Recently I was with a group of friends and their babies. There were 5 babies to be exact: 17 months, 16 months, 11 months, 8 months, and 7 months. 3 girls, 2 boys, and all with their very own unique personalities and temperaments.
The discussion surrounding discipline came up, and the comment that followed was this: So far, discipline has been much harder than I ever expected it to be. I asked her to talk a little bit more about what she meant. After all, our daughter is almost one, and besides having the typical protesting on the changing pad not to get her diaper changed, life with a baby is still pretty smooth. She eats anything we put in front of her, we have had decent success with redirecting, and the diaper changing protest only goes on a couple of minutes. I can deal with that.
But what about bigger things, such as intentional disobedience? The infamous temper tantrums that rise up when you have your child give back the toy that they just took from that sweet 8 month old who can’t defend themselves? Or worse, hitting, scratching, or (gasp!) biting to get what they want because “they just don’t have words yet.” This is just the tip of the iceberg for parenting and discipline, and they haven’t even hit preschool yet! We are right around the corner from these "acts" that will require discpiline. I have a feeling once it comes, there will be no turning back. Out with the sweet baby, in with the toddler!
Parenting is humbling beyond words. We are quickly reminded that we do not have all the answers, and as hard as we try, sometimes we make mistakes. Are there areas of discipline you’ve struggled with? What has been challenging, and how have you responded to it?