MrsPMP
Mumma to 1 and Pregnant!
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- Aug 31, 2011
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Yes it's a phase, and unfortunately I don't think it's always confined to 2 years old
Having worked with toddlers, ALOT of toddlers, you learn that actually they are smarter than you realise!! Yes they are babies, but they weren't born yesterday! haha
I do agree with punishments, consequences to actions, whatever you wish to call it..time out, toys away, telling then ignoring.
I do agree that some parents can get away with gentle discipline, ignoring bad behaviour altogether or redirection before it escalates. But not all parents can, children are created differently and I've seen gentle parenting work out and age 4 their kid is brill, but I've also seen age 4 and your kid is a NIGHTMARE! You just have to realise what's right for your child.
A couple of rules I stick by are to
1-pick your battles(which it sounds like you did with the toys etc)
2-be consistent as to which battles you choose to fight and don't
3-Whilst I hear you when you say you don't want to talk too much about emotions I do really think age 2 it is a job of a parent or carer to help a child to come to understand what it is they are feeling right then...I've found it's helped with children often, especially as they come closer to age 3+ I choose something like this:
"I know you are feeling very cross because you can't have a biscuit right now and that's ok but you still have to do as Mummy says. The screaming and shouting isn't acceptable, you need to stop right now or else we are going to go and calm down over here for 2 minutes"(alot of children just can't stop yet) and for some the time out works and others it will just make them more cross and they just need to be left alone and ignored and eventually they stop and then I encourage my son to say sorry for throwing or hitting if he ever does that and then we hug it out.
You might want to make the wording more to your or your child's taste but I'm a big liker of talking to kids like adults because they really do get more than you realise.
A good idea and I find better than a chair is some kind of quiet space, like a tent with blankets on the floor to put them in, often when they get older they can take themselves in there if they feel cross or upset instead of having a tantrum.
HTH
Having worked with toddlers, ALOT of toddlers, you learn that actually they are smarter than you realise!! Yes they are babies, but they weren't born yesterday! haha
I do agree with punishments, consequences to actions, whatever you wish to call it..time out, toys away, telling then ignoring.
I do agree that some parents can get away with gentle discipline, ignoring bad behaviour altogether or redirection before it escalates. But not all parents can, children are created differently and I've seen gentle parenting work out and age 4 their kid is brill, but I've also seen age 4 and your kid is a NIGHTMARE! You just have to realise what's right for your child.
A couple of rules I stick by are to
1-pick your battles(which it sounds like you did with the toys etc)
2-be consistent as to which battles you choose to fight and don't
3-Whilst I hear you when you say you don't want to talk too much about emotions I do really think age 2 it is a job of a parent or carer to help a child to come to understand what it is they are feeling right then...I've found it's helped with children often, especially as they come closer to age 3+ I choose something like this:
"I know you are feeling very cross because you can't have a biscuit right now and that's ok but you still have to do as Mummy says. The screaming and shouting isn't acceptable, you need to stop right now or else we are going to go and calm down over here for 2 minutes"(alot of children just can't stop yet) and for some the time out works and others it will just make them more cross and they just need to be left alone and ignored and eventually they stop and then I encourage my son to say sorry for throwing or hitting if he ever does that and then we hug it out.
You might want to make the wording more to your or your child's taste but I'm a big liker of talking to kids like adults because they really do get more than you realise.
A good idea and I find better than a chair is some kind of quiet space, like a tent with blankets on the floor to put them in, often when they get older they can take themselves in there if they feel cross or upset instead of having a tantrum.
HTH