Dear Annie,
My son just barely turned 2-years-old, and we are starting to see the very normal behavioral patterns of a typical 2-year-old, where he is beginning to test us by not listening and throwing small tantrums, etc. He’s not by any means out of control or anything, but before he really begins to act out, I’d like prepare myself with some general advice on how to begin disciplining him now and being consistent. Up until this point, we’ve gotten away with simply explaining to him why/why not you do/don’t do something, which we will always continue to do. However, now that he can better understand and communicate, I’d like to introduce the more regimented types of discipline like, a “time-out” and/or “counting to 3…” which will let him know that what he is doing is not okay and he needs to stop and listen. I’d like to learn some good, consistent ways that we can practice helping him listen to us when he’s acting out. I’d also like to know how to introduce a time-out, when/if it’s necessary.
I believe it’s important to pick and choose your battles when they are this young, but when it’s something that truly needs to be addressed, I’d really like to learn how to be a good and healthy disciplinarian without resulting to shouting (because then, I just feel awful). Can you give me some tips on how to introduce this into our household and what type of reactions to expect from my son? I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you SO much! P.S. I’m so excited to have found your website!
Best,
Danielle
Dear Danielle, Continue reading
Tagged as:
Discipline,
time out
I love the Ask Annie segments that we produce for my show — hearing from parents is one of the best parts of my job. Recently, I received four questions from Moms and Dads fighting behavior battles. Watch the video below to see my answers to these questions: Continue reading
Tagged as:
chores,
separation anxiety,
table manners,
tantrums
Often on my show, I answer questions from viewers. I recently tackled three excellent questions:
- How do I discourage people from kissing my newborn without offending them?
- How do I balance my child’s safety with her need to run around and explore her environment?
- How do I handle other mothers or caregivers who try to discipline my child?
For my answers, check out the video below.
Continue reading
Tagged as:
Discipline,
hygiene,
newborns,
Safety
Annie,
My daughter and her husband divorced within the last year and a half, and we are currently having a real problem with my eight-year-old grandson. He's been whining a lot and also always has to be first or always win a game. If he's not first or does not win, he whines. He also spends a lot of time whining when he returns from a weekend with his father. My daughter is at her wit's end, and we would appreciate any insight you may have. Thanks.
~Nan
Dear Nan, Continue reading
Tagged as:
Discipline,
divorce,
sore losers,
whining
Dear Annie,
My 2 1/2-year-old son can be very mean to my husband and in-laws. He kicks and yells at them, telling them to go away and not to talk to him and that only Momma can do anything. He acts like this for a little while after I leave, then he gets over it. I’ve been telling him it’s not nice and he’s hurting feelings. If I see it, I put him in time-out as I know he understands what he is doing. My husband and in-laws do the same. The majority of this acting out is not in my presence, so I’m at a loss as to what I can do to help stop these actions. Any tips or tricks to help get him over this phase would be great.
~Leah
Dear Leah,
Tagged as:
motherhood,
tantrums,
Toddlers
Dear Annie,
My soon to be four-year-old daughter has started having horrible tantrums. This has never been an issue before. They are worse when she’s tired. She can’t seem to calm herself at all. Again, she’s always been a great self-soother. Over the summer we had a great deal of change in our lives (moving, grandma fell ill, I had to be away a lot) but that was several months ago. Is this a developmental thing or a hold-over from an over-stressed summer? How the heck do I deal with it? I don’t want to give in, but at the same time I worry about drawing too hard of a line.
~Lisa
Dear Lisa,
Tagged as:
behavior,
Discipline,
preschoolers,
tantrums,
tough times
Dear Annie,
Reminding my kids (6 and 8 years old) to help with chores, whether it’s cleaning up their rooms or helping with dinner, is a nightmare. They whine and "why" me to death. I hear myself saying things I swore I’d never say, like "Because I said so!" But bargaining for every tiny task is driving me crazy.
Sarah
Dear Sarah, Continue reading
Tagged as:
chores,
elementary school,
pre-teen,
teens,
whining
Dear Annie, 
