Mom's Key Parenting Forum

While there is no magic formula when it comes to navigating through naughty tot behavior, there are ways to discipline your child correctly to encourage good behavior. 

Time out.

This is one of the most common toddler discipline method. Keep the time brief around one minute per year of age. Toddlers don't usually stay in the corner so it means stopping what you are doing and standing over them with your side or back to them so that they can't engage your facial/body language. Once time out is over, you can remind them what they did wrong in very simple language and then if they do it again (as most toddlers will immediately do upon being released from time out until they have the concept) they go back into the corner. 

Distract and divert.

The best form of toddler discipline is redirection. First, you have to distract them from their original intention and then, quickly divert them toward a safer alternative. Give them something else to do for example, helping with the household chores and soon they will be enjoying themselves rather than investing a lot of emotional energy into the original plan.

Ignore temper tantrums.

Ignoring the behavior will both show and tell the child that their display of temper tantrums will not gain them control over the situation or the parent.
Temper tantrums are usually dramatic, intense and full of emotion. With a little practice and persistence, parents can learn how to stop the drama of a temper tantrum and change the situation to a calm, quiet discussion. Keep control and keep the peace. Remember that tantrums are done for an audience, so take away the audience and the tantrums will stop. Click here for a more in depth guide to dealing with tantrums. 

Encourage cooperation.

Your child is more likely to do what you say if you uses soft approaches like these: - Ask rather than tell. Say "Would you give me the book, please?" instead of demanding "Bring me the book."

Positive reinforcement.

Studies show that toddler discipline using positive reinforcement works far better than punishment. Rather than focusing only on those things that irritate us and becoming habitual scolders, catch your kids doing something right and reward them. Remember that toddlers tune out a lot so if you are always saying "No", "Don't touch this", "Don't go there", then all they hear is NO. You want to try and give them lots of positive feedback.