From the time you first realized that you were pregnant till the day your baby finally came into your arms, the journey of becoming a parent is beyond words. You love your child with all your heart, and naturally, as a mother you would want your toddler to achieve all the success and happiness. You will strive to work effortlessly towards doing the same.
Disciplining your little one tends to start very early. Beginning from providing him the right food and establishing good habits to encouraging your child to learn and play; you are now training your naughty little toddler for what he’s about to come across in the next few years of his life. Having an active and naughty toddler is a good sign- he’s on the right path of development. However, there’s a thin line between naughtiness and lack of discipline, and it is during this crucial stage that you need to explain the importance of toddlers discipline.
We bring some effective ways to help you discipline toddler and encourage the right behavior from the very beginning of his life.
You may have heard of the saying- spare the rod and spoil the child. Well, this is not always necessary. Remember that your toddler is still a toddler, and unless you don’t teach him the difference between the right and the wrong, he is not going to change.
Your first step is to sit down with your child, and explain him the difference between good behavior and the bad, preferably along with their consequences. Remember that disciplining a toddler requires time and patience, and there’s no one-size-fits-all magic remedy to it. You, as a parent will need to intervene and sort out things yourself.
One of the best ways to discipline your toddler is to reward him for his good behavior. Punishment may be the center of discipline, but you will need to keep your child motivated and encouraged to make sure that he is at his best behavior always, even when you’re not around him.
You don’t have to start giving him a strict military training all of a sudden- go slow and explain him your motive behind you encouraging good behavior.
Setting down rules of appropriate behavior is yet another great way to keep your toddler working towards good manners, especially if your toddler has now started socializing. You may also learn that your toddler will come home with new words, behaviors and patterns once he starts going to playschool, and if you find him doing something inappropriate, put down a list of rules you will want him to follow.
It is also advisable to set timings that your little one has to follow when it comes eating, playing, bathing and sleep routine. Fix an appropriate time to watch TV, play and sleep. Ask him to place things at their appropriate places once he’s done using them.
If your child is fussy and tends to argue with the rules that you have put down, try and neutralize arguments instead of dominating him. For example, if your toddler is insisting on you buying him a new tablet, try to neutralize the argument by saying- “yes, we will get you one soon”.
Children tend to be fascinated with every other thing that comes their way and direct demands are put in front of parents for buying them. Do not be too rigid nor or too flexible.
Instead of yelling and spanking and being rough with your toddler when he does something that had caused you embarrassment in public, gently warn him about his behavior and why such a behavior is not appropriate.
Remember that you need to stay calm and composed all the time when it comes to dealing with your toddler, no matter how naughty he is- if you begin to yell and refuse to budge, there is a good chance your toddler will be even more stubborn from his side.
There’s nothing better than having some quality time with your baby- take him out to a park or a games arcade at your nearby mall. Instead of checking mails on your cell phone, interact and participate in the activities that your toddler enjoys doing (playing with a ball, riding a simulator motorcycle in the mall, making mud castles or sliding down a slide). This is a great way to get your toddler closer to you, and he’ll be more likely to value your opinions and thoughts.
You can also buy him a few good books that demonstrate characters having positive habits; this way, you’ll be silently encouraging positive behavior without him knowing about it. This is also a good time to keep him away from negative influences, if any.
You knew this one was coming- didn’t you? Well, to put it down simply, it is during this crucial time that you have to be on your best behavior and set an example for your toddler. Remember, your toddler is pretty observant about everything around him- he notices the way you dress, the way you catch your fork and the hand motions that you do while you talk to someone- so make sure you set a good example yourself.
Be on your best manner both at home and in public. Practice honesty, have a positive approach and behave well with people- it’ll help you in your own life and you will also have minimal issues when dealing with your toddler’s behavior.
Remember that bringing up toddlers is not easy. Despite all your efforts, you will find him indulging in some sort of inappropriate behavior at times. Do not panic, and instead, observe him and see if he continues to do such things and identify the reasons behind his behavior. Stay positive, give him your time, love and affection, and soon enough, your toddler will be a good, successful and disciplined individual.
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Article written by Shahida
Copyrighted Pregnancy & Baby by Mummys Market 2019