Discipline?

[AmericanBiscuits]

This morning DH and I were having a particularly frustrating morning with our 15 month old DS. He has started to run his toy cars and stuffed animals all over the TV and no matter how much we tell him to stop, take the toy away, remove him from the room, etc., he just continues to do it every time we are in the lounge, which is quite frequently.

After the 3rd or 4th incident, my DH said that he thinks we should start to take away the toy DS is running on the TV and smash it with a hammer in front of him!

At first I genuinely thought he was joking and I started laughing as it was a bizarre thing to say. But then he got quite defensive and said that DS will stop if his toys are being destroyed when he doesn't listen.

I told him that there is no way in hell that we are going to start smashing our toddler's toys with a hammer and told him it is an absolutely insane thing to suggest. He got stroppy about it and now we are not speaking to each other, as he thinks I'm being unreasonable, and I think he is.

Is this normal? I can't understand where this hateful and violent suggestion has come from. My DH is normally a very calm and loving father, so I am baffled by the entire situation. Yes it is very annoying behaviour from DS, but surely smashing his toys with a hammer is far worse than anything DS is doing! AIBU?

I agree he is probably doing it to get your attention when you are watching the TV. I think both of you have unrealistic expectations about what a child that age can do. Before age 2 discipline is pretty pointless because they don't entirely grasp cause and effect and they can't control their impulses. If you don't want the TV damaged you need to keep it out of his way, you can't expect him to have the understanding to look after it properly.

If you don't want the TV damaged you need to keep it out of his way, you can't expect him to have the understanding to look after it properly
With a baby yes, not with a 2yo. At this age they can understand that certain things are forbidden, as long as the rules are clear (never touch the tv unit vs you can touch it but not run a toy car on it)

He is a baby, he's 15 months not 2! Can you hang the TV up on the wall for the time being? But yes to it being a schema, find other ways to direct his urge to run cars over stuff.

I think a tv can take a car being run over it

He definitely isn't doing it to get our attention, as the TV is never on. He's my PFB so we rarely have it on when he's awake. I think he just likes running things on the smooth surface because he likes to alternate between the TV and the TV stand.

I showed DH this thread and he was quite sheepish. He conceded that it was a shit idea and said he couldn't believe I put it on the internet.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and suggestions on better ways to deal with it.

He's a baby. What does your husband think he will achieve by smashing the toys? He will teach his son that daddy is an unpleasant person who breaks his toys. He won't have the slightest clue why he is doing it. Your husband needs to do some reading on child behaviour because you have a lot more testing times to come and learning ways to deal with it before it happens would be helpful.

Good for you MrAmericanBiscuits.

And we all do understand that you don't wont the TV screen ruined ... most of us been there done that.

OMG. Utterly bonkers. 15 months far too young for any kind of discipline.

Great idea. Teach your DC it’s OK to smash toys. Teach child it’s OK to be cruel. Get your DC something to run his toys over- cardboard box, old chair etc. Play with him showing what fun it is to use an old chair etc. Interesting he’s using the TV though. Does he do this when you are both watching tv? Presumably it’s a failsafe way to get your attention.