My daughter turning 1 a couple weeks ago meant the beginning of a new stage. Not so much the numeric age, but I have been sensing a change in her for the past month. She is a lot shorter tempered and yells at her toys a couple times a day. She gets mad at me when I take something away, like my cell phone. She is still a smiley girl, but I have even noticed a shift in her eyes. She has entered into Toddler-hood. She has not taken more than one step on her own, which is still an exciting feat for mommy and daddy, but her personality has shifted. This new stage poses interesting problems for me as a mother in trying to learn how to discipline my daughter.
I have to admit that my husband is a much better disciplinarian than I am currently. I am still a bit sensitive, which I need to get over since it is my job to teach her about the world. I have found corporal punishment to be useless and more traumatic for me than her. I seldom use it except when she goes for something dangerous such as an electrical plug. The problem is that when I slap her hand she just looks at me and smiles. I have found moving her away from objects to be more successful, but at times it turns into a game. I also tend to give in too easily. I let her play in the Tupperware cabinet while I am cooking so that she is not under my feet and the stove. It drives my husband crazy. I have changed tactics and just put some of her toys in the kitchen at certain times of the day.
The number one thing that I have been focusing on is not responding in anger. I fail quite a bit, but I stop before I discipline to center myself and make sure that I am disciplining out of a desire to teach and form and not revenge. I have a bad temper and it is more likely to come out when I am tired. There is a certain time of the month when it can get irrational. Sometimes I just have to walk away. I don't want my daughter to feel that she is punished out of my own sinful anger and desire for vengeance. I want her to know that I am trying to provide loving correction. At times I will fail and it is those times when I must seek forgiveness (something that I am still working on in my family life).
Do any of you moms out there have recommendations for disciplining new toddlers?
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