Toddlers and Discipline
Before you begin to discipline your toddler it is important to answer certain important questions, such as why does he/she need discipline, what are the benefits of discipline, and how much effort are you willing to put into this process.
Discipline, beginning at this early age, will teach the child lessons for a life time. He/she will know that every action will merit a consequence whether good or bad. Disciplining will also prove to your child that you love him/her enough to set safe boundaries.
There are many methods of discipline that you can choose from. Every child within your own family may require different forms of discipline based on personality,
gender or age.
The most important thing is that the toddler knows and understands clearly what the boundaries that you have set for him/her are. These should be emphasized and reemphasized in your actions and words.
They should be consistent and not change according to your whims and fancies, or just because there has been a alteration in the toddler’s regular schedule. Anticipate beforehand that the toddler will try and push the boundaries for the sole purpose of testing them.
Whatever form of disciplinary action you have planned for your toddler, let him/her know clearly and beforehand. Do not surprise him/her with a punishment.
Prepare your self. Understand that no discipline seems pleasant at the time but nevertheless it has to be done for the good of the child. Very often a parent gives up on discipline because he/she cannot see the child cry. A child is quick to grasp the fact that you are not tough enough to discipline him/her and will easily learn to manipulate situations to get you to give in to his/her tantrums.
Give him/her a time out. It has been advised that the time out should be age appropriate—one minute for every year of his life. Let the place for his time out be constant such as his high chair, his room, or the corner of a room. Make sure the disciplining is done immediately after the action of wrong doing. Let the child be able to associate his/her action and the punishment.
Make sure you take time to explain to the child why the punishment was doled out. Do this soon after the time out. The explanation is as important as the act of discipline. This will enable the child to understand clearly the cycle of action, consequence, and correction.
Never correct a child in front of others. This will lower his/her self-esteem. Encourage positive behavior. Do not bribe children but let them see for themselves the pleasure they can cause to you and to themselves by doing the right thing.