At what age is it ok to start disciplining your child. I have an 8 mo old firecracker. she is starting to throw tantrums. She screams at me & has a meltdown almost every time I change her diaper... Or get her dressed... She often does the same thing when I put her in her high chair for meal time... How do I teach such a young baby appropriate vs inappropriate behavior.

Jamie C 5 likes

Well you start now buy just saying no and maybe putting her down if your holding her or stepping a few feet back and trying to ignore the behavior 8months old seems young for that behavior but it could also be because she is progressing mentally very well and not able to communicate to you verbally yet. That causes frustration.

Blake P 4 likes

My 8m old does this too. We push her hands down and say "Gentle hands" "we do not hit, that is not nice" "no ma'am" when she hits and we don't acknowledge her tantrums in the high chair. The diapering and getting dressed fits are sadly just something that a lot of kids do

Jessica M 1 like

I agree with not giving it attention. I let my 10 mo old throw his fit... Then I attempt the diaper change again. We go round and round until he realizes I have more endurance than him and I am gonna win lol. If he throws a fit at meal time I walk away and ignore the behavior & come back when he calms down. She is doing it for attention. So don't reward her by giving her the attention.

Sara 1 like

My daughter is 9 months and is the exact same way. I just try to be quick with changing diapers and dressing her. I try making noises, singing and just talking to her to distract her. She has a bad habit of hitting in the face and we always say "no no" "not nice" and all that and take her hand and show her gentle. She smiles and sometimes mimics or will try to hit again. Just got to keep repeating things

Renee C 0 likes

My 8mo daughter has been doing this mildly too. I never really put it together that she would need disciplining but you make a good point. I've been saying no to her when she does things that hurt (like grabs my face a scratches if when eating) and she will hysterically cry for 5 seconds then get over it so I definitely think she's testing me. I guess nows a good time for saying no for your daughter as well

Marianne M 1 like

The time to start to discipline is when LO is old enough to know right from wrong, understands good behavior and chooses to do the opposite anyway, probably at 2-3 years, and a simple time-out can help. Right now she is just learning the way the world works and testing boundaries to build independence. A lot of "anger" in kids this young is frustration at not being able to communicate. If you teach some basic ASL, it can help her express her wants/needs better.

Amy 1 like

My LO did this. Think it is just a phase. During diaper changes distract her with a toy. Make getting dressed fun by singing a song. My LO will still fight getting into highchair when tired or just wanting to play. I make sure to put something interesting on her tray so she wants to get in. The key is distraction!!

Katie B 0 likes

My baby likes to chew on her socks. So the only way I can get her dressed without a fight is by letting her have her socks while I do the rest lol during diaper changes I let her hold the pack of wipes, it works about 80% of the time