S.T.
I love Dr. William Sears The Discipline Book. He focus on positive disciplien and points out that discipline and punishment are not the same thing.
Hi Ladies!
My darling 11 1/2 month old son will be a year old on Christmas Eve. :-) He is a true joy! At the same time (and not at all a surprise) he is quite mischievous. Lately, he pulls the protective cover off of the fireplace and laughs, laughs, laughs. I tell him "no" and put him in another place, but he usually just keeps laughing! I am pretty sure he understands "no", but he just finds it funny... Any suggestions on what I should do differently? I am nervous that he could really hurt himself... Thanks!
I love Dr. William Sears The Discipline Book. He focus on positive disciplien and points out that discipline and punishment are not the same thing.
My son was the same way!! I did everything! I told him no nicely, then more firmly and it seemed like the more mad I got the funnier it was I even tried slapping of the hand and he would still laughed and of course I didn't want to hit him too hard but I know I did it enough to cause a little pain and he still laughed. The only thing that worked and it is the only thing that still works to this day is time out. Since he is soo young it's not really time out it is more like redirection. When he does something he is not suppose get down on his level tell him NO very stern and clear or No we don't touch whatever fits and put him either in a different room or area. If that still does not work put him in a play pen for a minute just keep re enforcing. It is frustrating but it is a phase. All kids are different some all you have to say is no and they run off crying and some like our wonderful boys need a break and honestly that is the worst punishment for him he can't play and do what he wants for a minute and that is not fun. Just stick with it remeber don't discipline angry you don't want to lose control. Good luck! And it does get easier.
IMHO, he's really too young to consider "discipline". With a new baby coming, you won't come close to being able to watch him close enough to keep him away from things that are not safe.
At this age, I think it's our jobs as parents to provide a physically (and emotionally safe environment). If you don't have one already, the baby play yards that have flexible panels that you can arrange in many ways are great for blocking off unsafe areas. I used it for my puppy and we'll use if for keeping the Christmas tree safe this year - we haven't put it up yet because we know the puppy will not be able to stay away and his curiousity will really motivate him to find a way in.
My younger son was also very mischievous - I consider it to be more curiousity than outright bad behavior. We say the puppy is just like him - if something looks fun, they really don't care about consequences - they think the fun outweighs any of that.
As your son gets older (2+) then you can start increasing the consequences of unwanted behavior but be prepared for these situations on a regular basis for quite some time - my younger son is now 13 and these issues are ongoing. They have a zest for life and keeping them busy in safe activities still takes alot of mom's energy. Keeping them busy is the best approach - soccer is a great activity for burning off the energy.
Good luck with these two babies come January !
sometimes, it's just the tone of your voice. They can pick up if you are serious or not. For some reason my kids can hear it better in my husband and mother's voice than mine. However, if I say "NO" in a direct firm way, they usually would stop.
My daughter is the same way! She's 13 months old, but since about 10 months old, has thought it hilarious when I tell her no. I started swatting her hand. Not hard of course, but it helps a little. Of course, she sometimes thinks the swats are funny too, and never cries. You just have to be consistent, and if he thinks it's funny, ignore him. If he pulls it off just ignore him, and then put it back on when he isn't looking. If he's not getting any attention from his actions, then he might get bored with it and move on to something new to destroy. :)
Just be consistent with whatever you choose to do.
I would get the book Love and Logic. There really is a need for discipline (or whatever you want to call it) especially at this age. You can keep your house as safe as possible, but you go other places, right? He's quite capable of understanding what you want or don't want. The authors of this book suggest that you give your kids at least as much credit as the family dog meaning they can understand just as much as your dog as early as 8 or 9 months. He can remember from day to day things like no touching the fireplace, no playing on the stairs, etc. I'm not great at explaining it, but look at the website www.loveandlogic.com It will make your life so much easier and helps you to be a happier, more pleasant parent ;) I really enjoy my boys so much more when I don't have to 'discipline' all day long. Love and Logic helps you to prepare them for the 'real world' and understand consequences of their actions. One thing I remember from the book was that they (toddlers)LOVE seeing a reaction from their parents and it gives them a sense of control. For example, if I do this, I get a huge reaction from my mom! It is funny to your son just to discover this new and exciting thing. Just like the toys he loves...push a button and a light comes on or a sound...see? He's 'pushing your buttons'. Interesting little creatures, aren't they? :) Good luck! He's at such a funny, sweet age!
I asked this same question when my daughter was this age! The key is distraction rather than discipline. They do not have impulse control at this age so even if they know it's a "no-no" they will still do it; they just can't help it! Distract him with something else. Another tip I got was to try to use positive discipline. Rather than saying "no" and "don't" 100 times a day, tell them what you want them to do instead. "Walk" instead of "Don't run." Instead of "No, stay away from the fireplace," try "Put that down, show Mommy your toy car. Can you bring Mommy the car?"