Your Baby, Your Rules! Surprised? Don’t be. This article is NOT about punishment. Discipline is not punishment or spanking.
From tossing pacifiers to overturning cereal bowls, your baby gets a bit wiser every day and setting a limit or two is a necessity. Before resorting to spanking and punishment, try these tips.
Dos & Don’t of Baby & Toddler Discipline
At newborn stage, your baby knows little or nothing about the world around him. Babies need to feel safe and secure. Meeting their needs helps them grow into independent adults. But at this stage, you need to differentiate between needs and wants. For example, your baby may want to sleep on your chest every time, but he doesn’t need to. He needs to learn to sleep on his own says Jane Nelsen, EdD, Coauthor of Positive Discipline. A toy or teddy bear will come in handy at this stage. He may cry it out initially but he will adjust accordingly.
Teething can also have an effect on behavior. When a baby starts biting during breastfeeding, end that feeding session. Gradually, the baby will learn that biting is not allowed.
Do’s
1. Show your baby how much you love him. Forget the myth that showing too much love or holding them too much spoils them.
2. Be strict enough to say a stern No when you mean it.
3. Be consistent. If you don’t want your baby to do something like climbing the chair, for every time he does it, say no. Telling your baby not to climb up on a chair one day, then letting him do it the next is confusing. So is saying “don’t touch” without following up if (when!) he ignores your request. It takes a lot of patience and repetition to teach compliance.
4. Praise him when he listens. Offer a toy or reward for good deeds.
5. Use distraction as a discipline tool.
6. For older kids, time out and taking away something that is valuable to the child are both really effective in teaching a child the difference between right and wrong.
Don’t
1. Don’t be too rigid. If your standards are too high, your baby will always feel not good enough.
2. Don’t call your baby names. They grow to become what we call them.
3. Don’t overuse the word no. It will stripe it of it’s power fast. Choose your battles, prioritize your baby’s safety and those around him.
How do you discipline your child? Spanking or alternative methods? Let’s talk!
