Discipline for 16 Month Old

I have a 2 year old boy who adored the water bowl and dog food also. He kinda grew out of it eventually, but when he was about year and half I started time out on him. If he was doing something he wasn't supposed to I would tell him no if he continued I would pick him up and say, ok time out, and i would put him in his crib in his room, lights on door closed for 1 min. 2 min now that he is 2. It seemed to work. now adays all i have to do is say, Do you want to go to timeout. and he usually stops the bad behavior. I know it doesnt work on all kids, but my 2 year old and 11 year old daughter hate being stuck where they don't want to be. Good Luck Jenny

my daughter did the same thing. Either get a gate that leads into the kitchen, put the food in the laundry room and close the door, put her in time out for a minute everytime she gets into the dishes. good luck

I have dogs and babies too, what I do is feed the dogs at the same time we eat. That way no food or water is left out. Dicipline is very hard at this age, but you could try putting her in the pack and play, no toys and cannot see you for 1 minute, then tell her mommy said don't do .... Then hug her and let her play till the next time ;)

First, this is completely normal behavior. And you don't have a defiant baby. Just a very curious baby. Which is normal and healthy. I remember how clean my house was the first year. And how when I put something somewhere, it stayed. I thought 'what's all this baby proofing about'. Well, I found out in the second year. My toddler was into everything. If you don't want a "fight" on your hands every day, you simply have to put these things out of her reach. She's still too young to understand the kind of discipline you are trying to use. She may understand the "NO!" when she hears it but she's still not mature enough to COMPREHEND it, REMEMBER it, and put it in her little memory bank, so that she remembers next time to NOT do it. This will come later, as she matures. At her age, it's all about REDIRECTION and REPETITION. You may repeat "no", or "gentle touches" or "ooh, that hurts mommy" about 100 times a day. Eventually they mature and start to get it. You can also use redirection to avoid a tantrum. Meaning, move her from the dog dish, say "no, that's yucky" or "no, that's for Sparky, this is for you", remove her from the dish and give her something else to play with. And mostly, toddler-proofing the house. Yes, that means move the dog's dishes to an area where she can't get to them. When she gets older (and more mature) you can bring them back out.
I also do not agree with swatting a hand, although, Lord knows, you'll get that advice from other moms. It's normal for her to explore with her hands so swatting them is mean and teaches her it's not safe to explore. This around the age we started time outs. But why give her time out for exploring an area of the house that you have not made off limits to her. Time outs should be reserved for things like hitting and biting. That't just my opinion. Home is the one place where my toddler is free to explore without me chasing him around saying no. Anything I don't want broken has been put away. I reserve time outs for the big stuff like hitting, biting, pinching, etc. We spend enough time at others homes, at church, shopping, wherever, where I have plenty of opportunities to teach him what behavior I expect.

Here's a link to another Mamasource mom who had a similar question
http://www.mamasource.com/request/17313751008345587713

And this next link is a classic. It's from Dr. Sears. He's great. There's a lot to read on this link but it will give you an idea where your toddler is mentally and emotionally so you can choose "discipline" that is appropriate to her age.
http://askdrsears.com/html/6/T060100.asp
(as a note about Sear's website, all the info is free, printable, and you don't have to register. He's a great resource!)
Good luck and best wishes!!

This sounds completely familiar. When my son was that age, he constantly wanted to touch the buttons on our DVD player and TV. Something that my pediatrician suggested really did the trick. When your child touches the forbidden object, simply take her hands and hold them at her sides for a count of 10. Don't say anything but "no." Do not give her eye contact or anything else that may be rewarding the undesirable behavior. You may have to repeat again with a longer count - 15 then 20 seconds, if necessary. Usually my son would need two repetitions before he got the message, but eventually he stopped and I didn't have to do it anymore...at least not for the TV and DVD player. It works on anything that you don't want touched. Kids hate to be restricted like that, so you can use this for any "no-touch" situation. Good luck.

You MUST get the book "Dare to Discipline" by Dr. James Dobson. It is a must-have for all parents as far as I'm concerned. It gives practical, timely, and Godly advice on disicpline strategies for all children and situations age 0-18. It's available in paperback and is not very expensive. I ordered my copy from amazon.com. Good luck & God bless!

I had the same issue with my son when he was that age. Just put the bowls away from where she can get into it. It is just a phase, she soon will mature and not care about the dog bowls anymore. What I did was put them in the laundry room and the dog would stand by the door when she was thirsty, then I would just let her in. They are too young to understand that this is something they should not do, she will grow and one day you can put the dog bowls back out.

I have to disagree with some of the responses. I do think that she understands what she is doing, especially if she listens to other "no's" for other things. I started time out right about that time. Unfortunately if you tell her she is going to get a time out the next time she touches it, you have to stick to it (1 min per year). It wont be the most fun for you, but it should work if you stick with it. Also try redirecting her to her own play doggy bowls as a fun activity. good luck!

You will also enjoy:

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=29Qhmp...

K.

Congratulations! You have an intelligent daughter! If she is into everything it means that she is curious and bright. That is a blessing! Try to remember that when she is driving you crazy getting into everything.

At 16 months old playing in the dog's water and food is fun! Discipline does not work on 16 month olds. "No" doesn't work. Swatting her hand doesn't work. When you hit her she learns to hit. Move things you do not want her to get into. Redirect her to other activities.

About the only thing that will really work in this situation will be to move the dog dish to a place in your home that is accessible to the dog, but off limits to your daughter. We moved the dog dish outside to solve the problem.

just put the food up wehn she's in the room where the dog food is, continue to tell her no when she does happen to get into it, and when not try putting a baby gate up so she can't get into the area where the stuff is.

I don't think she is too young for time out. My son started hitting around that age and running into the kitchen (which he is not allowed to do unless a grown up is holding his hand because there are too many ways to get hurt in the kitchen) so we put him in his playpen for a minute and a half to two minutes whenever he did something we told him not to do and he quickly learned not to do it. I didn't think it would work at such a young age either but when we visited my parents a couple of months later, my son started to climb onto their glass table and I just said "Don't do it". He thought about it for a minute and got down. I think it's important to not interact with him/her during a timeout because he seemed to learn faster when we left him alone for his time out instead of watching him. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Maybe you could try to give your daughter her own bowl to splash around in and see if that satifies her. After she does it for awhile maybe she will become bored with it and move on to another fun phase.

Can your dog jump into the bathtub? If so, put the dog food & water in the tub. If you have a shower curtain, open a few inches and make sure you show the dog the new location.

I have the same problem with my daughter. We have an electric dog door so I now keep their food and water outside. If we are out on the deck, I will give my daughter her own bowl similar to the dogs' bowl and put a little water in the bottom so she can play in it. As far as the food, I usually put it up if we are on the deck. Also, She loves to take things out of bowls and put them in so I give her blocks and things to do that. Some people have suggested rice or spaghetti to play with also. I do not believe she is too young for time out. I put my daughter in time out if she bites (shich is her things right now!) It usually works. HTH

We did time out for our girl this same age which was basically put her in her pack and play, asked her to look us in the eye and talked to her about why we do not want her to touch the dog bowls and dog food. It worked. If not for the reasons we communicated to her (which is respect for all living things and their things/space)then for the simple reason that she did not want to have to sit in a confined space and listen to us. She grew tired of the whole scene. The other thing you can do is just remove the temptation (put the bowls in a place she can't get at) until she's old enough to understand.

I am going to sound like a crazy person, because my advice is NOTHING like the rest of the responses. I have 2 beautiful children, ages 6 (a very active girl) and 1 (a very curious boy). As soon as they started to crawl, they discovered the food and water bowl. My dogs do very well with the kids, and when they would take food out of the bowl, they would give it to the dogs. Now granted, the kids would also eat a little bit of the food, but no harm came. They soon learned that "people" food tasted much better. I think it is a great way for the kids and dogs to bond. They will soon tire of playing with the food and water. As far as discipline, only you know what is best for you child. Don't let other people pressure you or make you feel guilty.

You will unltimately have to accept the fact that the dog bowls need to go outside. It's hard to discipline a child of that age. And I see some of the other responses, please dont wait until your child is 26 mnths old to start disciplining. It will result in your child be spoiled.

I think I'd just be consistent with removing her from that area and telling her not to do it. I do think she might be a bit young for a time out, especially if she doesn't understand that she's doing something wrong.

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i do believe that she's too young for timeouts and certainly too young to understand why you're swatting her hand, especially if you think that hitting is inappropriate behavior - why model behavior that you think is inappropriate... kids learn so much by what is modeled to them. She's curious - the world around her is a very interesting place and that dog food and water is hard to resist. our daughter did the same thing - it passes. just tell her that it's the dog's water and food and that we don't play in it - it won't happen overnight, but she'll stop. Unfortunately, you have to keep it out of her reach for a while longer.

Hi A.,
No advice from me as the other moms have given some good ideas. I just wanted to tell you that my son was the same way with the dog water - I've got some pretty funny pictures - and he has grown out of it to some extent (he's almost 18 months now). So there is hope!
Cyndi

She's too young to differentiate between water she's allowed to play in and water she isn't, or things that are "out and available" but off limits and things that are allowed. At this age I would place the bowls where she can't get to them. She is too young for timeout b/c she's too young to make the connection that she's doing something wrong. It's right there, at her level, and she can't understand why it's "off limits".

I hate to say this but I think it's a lost cause. Every child I've ever known loved the dog food and water bowls. Just be glad she's not eating the dog food! (although if she does, don't freak out) The best you can do is start teaching her that it's the dog's food (call the dog by name - ie: that is "spot's" food, you need to leave it in spot's dish), and teach her that it's not ok to make a mess with the water. What child doesn't like playing in water?!!! With my grandkids we got a "water table" - it is a table you put water in and it is the perfect height for them to stand at and play. We told them, play in that water, not spot's water.
And relax, this is a stage and it will pass!

At 16 months your daughter's job is to get into everything that she can and figure out this world around her. She is way too young for timeouts. Redirection is your best bet here. Have you tried making her a type of "texture bowl"? If she's not eating the stuff you can put out a bowl with dry rice and or dry beans and let her play with that. Around two, children seem to have the vocabulary and logic required for more "actual discipline" but for the next 6-8 months I would try redirection and interception. Toddlers are adorable but a handful, good luck! (I need it too. My third is now 20 months.)

i did time out. they may not get it at first, but if you stick to it, they do. it doesn't take too long for them to figure it out. kids are pretty smart. a firm NO and sitting them down for a minute is a good way to start. if you don't start doing it now, and later on she does it and gets in trouble, she will be confused as to why she didn't get in trouble for it the last 50 times.

My daughter is 22 months and even at 16 months she sounds exactly like your daughter. When we would go to my friends house or someone with an animal she would get in their water and food bowl, rub her hands together as if she was washing them too, and also clap. I am like you, I am not going to punish for something like that. I just simply asked my girlfriend if I could put them on the counter for a while. Now, if it were at my home. I would put the food and water out at certain times....when I could watch or occupy her. Don't know if that would work and it may be a pain but that is what I would do.

A.,
i am in the camp of people that doesn't really believe in discipline at this age. it's your job to keep her safe, secure, and make her feel loved, and if that means putting up the dog's food and water, or locking up some cabinets, or whatever you don't want her in-- so be it. i'm not sure she could really understand and retain that there are rules to be followed, and what will happen if she doesn't. our little one is 26 months old, and we are just now able to make her understand that there are consequences to certain actions, and use time-outs and swats when neccessary. i am also a first time mom, so i by no means am an "expert" but that's what has worked for us! good luck!
J.

She is having fun with the texture of the food... Try substituting it with something she can play with like playdo when she gets into it... say not there, over here... distraction is the best remedy I have found .. also I would put the food and water out of her reach.

If she's anything like my daughter(20 months) she claps because she gets attention. She probably doesn't understand the difference between good and bad attention yet. I feed our dog in the morning while dd eats and at night during the bath/bedtime routine. The water stays out all day and we try to tell her no but it isn't the worst thing she can get in to so I just tell myself it is a phase. I'm sure as soon as she outgrows it my son(5 months) will be into it... Good luck!

I would just move it out of her reach. I do not think at this age she can really get it just yet.We have 17 months old, and no matter how many times I tell him not to touch/do something he still does it anyways. We do not do time outs yet just keep telling him (I feel like a broken record:)).I know with our oldest it was around 2 when we started to see the results.
However , I have seen kids who really "got it" at the age of 16 months, but they were very verbal (like you can have a full conversation with them) I am not sure if that mattered.

I have a 15 month old and cats. I have to keep the water bowl on the counter so they can reach it and she cant - I realize thats not as easy for a dog! I also feed them when my daughter is in the highchair so she cant bother them. Then I leave food down over night once my daughter is in the crib. I know its not the same as teaching her to stay out, but at 16 months that may be very elusive. Are there any other options you can use that would eliminate your daughter from coming in contact with the bowls in the first place?

L.

A.,
Being a mom of a now 19 yr old son and a 5 yr old DD we have always used the 'distract' method at this age even up through the age of 2... they are just exploring their world.
It is just part of baby proofing your home in a sense. :)

Remember too that this is just a 'season' and it will pass. Enjoy the moment, you have her "HELP" you feed and water the dog, this way when she gets back into it tell her that we have already fed and watered the dog. Also this is great training for small chores even at this tender age. She is looking at as fun, but yet you are teaching her things that will last a life time. :)

Remember to do what is best for you and your family.

Hi, A.,

My 14-month old is very curious, too. I think the "intercept and distract" option is generally good, but I have also started to take hold of my daughter's hands, look her in the eye, and say "No" firmly (not mean, just seriously). She seems to understand that this means No, and it will usually make her stop what she's doing for the time being. The other practical advice of putting the food elsewhere is a good idea, too. :)

haha i can relate to this!! my 15 month old heads for the dog food every time shes down. i make it now that the dogs are just fed in the morning instead of having food out all day (which is better for the dogs anyway) it took a few days for them to realize if they didnt eat then the food was going away and they wouldnt get it until the next day but they figured it out. so that solved the dog food issue. as for the water we have it in our laundry room where we can shut the door our dogs normally let us know when they need a drink i also open the door up when claire is sleeping or playing somewhere else. so just try to find a shot where you can shut the door and let them eat and drink alone :)

My 15 mo. old is exactly the same:) VERY curious about the dog bowls and the canister of dog food. He doesn't try to eat it... just play with it! Anyway, I'm learning that since he's in the "in between" stage with understanding "NO" (i.e. sometimes it startles him when we say no and he stops doing whatever it is he's not supposed to be doing, but other times he just laughs at us and keeps on going!), I try a few times to say no and pull him away from the bowls, but if he still persists I just move the bowls up to where he can't reach them (or, if the poor dog who's stuck in the middle hasn't eaten yet, I put the bowls on the porch and she eats outside). I'm hoping that he'll start to see the correlation: if he doesn't cooperate and I have to take something away from him, that's a punishment. I keep saying "no" as I do it and tell him why I'm moving them, hoping that the constant communication will help things sink in. Good luck! At least they haven't discovered the toilets or the garbage cans!;)