Saturday, September 3, 2011

Discipline for Toddlers

Yesterday, a friend of mine posted to her Facebook "As a stay at home mom there are a few days I want to scream 'I don't want to do this sh#@ no more!!!  That would be today.'"  I could feel the frustration she was feeling by her words.  I am confident I can say that all moms have been there at least once during their time as a parent.  Even with the love we feel for our children there are times when the battle of wills becomes too much and our frustration overwhelms us.

Emotions
This is especially true during toddlerhood.  My daughter tests her limits and mine on a daily basis.  At some moments it's repeating an action I don't want her to do.  Other times she's unable to deal with her own anger or frustration which results in a temper tantrum of epic proportions.  At home, the tantrums are easier to deal with the ones out in public.  I try my best not to be that mom with the out of control child.  You know the ones I'm talking about.

The question I pose to you is what are your methods of dealing with discipline?  I found an article at Baby Center about successful discipline strategies for every age.  Have you ever tried these?  Do they work for you?  Join in on the conversation.

5 comments:

  1. I'm in the same boat! unfortunately I still have my share of embarrassing outings, but it seems Pipers tantrums are getting better, shorter and less often than a few months ago when she started them. I really am not sure if it's the way i'm disciplining her that is bringing the improvements as much as her just getting older and learning to handle her emotions and speak better. I do try to take her away from distractions/triggers/situations and talk her through the fit until she's calmer and then offer lots of hugs once she does settle after a major fit. Usually she is able to articulate her feelings after a good cry and hug. Hope you find what works for your family =)

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  2. I must be an exception then. :) I've been a mother for a little over 8 months now and I've never said that sentance. Sure, I get frustrated and need a break but I never get one unless my husband lets me sleep in an hour or two on his days off. I'm a full time stay at home mom and a full time student :) I've never wished it any other way either.

    I feel blessed to have such an easy child. She has her moments but when you look at the big picture she is practically a saint!!

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  3. When my daughter was a tantrum throwing toddler, the only thing that worked for me was to hug her and hum. I had to hold tight for as long as it took for her to calm down because she was vicious and mean and she had a powerful left hook. :-D

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  4. When we are out, we leave if the tantrum is bad. Doesn't happen often but when it does, there is no controlling her. At home, I ignore her tantrums and sometimes use time out if deemed necessary.

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  5. @Ana I've been giving her "the talk" too when she gets crazy. Just looking at her directly in the eyes and talking in a calm voice that it's not acceptable usually works. We also give her short time outs or remove her from the situation if it's really bad.

    @Manda-Nicole Izzy didn't start acting up until she was well into her toddlerdom, probably around 18 months old.

    @Taylor Hugging and humming, that's a good idea. I'll try that next time and let you know how it goes.

    @LOVE MELISSA It sounds like we're doing the same thing. So far it's working. Crossing my fingers that it'll keep working.

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