Toddler Mums - Dealing with bad behavoir

[Princess Fiona]

Lucy has been very trying this week and half the time i've not know what to do with her :( She was an absolute angel on our holiday and i can't believe the change in her now we're back home, its like she hates me for bringing her back home :(

She has been generally playing up. Just little things, but really quite naughty and i KNOW she KNOWS when i tell her off for something. I HAVE unfortunately lost my temper twice this week and really shouted at her :oops: i'm so tired from all the travelling still and she has really been pushing me.

I need some tips on how to deal with her when she does something naughty because the way i'm doing it she either ignores me or laughs at me and runs off :rolleyes:

I will for example tell her off for throwing her dinner on the floor once in a stern voice, the 2nd time she does it i tell her again and in a stern voice and explain to her that if she does it again i will take the plate away from her. At this point she is usually laughing hysterically and just waiting for me to put the plate back down so she can fling it at me :x

Am i wrong to expect her to actually be paying any attention to me at this age. Surely she should have SOME understanding when i tell her off for something??

I KNOW she understands a hell of a lot, earlier she took the lid off her cup and i told her to pick it up and put it back on, she couldnt find the lid to her cup but found the lid to one of her avent pots and tried to put that on. Also when i tell her to put her socks back on she'll attempt to do it herself so she definately ISN'T stoopid.

I'm just running out of ideas with her atm, i'm so tired and i don't want to spend another day tomorrow balling at her :no: Oh i also have tried time out for 1 min, i put her in the playpen/travel cot with no toys, turn the tv off and leave the room for a min. She will cry for about 1/2 the time and spend the rest of the time shouting "mama" and laughing her head off. When i come back to get her she is usually in hysterics and dancing as if its all a big game :roll:

What sorts of things do you do, that work?? She just seems to think everything is a big game, which i'm well aware is probably normal for a child so young, but i've been with friends with kids the same age as Lu and they get told off for throwing food, smacking, throwing toys etc, and they listen and stop doing it. Lucy takes it as a sign to carry on and do it twice as much :(

[August Girl]

I have forgotten what we used to do with Z, so it can't have been that bad :laff: but I remember there is sections in the Supernanny book about what children understand at certain ages and the most suitable method of discipline.I have a copy somewhere, I just don't know where! I will look tomorrow see if I can find it.

[Princess Fiona]

Thanks AG!! You see i KNOW that she understands what i'm saying for instance if i say "don't throw your dinner on the floor" or "don't throw your cup at Mummy's face again" :roll:

Same goes for if i ask her to come and have her nappy changed, she knows exactly what i'm asking of her because she runs off which i don't usually mind and tend to turn that into a game.

I know she doesn't quite understand yet that she has to be gentle with the cat or little babies and i don't expect her to, BUT i'm aware of what she DOES understand and she is clearly just ignoring me :roll:

Its like having a teenager in the house early!

[Cherrypie]

Ignoring is a far more effective tactic that telling off, a lot of the time, IMHO! Lucy is clearly just wanting to get a rise out of you - and that's what happening. If you ignore bad behaviour such as chucking food on the floor, she'll soon get bored of it.

[Princess Fiona]

Well i have tried ignoring her CP, but she takes ignoring her as a sign to do whatever she IS doing even more, and if i still ignore her it usually then turns into an almighty temper tantrum on her part :roll:

Oh well, i'm sure there is worse to come!

[popinjay1]

We are going through hell with Claire at the moment. Think it is part terrible twos and part attention seeking as she is jealous of Amy. She used to actually listen when we told her to stoip doing something. Now she doesn't. Its as if she has suddenly gone deaf. We are trying the naughty area but it is having limited success.

When Claire was Lu's age we did ignore alot of bad behaviour and did seem to do the trick eventually. Of course if it was something like biting we did say no sternly and put her on the floor before ignoring her.

Its very tiring I agree. All I seem to be doing at the moment is telling Claire off whilst Amy screams her head off in the background!