Tell Me Something Good!: Putting Baby In A Corner..

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Putting Baby In A Corner..

Although my daughter (8 months) is too young to be disciplined beyond being told "no" and having her attention redirected, I've been wondering about the appropriate age for discipline. Discipline can be a somewhat hot-button issue, but my question today is less about how you discipline your child, but more about what age that discipline began. How old was your child when you felt they were old enough to understand being disciplined? Whatever form of discipline you use, do you feel that it works?

Comments (18)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

Commenting Disabled
Further commenting on this page has been disabled by the blog admin.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Ms. BPlan · 765 weeks ago

I believe from young age by telling them not shouting at them. It will hard but patiance and constance will help :) !
My recent post Summer Holiday in Italy

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

Jessica · 765 weeks ago

If they are old enough to not obey then they are old enough to be disciplined. Children are much smarter than we give them credit for. When my current little one repeatedly wanted to touch the electrical outlets after being told "no" and redirected several times we started saying "no" AND flicking her on the back on her hand. All while smiling and using a loving, yet serious voice.

A few hand flicks on a few different occasions and by the time she was 12 months old she stopped caring about the outlets. That's a safety issue so we felt it needed to be under control immediately.

Now if she does something like scream at the dining room table she gets one warning and then after that we put her into her crib for a few minutes. Not only is that unpleasant for her because she wants to eat, but she also misses the social family time. Usually 2-3 minutes later (as long as she is calm and not screaming mad) we will go back into her room and remind her that she needs to be quiet at the table and then return her there. I have never had to repeat that twice at a meal. She knows what is expected of her and she's only 16 months old.

Finding the most appropriate and effect form of punishment is different for each child and takes practice. You should always start with the smallest and work your way up though. If you are lucky enough to have a child that obeys just by giving them "a look" then you are very blessed. ;-)
www.surrender2survive.blogspot.com
My recent post Haystacks!!

Reply

2 replies · active 765 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Christina 47p · 765 weeks ago

I was a "the look" child, but I have a feeling Izzy is going to need a little more convincing, lol. great idea!

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

Ronnica · 765 weeks ago

I agree...once they're old enough to out-right disobey, they're old enough to be disciplined for it.

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

Jessica · 765 weeks ago

Here from SITS!
My recent post Haystacks!!

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

Lamb · 765 weeks ago

What a fun blog you have here! I don't have kids to discipline, but I remember that my parents tried the "corner" thing when my brother and I were much older (8 or 9, maybe?) By then, it just seemed like a joke to us.
My recent post Come to the Albuquerque Zoo with me!

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

Apryl · 765 weeks ago

Following you from MBC. I'd love a follow back. I'll be visiting often for tip!
My recent post Walgreens- 25 Free Photo Prints

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

jessica · 765 weeks ago

New to your blog...I have a 7 month old. I'll be stopping back in to read all the comments that hopefully come in as I'm interested in knowing this too!
My recent post Need Help Writing The Right Words

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

keyalus · 765 weeks ago

I'll be checking back for comments too! I like what Jessica described about the "time-out" in the crib.

All we've been doing is the "No" and redirection thing and it has mixed results so far. If we say No in a stern enough voice, my 11 month old starts crying. I feel so bad...but I guess that means he knows we are displeased.
My recent post So Random

Reply

1 reply · active 765 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Christina 47p · 765 weeks ago

izzy cries too, lol. It shocked me, because I didnt even raise my voice, I just said "Izzy, No" and moved her away, and she just ...dissolved into tears! She just started a new thing where if I say "Don't touch that, please" she looks at me, and then crawls away, really fast! It's funny, but I try not to laugh, since I dont want her to think it's ok, lol.
My recent post Being Ms Jones- Week 34

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

Mrs. A · 765 weeks ago

Hi there! New follower from MBC, www.frugalonthecheap.com

We just started with the time out thing without our 2 year old...we probably started a little late, but he seems to get the idea.

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

-CK · 765 weeks ago

Funny story. I had three kids under three and when the 3rd one was just born I had to be very careful that the older two didn't hurt her. My oldest was old enough to get a lecture if he ever hurt the baby but my middle child (15 mo) didn't understand. One time when my 15 mo old innocently slapped the baby, I said, "no, no" but my 2-almost 3 yr old bossily instructed: "No hit the baby! She has to go to time-out!!!"
What was I to do? I didn't think the 15 mo was old enough to understand time out but I couldn't be inconsistent in my discipline, could I? My 2 yr old would see that I wasn't being consistent in my discipline if I failed to punish the 15 mo old.
So I said to the 15 mo old, go to time out.
The 15 yr old promptly picked herself up, went to the corner, put her forehead against the wall and let out an exaggerated, "WAAAAAAA"! Then she looked up at me and smiled and giggled as if it were a game.
I didn't know she would understand the words "time out" but apparently she had seen the routine with my 2 yr old enough times that she knew the protocol. I laughed so hard!
-CK
My recent post What is a pearl anyway

Reply

1 reply · active 765 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Ms. Understood · 765 weeks ago

That is hilarious!! It just goes to show. Children watch and learn and you have to be so careful about what you do in from on them.
My recent post Its so hard to say

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

-CK · 765 weeks ago

PS I don't know the right time to start disciplining a child. I think it depends on the child and how much you can tell they understand your instructions. I think that discipline is an aspect of our most important job to be parents. We should use it in balance with love, kindness and specific instruction.
My recent post What is a pearl anyway

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

Teresha · 765 weeks ago

All my mom had to do was give me a stern look and I got in line. My sister needed spankings to get the message. My daughter looks like she will fall somewhere in the middle. Right now, I do a lot of reasoning and some time outs in her crib. Once I flicked her hand when she was going through a phase of hitting me (it worked). Consistency is the key.

Reply

+1 Vote up Vote down

Ms. Understood · 765 weeks ago

I was hard headed. When they say a hard head makes a soft booty, I can claim to have the softest booty in town. (time out for prayer - Lord, please have mercy on me and not give me a little me to raise). My mom was slick. She fold her arms and then pinch me with the hand that was hidden. No one would see it and it would straighten me right up (I'm keeping that one in my pocket for the future). That was when I had gotten older. When I was younger, she could give me a look that made me shake in my shoes. My dad . . . his presence made you straighten up. I have no idea how I was so afraid of my parents and still got into so much trouble.
My recent post Its so hard to say

Reply

+2 Vote up Vote down

chriswife 58p · 765 weeks ago

My little one is only 8 months, so I am just starting with the "No" and then redirecting. I'm not looking forward to the next stage is discipline!
My recent post Day 8 A Moment

Reply

+2 Vote up Vote down

luvlymskrissy 70p · 764 weeks ago

Princess J responds to NO and STOP. But what parents fail to realize is that most babies can understand far more than we think they do. I KNOW my 9 month old knows exactly what I'm saying when I tell her things. I know mainly because of her response or her reaction to them. Once you know your child understands I say go ahead and start some form of discipline. It'll work for you more and more as the child gets older. Don't wait " until he/she can understand" because they already do. They'll milk that pretending not to understand act as long as you let them. And if you let them do it too long you'll be a parent in the store everyone is looking at crazy as your child pitches a fit.
My recent post Relationship realization

Reply

Comments by IntenseDebate

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)