It’s scary even putting those two words together, so contentious is the “D-word” when talking about raising kids. But the wild and untamed creature that the toddler can often be needs some guidance, boundaries and the occasional stern word, if only to keep them safe and you sane. We look at some discipline styles and measures
All toddlers at some stage, often regularly, will misbehave, do something naughty, test your patience or risk life and limb through an action. How do we as parents deal with this?
Toddler discipline is quite an emotive topic with many parents either having strong opinions on how it should be done, strong opinions on how others are doing it or are totally confused about what they should do. It’s a minefield, and often it comes down to finding the best way that suits you, your family and your parenting values.
Discipline is not about telling kids off – it’s about setting boundaries, working out what’s acceptable behaviour and being consistent so your little beings understand the expectations.
Toddlers want to test boundaries. They’re just working out that they can have independence, and they will often try to push the envelope. They can be defiant and refuse to cooperate. They can be whingey, aggressive, destructive, angry and just plain naughty.
Tips for effective discipline:
- avoid power struggles with your youngster
- offer simple choices he can understand
- make a game out of good behaviour (“Let’s see if we can clean up your dolls before we finish saying the alphabet/counting to 10.”)
- catch your child being good and praise them for it
Discipline strategies:
- Time out – remove them from the area, but be aware this doesn’t work for every child, particularly the younger toddler.
- Distract and divert – redirect their naughty energies into something more positive or to an area safer.
- Set boundaries- according to all the parenting gurus, toddlers love boundaries because it makes them feel secure and loved. So work out what behaviour and actions are acceptable or not for your family, and make sure your littlies understand.
- Positive reinforcement – studies show that toddler discipline using positive reinforcement works far better than punishment, so focus on their good behaviour and try to ignore their irritating or naughty behaviour.
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