One of my 18-month-old twins was constantly hitting my face, her sisters, the pets, etc. She was also doing this HORRIBLE thing where she would just scream bloody murder when throwing a tantrum. It was getting out of hand. When she had her 18-month check-up, I asked the doctor about it and how to fix it because my other two daughters were not like this. Her answer? Ignore the tantrums and praise her like crazy for good behavior.
Face Palm. DUH. Duh, duh, duh. And like magic, I started ignoring her tantrums, and started praising her like crazy, and she stopped doing it. So if it's that easy, why don't we always do it? BECAUSE IT'S NOT THAT EASY. It is super easy to remember to discipline a child for something they are doing wrong. I mean, it's right in your face. They did something they shouldn't have, they need a punishment. But why is it hard to praise? I think that we just forget all the good they are doing. We are happy with their behavior, so we don't think about it needing attention. BUT IT DOES. If we could remember this, our praise would give them the attention they crave, and they would continue to do more good. So how do we remember these things? Ah-ha! That is an excellent question. I am NOT a great example of remembering to praise all the good, so I'm trying to be much better! Here are some things that have helped me.Reminders
The World Needs Farmhouse Brown Frame Magnetic Board
Make yourself reminders throughout your home. Reminders are a WONDERFUL thing. Set an alarm on your phone that reminds you every once in a while, put a note on the wall, or even make a more permanent wall hanging that will be right in your face every day. For example, you can hang the Petal Lane Magnet Board in their bedroom, then every morning when you wake them up, and every night when they go to sleep, you'll see a constant reminder. With the night reminder, you can reflect on the day and see how well you did with praise and where you might be able to give more. The more reminders you get, the more praise you will give, and eventually it will be second nature.
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[…] this is still a work in progress for us! For some more tips on working on bad behaviors, you can read about another Cubby Mom’s struggle and how she’s working through […]