How To Tame Your Tot

Childcare and preschool teachers get their young charges to behave and cooperate – without raising their voices. ELISA CHIA asks them for discipline strategies you can use at home.

- Elisa Chia

Use empathy in your reasoning Rather than react with negative statements like ‘No biting!”, try saying: “I know you are upset that your friend snatched your truck, but we need to be gentle. We can say, ‘Please stop!’” 

When you use empathy in your reasoning, you help your child think through his actions, increase his vocabulary and teach him problem solving skills, points out curriculum specialist Annabella Chia from Odyssey The Global Preschool.

Make peace It’s also important that your little one learns to apologise. He could say: “I am sorry for making you upset. I will not do it again.” Then, give a handshake or a hug, says Nur Azlina Subari, a teacher from Learning Vision.

Show your sad face If your toddler tries to push his sibling, your instinct may be to shout “stop” or “no”.

Instead, sit her down and say: “Look at Mummy’s face. I am sad. That was not nice. Please say sorry to your sister.”

Young children need visual cues to understand the consequences of their actions, says teacher Ida from Brighton Montessori (the school declined to give its teachers’ full names).

Supervise play dates closely Toddlers lack both language and social skills, so they are easily frustrated when they play together, says teacher Wee from Pat’s Schoolhouse (the school declined to give its teachers’ full names).

If your little one hits his friends when they take his toys, tell him calmly and firmly: “Ouch! That is painful. We only hit the beanbag. Your friend is not a beanbag.”