…is like trying to sell ice to an Eskimo.
At 18 months, we’ve come to the point where Ben is needing more discipline. One can only redirect so many times (or pledge little foot prints from the coffee table, for that matter). Thus, I introduced the “time out” chair last week. The only problem is, my child doesn’t sit still long enough to endure a time out. As in, ever. It’s not as though I was trying to enforce a 30 minute time out…I was shooting for three minutes.
The next thing I know, the little bugger is climbing on top of the time out chair and doing his little look-at-me tap dance, all the while shrieking with delight. Fail.
So, maybe he is too young for time outs? How, then, do you discipline a toddler?
Just to throw a hypothetical scenario out there ( 
), say we have a child that climbs on top of the coffee table and starts performing something similar to a river dance. The parent says “We don’t climb on top of tables” and removes the child from on top of the table, placing him down next to his toys. A minute later, the child is back up on the table. The parent repeats the above steps, a bit more stern this time. A minute later, the child is back up on the table…
Okay, now let’s hear your suggestions (PLEASE)!! Do you have any time out tricks that work? Ready, Set, GO!
-J
mamateurs
Time-outs for my DS only worked on a mat. He would get the same joy out of being placed on a chair or step! Good luck sis, as we are nearing 3 the discipline is only getting tougher (mainly because he can talk back now) and the behavior wilder.
P.s. Super pic of my little nephew.
I would love to hear suggestions as well. The only thing that has remotely worked for us is removing the toy that he is getting into trouble with. IE– his car that he bangs into the furniture/cabinets and Momma’s legs with. After a 3rd tell to be gentle and that we don’t bang it into things, I take it away and don’t let him play with it for awhile. However, this happens daily, so I don’t think I am winning…
I really don’t think timeouts work until at least 3 at the earliest. They just don’t make the connection between action and consequence. I think you just have to keep taking him off the coffee table until he gets it which may be 1000 times. It really takes them that many times of testing boundaries to understand. Eventually he’ll start repeating the house rules back to you and then you can use things like timeouts to punish rule breaking. Remember, to discipline means to lead and most of the time it feels like you’re talking to a brick wall but he is learning. Direct consequences like removing a toy he’s throwing are useful. Toddlers take an infinite amount of patience, hang in there, it’s the hardest job in the world.
With my 18 month old I try to distract and redirect, with another game that would involve using the thing he’s abusing in the right way, like letting him drive cars or build with blocks on the coffee table. Or play in another room out of sight of the coffee table, or outside where he can burn off some energy. Or give him something else that is safe for him to climb, like a stepstool or a pile of pillows, if climbing is the thing he seems to want to do.
If he keeps doing something that is driving me crazy I just put the thing away – but you might not want to give up your coffee table! You might have to tell him many times and on many occasions before he fully understands that it’s off limits. I have noticed that the more unwavering I am about something from the beginning, the less likely it is to become a battle.
Okay- I am starting to feel a little better hearing that you other mamas have to repeat yourselves constantly as well. PHEW! Going to ditch the timeouts (for the time being) and work on redirection/distracting/reinforcing again. THANKS!!