Discipling Toddlers---2
The 4 year old in my home is VERY obedient. He often cries because he feels like he isn't doing enough or that he knows what he was doing/did was wrong. So for him it's not so much discipline more explaining things to him.
I lay out the rules for him and he pretty much follows directions. If he needs a time-out I usually send him to his room for a cooling off period. For him - he needs consistency. If I find that he needs something other than 5 minutes in his room I will give him a task to complete.
Here is a typical convo:
Me - L please stop yelling at your sisters
L - I wasn't yelling.
Me - Are you yelling at me now?
L - Yes.
Me - Okay, you need to go to your room for 5 minutes to cool off.
L - I don't want to go to my room.
Me - I don't want you to yell and you did. The consequence for that is time in your room.
L - Okay.
If there is a fit I usually will ask him to go to his room and clean it up and when he is done he may come out.
My kids don't have toys in their rooms so they can't go up to play they have to sit on their bed and literally cool off.
This form of discipline only works on him and my 2 year old. She seems to be a lot like him in temperment and demeanor.
When my 2 year old is "naughty" I send her to her room and she goes --- she cries the entire time but she goes. I also give them a warning. "If you keep throwing your toys you will have to go to your room"
That usually gets them to stop. Also taking the toy away works too.
In our house we also have a Toy Jail.
If a toy gets taken away for not sharing or because they weren't playing with it correctly it gets taken away to toy jail. It is in there for the rest of the day and the next day can be earned back by doing an extra chore or something we talk about together.
With the 4 year old and the 2 year old ---Warning them one time with a notification of the consequence gets them to stop USUALLY.
Next week - discipling TROUBLE, I mean the 3 year old. :)
What is something you do in your home? Lets get the chat going!
