Fairy
02-20-2006, 12:32 AM
Originally posted in Toddler Bargains, but this is probably where I should have started to begin with -->
I've always been a very strict NO TV parent, and we've been fairly consistent with this. However, a few weeks ago, my 17-month-old son had pneumonia and had breathing treatments. We had to actively monitor his activity level so that his breathing didn't become labored through heightened activity. I tried crayons and realized just in time that he was too young for play doh, and we tried books and books and books. He loves books, but there are only so many of those he can stand in an entire day. Couldn't take him out of the house for about 4 or 5 days, we could play but he couldn't get too excited, and the cabin fever was more than he could stand. So, I relented and upped his 30-minutes a day (on a very liberal day) of Sesame Street to a few hours. I'd do it again, thank god it kept him calm and his wheezing was under control.
Well, he's better now, but he a) figured out how to turn the TV on without the remote, b) wants that TV ALL THE TIME, c) throws a non-stop crying jag if he doesn't get it, and d) has a tantrum if he sees that his crying jag is not having an effect. This happens a few times a day now for the last week that he's been recovered and we no longer let him watch all the Ernie & Bert that he wants. We've set the TV on the XM music stations that DirecTV offers so that when he turns it on, he gets music and no picture -- which is boring for him, so that works. But we don't want him to turn it on at all, and he's being completely defiant and does it even tho we say no TV. Am I shocked? No. Time for discipline to curb this, but I've realized that I have no idea where to begin in disciplining a tot that's not yet a true toddler but no longer a baby.
He's 17 months old, I don't believe in spanking, and I don't know how to enforce a time out at 17-months-old. Does anyone have any recommendations on discipline that will address this?
Thanks so much.
I've always been a very strict NO TV parent, and we've been fairly consistent with this. However, a few weeks ago, my 17-month-old son had pneumonia and had breathing treatments. We had to actively monitor his activity level so that his breathing didn't become labored through heightened activity. I tried crayons and realized just in time that he was too young for play doh, and we tried books and books and books. He loves books, but there are only so many of those he can stand in an entire day. Couldn't take him out of the house for about 4 or 5 days, we could play but he couldn't get too excited, and the cabin fever was more than he could stand. So, I relented and upped his 30-minutes a day (on a very liberal day) of Sesame Street to a few hours. I'd do it again, thank god it kept him calm and his wheezing was under control.
Well, he's better now, but he a) figured out how to turn the TV on without the remote, b) wants that TV ALL THE TIME, c) throws a non-stop crying jag if he doesn't get it, and d) has a tantrum if he sees that his crying jag is not having an effect. This happens a few times a day now for the last week that he's been recovered and we no longer let him watch all the Ernie & Bert that he wants. We've set the TV on the XM music stations that DirecTV offers so that when he turns it on, he gets music and no picture -- which is boring for him, so that works. But we don't want him to turn it on at all, and he's being completely defiant and does it even tho we say no TV. Am I shocked? No. Time for discipline to curb this, but I've realized that I have no idea where to begin in disciplining a tot that's not yet a true toddler but no longer a baby.
He's 17 months old, I don't believe in spanking, and I don't know how to enforce a time out at 17-months-old. Does anyone have any recommendations on discipline that will address this?
Thanks so much.