is it to young to start a naughty step at 18 months - will they understand?

[cherpybird]

DS1 (18 months) seems to have changed overnight, from being a happy little man to a complete nightmare! Anything seems to set him off in a right paddy, with throughing himself on the floor and kicking.

I think his behaviour has changed as he now has a little brother of 11 wks, although he has been fine about it up until 2 wks ago.

I have tried introducing a naughty step (or time out step) but he just laughs when i put him on it and thinks its a game. Is he to young to understand this?

[handlemecarefully]

It depends entirely upon the child I think - it is a bit on the early side, but if you are confident that your child understands most of what you say to them (even if they don't articulate much themselves) they should be able to understand the concept of a naughty step

[edam]

We're just trying too - although I'm too soft, only dh does it. Ds is 2 (just). The one time I really wanted to use it I was cooking so couldn't keep rushing out of the room to put him back on. Think it will take several sessions of putting him back on every time he gets down before he understands - at the moment he laughs and just like your ds thinks it's a game. Only actually happens when dh sits there with him, doing the 'time out in public places' routine (wrap yourself around them with your face averted so they aren't getting any attention and your head is safe from headbuts). Then poor little ds cries and realises this is a bad thing he doesn't want to happen again, which is the point, I guess.

[cherpybird]

thanks guys, he does understand mostly everything you tell him, but possibly i'm too soft to, which makes him laugh at me when i tell him off.

It'll all change soon though!

[NomDePlume]

I started at 18 months with DD, she soon got the hang of it

[GetOrlaithOut]

I've tried it with ds2 and it just doesn't work. I even did it this morning and he's just quite happy to sit there singing - he's 2.8. Waste of time in this house!

[TracyK]

tried it with my ds too - he just climbs the stairs which is too dangerous for him unsupervised - so he's not really in isolation.

[Nemo1977]

hi
i dont use a naughty step but a beanbag for chill out with my ds who is 21mths. I put him on it for a minute in the hall to calm down. It works well with him and he comes back a different child so it completely depends on your toddler. I have used this for about 4mths with him and it does work. Sometimes its just good for u to get ur head sorted and to remove them from whatever is annoying/winding them up.

[jenweber630]

I like the beanbag idea - harder to get up from and gives them a little bit of a cuddle which may help calm faster...

[tortoiseshell]

We used to use the cot if ds was naughty, just put him in for one minute. Did wonder if was good idea, combining sleeping place with naughty place but didn't seem to be a problem! Dd uses naughty step.