What do you think is the best way to discipline a child when they're not old enough to understand what you're saying to them, but you need to get across to them that it's a no-no?

I'm thinking here of when they're around toddling stage and into everything, wanting to stick fingers in sockets, investigate low kitchen cupboards etc. Even though your own house may be child-proof, not every home you visit will be. How do you stop them from being a danger to themselves?

I seem to have had a lot of luck just using the word no. Taking away what ever they had they weren't supposed to have, moving them away from what ever. I didn't put much stuff out of reach because most of the places we went weren't “baby proof”. I knew my sons had to learn not to touch. Giving them something they could hold when taking the something they weren't supposed to have worked well too.

The swap idea is a good one, donna. I did try that in the past but mine unfortunately was stubborn and wouldn't be happy with that trade. I'd give him a smack on the hand sometimes (as a last resort because I hated to), but what else can you do when nothing else works?

All three of my children's first words were no. :) I did the tap hand a little too, most of the time, my children were just grounded, though maybe twice each child was spanked (spanked, not beaten - big difference). I prefer talk rather than anything else.

I think the “talking” thing works really well with some older kids. I know I would rather get spanked than have to sit through a long drawn out talking too. There's been a time or two, when I might would have even preferred a beating.:D


I've read a lot about using “time outs”, but that too is for a little oder than the age group being discussed here, I guess. Sounds to me like the swap idea, a slap/tap on the hand and maybe a swat on the backside (how bad can that hurt through a diaper?) are about the best choices. Or maybe moving the baby to another location. You know, out of site – out of mine.

When I have used the Mom Voice (and we all know what I mean here), the child just stops what their doing and its like the brakes were hit hard. Alot has to do with tone, I would rather verbal correct my children than anything else.

I just spanked them, they are never too little to associate a light socket with a spanking!

I never quite perfected the Mom voice and had great admiration for those that did. Mine somehow became a high pitched screech. Not quite what I had in mind compared to the low level others seemed to use with greater effect lol.

Now the Mom " look", that's where my talent lies. They can feel it two rooms away. :D

My mom always used time outs. The parenting class she took told them that it should be one minute per year of age, so two minutes for a two year old is pretty appropriate. But since it grows with you and your attention span you don't get off easy later on. She swatted me a couple times, but that just made me angry and defiant. I'm stubborn that way. Time outs give you plenty of time to think about stuff and watch everyone else having fun/going on without you before you get to join back in. I always had to apologize for what I did before I could come back out. But for the most part it worked well. The hard part is finding a spot without anything that the child can be stimulated by. We lived in military housing with the bottom of the staircase being across from the front door and the hallway so it was always bare and perfect as a time out spot.

My father did a different way of disciplining. Although sometimes I look at it as harsh, I now appreciate it. I will give an example so that it is easy to explain.

I was prohibited to go to an irrigation system near our house. He would talk to me that if I will go there, I might fall and drowned in the current. Because there is a Mango tree beyond that irrigation system, I still go there and try to keep it a secret. Now our neighbor saw me one day and told to my father. My father then scolded me for not obeying him and we agreed that if I will go there again, there is a corresponding consequence and that would be one spank on the buttocks. Because I was so stubborn, I still would go there. Eventually, he found out and I was given the dreaded belt of his. It hurts like hell mind you. But that taught me a lesson obeying him.

Although this can be applied better on kids older than a toddler, we can still apply this by giving consequence of what they are doing. And I think explaining to the children why we are saying "NO" would be of help so that the next time they are tempted to do it, they would think of the thing that would happen if they do it.

A loud, stern NO usually worked. But there were times that my nephew wouldn't understand. His parents didn't care about him and hardly disciplined him, or disciplined him for the stupidest things.