From toddler to preschooler
Rebellious, mischievous toddler
IngeGuest ·
Hi everyone,
We have a super daughter who is 1 year and 8 months old. She’s a feisty little thing who is always on the move and already happily babbling away. Over the last two months, though, she’s been quite rebellious. Whenever she gets the chance, she pulls our hair, her little cousins have to suffer too, and she scratches wherever she can. We’re trying everything—ignoring her, raising our voices, you name it (of course, we don’t use violence). We do grab her hand a bit more firmly sometimes, but no matter what we do, she just laughs at us. (I sometimes feel like we come across as pretty harsh, so we’re not exactly soft.)
At first, there was a reason for it—when she wasn’t allowed to do something or didn’t get her way—but now she does it regularly out of habit. She’s also very naughty with things like food, toys, or household items; everything has to be thrown. As parents, we’re very consistent, but no matter how hard we try, nothing seems to make an impression. We were wondering if others recognize this behavior, if it’s just a phase, and how you handle it or have handled it. I just want to make it clear to her that this isn’t allowed, but how can you punish her at this age? Or should we ignore it? We keep trying to enthusiastically emphasize the good behavior, but things are actually getting worse.
If you have any tips, we’d love to hear them! :-)
We have a super daughter who is 1 year and 8 months old. She’s a feisty little thing who is always on the move and already happily babbling away. Over the last two months, though, she’s been quite rebellious. Whenever she gets the chance, she pulls our hair, her little cousins have to suffer too, and she scratches wherever she can. We’re trying everything—ignoring her, raising our voices, you name it (of course, we don’t use violence). We do grab her hand a bit more firmly sometimes, but no matter what we do, she just laughs at us. (I sometimes feel like we come across as pretty harsh, so we’re not exactly soft.)
At first, there was a reason for it—when she wasn’t allowed to do something or didn’t get her way—but now she does it regularly out of habit. She’s also very naughty with things like food, toys, or household items; everything has to be thrown. As parents, we’re very consistent, but no matter how hard we try, nothing seems to make an impression. We were wondering if others recognize this behavior, if it’s just a phase, and how you handle it or have handled it. I just want to make it clear to her that this isn’t allowed, but how can you punish her at this age? Or should we ignore it? We keep trying to enthusiastically emphasize the good behavior, but things are actually getting worse.
If you have any tips, we’d love to hear them! :-)
Replies
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Men Guest #2
Hi Inge,
Our little boy (1 year 7 months) has always been quite a feisty little guy. The throwing of just about everything is really relatable and frustrating, and so far we haven't managed to stop that behavior either. Our little boy can also just look you in the eye, smile, and then do something he shouldn't. I noticed that at some point nothing else worked, so after two warnings, I started putting him on the hallway. Just for a bit, door closed, wait until he really starts crying (usually only lasts a second), let him cry a bit (doesn't need to be long), then open the door, explain again why he was sent to the hallway, give a hug, and just continue as if nothing happened. Sounds harsh, but this is the only thing that makes an impression and thus helps. It's really not like he's on the hallway every day, but I think he needs to know that some things are just not allowed. This has really helped a lot.
And for the rest, it will probably just be a phase and pass, but then something else will come up
Good luck!
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