.

Offer an alternative if possible.

Physically remove your child or the offending item.

Empathize with your child’s feelings.

Be prepared for a tantrum.

Let the situation drag on and on.

Use sarcasm or laugh.

Try to reason or negotiate.

Ignore your child’s feelings.

Allow your own emotions to get out of control.

Afterward, take the time to reflect. Your child dislikes something enough to use a power word over and over. Why? What’s bothering her in particular? Is there anything you can change about the environment to prevent her frustration next time?

Containing the Messes

Open cabinets beg to be explored, and too many toys are impossible to put away. Make it easier for your child to play by carefully assessing what is available and within her reach at any given time. At this age, she will be capable of putting her own toys away if there are not too many and she knows exactly where they go. Model taking a toy off of the shelf, playing with it briefly, and then returning it where it goes. If you do this often enough, she will copy your behavior.

However, don’t assume that just because she can clean up on her own, she will want to every time. Save those cleanup battles for when she’s older and more willing to listen to reason. For now, entice her into cooperation by saying, “Let’s clean up together.” Sing or dance your way around the room as you put everything back in order. When you’re finished, take some time to look around and smile about how nice it all looks.

Toddlers excel at dumping, destroying, and spilling. Water from the bathroom sink, yogurt on her snack table, cornflakes on the floor . . . these everyday spills are going to happen no matter how careful she tries to be, so it’s better to be prepared for easy cleanup rather than trying to prevent it altogether. Create a cleanup station with child-size cleaning tools, such as a broom, mop, dustpan, drying cloth, sponge, and spray bottle of water. Be matter-of-fact and calm when the mess happens. Redirect her toward the use of these tools. To her, this is just another fun way to play.

Parent to Parent: A Grand Mess

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