Best Way to Discipline Your Toddler Properly

Don’t expect too much obedience of your toddler. Remember that she still has lots to learn about good behaviour and consideration of others. Her learning will be gradual as she has a very short memory span and does not recall “lessons” except through repeated experience. At the moment site is very sell-centred, and a lot of her behaviour, which you may consider naughty, is just an extension of exploring some of the new things she can do, and seeing how far your limits extend.

What also has to be respected is that a young child cannot always make herself understood, especially when it comes to explaining how she is feeling. Sometimes a child will test the limits when feeling anxious, in which case your toddler will need attention and reassurance, not punishment. Thinking about the world from a toddler’s point of view, and being sensitive to situations that might be stressful for your child, helps you to see their behaviour in perspective.

Effective intervention

Distraction is often a successful technique to use when your toddler will not cooperate. For example, if your toddler refuses to put on a coat, distract her with a toy, and then put the coat on her while she’s looking at it.

Giving your toddler a choice is also very effective. For example, when she refuses to put on the coat, try asking her, “Do you want to put this arm in first or this arm?”

You should ignore some of your toddler’s unwanted behaviour to avoid it becoming attention-seeking. If your toddler deliberately throws a toy car, which may hit another child, explain that such behaviour is unacceptable and that you must intervene.

Combining the techniques

All of these strategies take time and patience, but be reassured that by using them you are helping your toddler learn some very positive lessons for life. Learning about discipline is also the beginning of learning about sell-discipline, although this takes years to develop and cannot be expected of your child yet. Self-discipline comes from learning to manage and control your feelings and impulses, and is linked to sell-motivation and self-esteem. If, through positive discipline, you can help your toddler learn that it is a particular sort of behaviour that gets attention and praise, what we would describe as good behaviour, you are sowing the seeds for her ability to manage her behaviour well in the future.

Remember that your toddler’s behaviour is simply the way she learns. Allow her plenty of time, and offer her understanding and guidance.