Discipline Ideas for Toddlers

Here are a few common discipline situations that face toddlers and their parents and a few solutions.

These are some ideas that have worked for other parents. Please take what you need and leave the rest. I'd love to hear your ideas; e-mail me at mykidzmom@suite101.com.

Your child wants to play with/touch something that is off limits

1. Babyproofing will help make your house safer and less frustrating to your toddler. Cover electrical outlets with covers especially made for that. Put cords out of reach. Put up anything that you would be angry at your child for breaking or that is too dangerous for him to play with.
2. Use alternatives to "no" when possible. For instance, use descriptive words. . . if your child wants to touch the hot faucet, say, "Hot!" Some parents say, "Stop!" (And then offer your child something he *can* touch.)
3. Tell your toddler to put his hands behind his back instead of telling him "no" all the time. This enables him to lean forward and really study an object and may help get rid of his urge to touch it.
4. Teach your toddler how to "just touch." In our family we taught our children that meant they could reach out an index finger and gently touch the object (that way they couldn't grab it, but could satisfy some curiosity). Reach out your index finger to the object and thus help your child remember how to touch (not grab) the object; perhaps draw their attention to the texture of the object, "Feel how bumpy (or smooth) this is."
5. Sometimes it can help if you let your child touch, or even hold something in their lap, under your guidance. Show him how to touch things gently. You can say, "Gentle touches," and demonstrate.
6. If touching is not an option, then distract them. This is kind of like changing the subject. "Hey, take a look over here. Isn't this cool?"
7. Say, "That's not for **insert their name," or, "That's not a toy." Then add, ". . . here is something you can play with."
8. If possible, offer them an alternative that is similar to the desired object. If they want to play with your breakable glass snow globe, offer them a child's plastic snow globe.
9. Sometimes an object is high enough that a child can't reach it, but is so desirable to your child that they get very upset that they can't have it; if offering alternatives or distractions don't work, consider putting the object away in a closet or room where they can't see it so it doesn't continue to make them upset.
   The copyright of the article Discipline Ideas for Toddlers in Infants is owned by Jeri Carr. Permission to republish Discipline Ideas for Toddlers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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