Toddler and Boundaries do not go together, they are something that your child needs to learn and to understand that there are rules. Your toddler does not yet have the mental capacity to understand your pleads, your bribes or even your reasoning with them, you only confuse them and you are wasting your time.
A toddler girl crying (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Your toddler is of the age where they want to be boss, they fight for more freedom and more independence By setting firm but age appropriate rules and boundaries you can make life a little easier for yourself and tame your toddler.
You will find your toddler uses physical aggression much more at this age, they can not verbally react and respond, so they resort to pushing and grabbing. It may seem your child is always naughty, but be reassured your toddler is not a naughty child and more that they are perfectly normal and this aggressive behavior is common at this milestone.
You should never ignore aggressive behavior and this is a rule that will broken if they do hit another child. You are boss and your toddler will fight you for the title. Remain calm, fair and in control at all times, no matter how stressed you may feel, this gives off clear signals to your toddler that you are a force to be reckoned with.
Toddler tantrums are going to be a daily occurrence; the sooner you learn to accept them for what they are and be prepared, the easier they will be to deal with.
Dealing With A Tantrum
- Remain calm, do not throw a tantrum yourself
- Remove any items close to them – prevent injury
- If your child is safe, leave them to it – take all attention away from them, ignore them
- Do not plead, beg or try to reason – it will get you nowhere
- If your child throws a tantrum be it at home or in the supermarket follow these simple rules:
- Be consistent with your rules and boundaries and devise a good daily routine.
Tips To Taming Your Toddler:
- Praise and reward your toddler with hugs and kisses and lots of attention when they show good behaviour
- Once you have your rules and boundaries in place, stick to them, be consistent
- A routine is a great way to involve your child in the daily running of your family, it a allows them to know what to expect next
- Discipline be must be fair and firm at this age and always offer a warning – them what will happen if they carry on with the bad behaviour is… and carry it through
- Don’t act like a toddler – If your child screams at you do not scream back, if your child bites you, do not bite back – you are the adult, so behave like one.
Relax – honestly it gets worse before it gets better
