I have a naughty child...

[milkmommy]

;) Well not really but I figured that get ya'lls attention :giggle However I do need some GOYB parentings tips in handling Margarets new umm skills.
WIth Cecilia if she at this age started to do something in appropiate say throw a toy or try tearing up something we could jsut go oh oh be careful or worse case a firm NO and she stopped soemtimes it make her a bit sad but we could then distract and remove and all that but it otherwise stoppd and allowed for redirrection...
Magaret umm not so much. Saying don't throw the crayons means Smile really big and toss the entire box as fast as you can. Saying Margaret stop or freeze ect means her going :shrug3:shrug3 No stop Mama!!!!! Sit down Maggie gets.. No no mama I stand up! SEE :yes :giggle
She really cute about things and she overall a calm content child but there has been a few times where the behavior while age appropiate was still both not socially appropiate and more was a danger to both her and others. Obviously I need to be closer to her when making requests and be there to help imdeiently make it happy.. Some better script on how to say it would also help.

Deanna

[sherry]

I think you are describing my now 4 year old. And no, I have no advice for anything that really worked. When she was old enough, I'd react sort of playfully and say things like "oh noooo, now we have to clean up the crayons....that's too bad, its way more fun colouring with them" and have her help me clean up and put them out of reach for a "toy time-out". She eventually stopped the more messy things. The dangerous things - like standing on chairs -those only stopped after a couple accidental falls and bruises. If it looked like she was doing it because of fatigue or just needing more Mommy/Daddy time we'd often say "This isn't a time for joking, Mommy doesn't want to joke right now, I'm more in the mood for a hug. Do you feel like a hug?" That actually worked pretty well. To be perfectly honest, her personality hasn't changed - I still get the smiles and the silly responses, she's just a bit more careful about how/when she does it. And I am a big mushball for the smile....

[WingsOfTheMorning]

She's figuring out she's a separate person who can do what she wants! :lol

Obviously I need to be closer to her when making requests and be there to help imdeiently make it happy.

This was my first thought too.

Saying don't throw the crayons means Smile really big and toss the entire box as fast as you can.

AFA scripts, a lot of you examples sounded like what I might say, but here, I'd try telling her what TO DO w/ the crayons. It's hard for our brains to picture "no" or "don't" so her brain really hears "Throw the crayons!" ;)

[bolt.]

Obviously I need to be closer to her when making requests and be there to help imdeiently make it happ[en]
Yep. You gotz it.

As for scripts, you could try to do a limited set of general-purpose command words that say to-do instead of giving specific prose commands either to stop, or to do.

You could introduce the command words one at a time in a very concrete and focused way, and have a good set of working words within a few weeks.

To work on command words, you would never say them unless you were right hands-on to show the meaning of the word. You would do that with the word you were working on about 8 to 20 times a day... the point is to make it 'inconceivable' that word X would be followed by anything other than action X.

Of course, your words that you choose need to suit your situations... I think mine included...

- (Be) still.
- Come (to me).
- Come away.
- Hands off.
- Respect (other people's bodies).
- Give (to Mama).
- Settle. (meaning calm your body and/or your voice)
- Sit.
- Stand.
- Up (to Mama). (meaning prepare to be picked up)
- This goes here.

[Zhannah]

thank you for sharing!

I have the same issue but my baby just turned 1 year old. She started pinching me, hitting and biting. I am shocked and do not know what to do about it... And it is my 1st baby....
i hope you have more tips to share that worked with your precious one :-)