20 Toddler Discipline Tactics That Work

Toddlers can be a lot of work! Mums know that the frustration associated with mismatched shoes, broken vases and random chocolate stains can mean the verge of a nervous breakdown. However, Mother, Baby & Child is up to the challenge – do you have what it takes to discipline a toddler?

1 Focus on the positive. Disciplining your child doesn’t mean focusing on the bad stuff. Children will do what they can to get attention, so try to ‘catch’ them doing something good and tell them how it makes you proud.

2 Stop and divert. Toddlers can get rebellious and have a natural curiosity for the world around them, resulting in behaviour which may seem strange for an adult. While not fond of rules, they’re easily distracted. So, call their name or make a funny noise, and offer a more reasonable alternative to their object/behaviour of choice.

3 Plan to avoid frustration. Setting up your home to make it easier for them to indulge in their favourite habits is wise. For example, if your toddler is into playing dress-up, ensure they have clothes on hand which they can easily put on/take off – also knowing where to put them back.

4 Supervise your child. While you won’t be able to follow their every move, try to make sure that you’re there for a good amount of time to monitor behaviour and ensure you understand the way they think.

5 Use the first person. Whether you say ‘I’ or ‘we’, the first person appeals more to children who are keen to please. Also, be very clear on what would happen if they don’t follow the rules.