Reply to when and how to discipline naughty behavior in 15 months old?

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[quote=Anonymous]This is all very normal, but this is the key age (12-18 months) when you teach toddlers not to do things like this. I would not advise just waiting until he grows out of it. So a few tools that might help you.

-Very close (distance wise) supervision. From mobility to about 16-18 months old, I found I really couldn’t be more than an arms length away. You need to reinforce immediately. So, for example, with the kibble - as soon as he reaches toward the kibble, you intercept his hand, move him 2 feet away, and say “that’s a no” clearly and firmly. If he’s already got kibble in his hand you’re too late. If he’s already thrown it, you’re WAY too late. Basically, if you’ve decided he’s not allowed to touch kibble, he should NEVER successfully touch kibble. Consistency is key.

-Repetition. In the above example, he will immediately crawl or toddle back to the kibble and try to grab it again. Toddlers are determined. You just repeat the same interception, move him away, “that’s a no.” DO NOT get frustrated or change your approach or give up even if he makes the exact same attempt 20 times. Do not reason or over talk or even redirect. He will eventually realize his efforts are futile and give up, and that’s how he learns (both not to touch the kibble, and what “that’s a no” means, and that what mom says goes). Incredibly valuable lesson. The next day he’ll prob only try 8 times. But he WILL learn, before 18 months, if you’re consistent and repetitive.

-Never, ever cave because of your child’s (not injured) screams or evasive maneuvers. They will so quickly learn to just scream for what they want or run from what they don’t. So - dinner is X minutes long (maybe start with 10). At 15 months, he should still be strapped in to a high chair. He can scream all he wants, he’s sitting in that chair for 10 minutes. And once he gets down, the meal is over and food is not available until the next meal or snack. Don’t offer food unless he’s in the chair. You’re in complete control of this. He runs away before nap, you just grab him and do the nap routine. Remember - close supervision. He’s 15 months old not Usain Bolt. If you say it’s naptime, he shouldn’t be able to get more than a few feet away without being caught.

-Pick you battles. The one here I wouldn’t fight is the banging toys. He shouldn’t really have many breakable toys, and if he wants to play by banging on the floor, that’d be fine with me. Do his common play spaces have carpet? That might help.

-Stomping food is solved by never giving food outside the high chair. I’d probably solve the “sitting for a meal” issue first and then work on the food throwing. For that, we had success with our first with taking their hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, and saying “that’s a no.” After 3 attempts, it was “okay, you seem to be done eating” and take the food away.

You can also try portioning it out much smaller. My youngest liked to throw, so after she threw three times, I’d take all the food away except for literally once small piece, and replace it once she ate it. That worked well for her.

I’ll confess neither of my kids were diaper wrigglers. Seems like either just holding them down or a special “just for diaper changes” toy would be a good distraction, but I don’t have experience with that one.

Yes, it’s exhausting. But, if you set clear, firm boundaries starting at this age, by 18 months or so, you’ll actually be able to do chores while also watching your kids (no more waiting till nap time to unload the dishwasher!) and it’s AWESOME. [/quote]

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