The toddler years are full off surprises— some delightful, some challenging. Toddler tantrums definitely fall into the second category! If you are pulling your hair out over disciplining your strong-willed little one, check out these unique and creative ways of disciplining your toddler that actually work!
10 Unique ways of disciplining your toddler
1. Turn NO into a YES
If your child refuses to clean up her toys, agree with her without any questions. After a few minutes, ask her again. But if she still refuses, ask her to find a particular toy that she likes that’s hidden from view. If she can’t immediately find it, tell her to clean up her toys. When she finds it, praise her and play with her as a reward.
2. Compliment
Give compliments to your child when she has done something good especially if she thinks you did not see it. Offer lots of hugs, kisses and verbal praises to further encourage her to continue what she had done. This is a really nice way of disciplining your toddler that involves praise, not punishment.
3. Hear them out
Allow your child to talk to you about what she is feeling without interruptions. If she is whining about having to wait in line, hear her out. After airing her side, explain to her why she must wait for her turn. Commend her for trying her best and encourage her to be more patient. In all situations, always explain certain things to her to make her understand and stops her whining altogether.
4. Be consistent
To instill proper behaviour to your child, make sure that you are consistent with your rules and that all caregivers of the child follow the same rules. Your child will get confused by inconsistency, which may trigger more undesirable behaviour.
5. Practice gentle Time Outs
Instead of disciplining your toddler by shouting at your child for her bad behaviour, tell her to take a time out at a certain area in your home that’s free from distractions. If the both of you had a shouting match, tell her that you will both have a time out. This will make her realize that even you are not excused from being bad.
6. Use rewards
Trying disciplining your toddler with the use of small rewards. Start your rewards with small material objects. In public places, hand him a small toy or a chocolate bar if she stops crying immediately after you tell her to.
After a few days of the reward system, make a chart. Give him a smiley face or a star for every good act of behaviour. The face or star is equivalent to an extra half hour of TV or a weekend ice-cream treat. If he misbehaves, remove the star or face. Give him his reward after two to three days to help him lengthen his patience.
7. Let them make come up with their own solutions
If she is mad or annoyed about something, give her the freedom to make her own solutions. If she offers to clean out her room for an extra hour watching TV, agree with her. However, make bargains if her demands are outrageous like a new toy every time she does her chores.
8. Distract
Instead of always saying “Stop” or “No”, distract your toddler instead. If she keeps throwing her toys on the floor, ask her to play ball with you instead. If she draws on the walls, tell her that her work of art would look even beautiful if it is on paper.
9. Ignore
If your toddler is screaming and whining about something, ignore her demands and tell her that you will only listen to her if she speaks in her “big girl voice”. If she doesn’t speak that well yet, encourage her to use sign language if she is having difficulty in conveying what she wants.
10. Make it easy
Avoid putting your toddler in certain situations that may trigger tantrums. If she always demands for new toys, avoid taking her to toys stores unless you are really going to buy her one. Do not take her to a playground with lots of kids if she hasn’t learned how to share yet.
Also read: Smart ways to discipline your child at every age
Do you have any tried and tested ways of disciplining your toddler? Let us know by leaving a comment below…