5 Tips How To Discipline A Toddler

Imagine this: You’re at home, working at your desk. Your 2-year-old daughter comes up to you with her favorite book. She wants you to read to her. You tell her sweetly that you can’t at the moment, but you will read to her in an hour. She starts to pout. Next thing you know, she’s sitting cross-legged on the carpet, crying uncontrollably.

Many parents are at a loss when it comes to addressing their toddler’s temper tantrums. It may seem like you’re getting nowhere because your child is not listening to you.

So what should you do?

Here are a few tips on effective ways to discipline your toddler.

* Pick Your Battles

If you're always saying, 'No, no, no,' your child will tune out the no and won't understand your priorities. Plus you can't possibly follow through on all of the nos. Define what's important to you, set limits accordingly, and follow through with appropriate consequences. Then ease up on little things that are annoying but otherwise fall into the "who cares?" category—the habits your child is likely to outgrow, such as insisting on wearing purple (and only purple).

* Know Your Child's Triggers

Some misbehavior is preventable—as long as you can anticipate what will spark it and you create a game plan in advance, such as removing tangible temptations. This strategy worked for Jean Nelson of Pasadena, California, after her 2-year-old son took delight in dragging toilet paper down the hall, giggling as the roll unfurled behind him. The first two times Luke did it, I told him, 'No,' but when he did it a third time, I moved the toilet paper to a high shelf in the bathroom that he couldn't reach. For a toddler, pulling toilet paper is irresistible fun. It was easier to take it out of his way than to fight about it.

* Practice Prevention

Some children act out when they're hungry, overtired, or frustrated from being cooped up inside. If your child tends to be happy and energetic in the morning but is tired and grumpy after lunch, schedule trips to the store and visits to the doctor for when she's at her best. Prepare her for any new experiences, and explain how you expect her to act.

* Be Consistent

Between the ages of 2 and 3, children are working hard to understand how their behavior impacts the people around them. If your reaction to a situation keeps changing one day you let your son throw a ball in the house and the next you don't you'll confuse him with mixed signals.

There's no timetable as to how many incidents and reprimands it will take before your child stops a certain misbehavior. But if you always respond the same way, he'll probably learn his lesson after four or five times.

* Don't Get Emotional

Sure, it's hard to stay calm when your 18-month-old yanks the dog's tail or your 3-year-old refuses to brush his teeth for the gazillionth night in a row. But if you scream in anger, the message you're trying to send will get lost and the situation will escalate, fast.