Discipline for 10mth old?

[Zeeky]

When should you start disciplining a baby - is 10mths too young? My DS has started doing things which he shouldn't (e.g. pulling hair, scratching/pinching faces, throwing food on floor on purpose, pulling electric cable etc etc). Not sure whether to just ignore his behaviour and distract him/move him or to say NO/shout/point finger?

So far saying "NO" results in him laughing and doing it again, thinking it's a game!

I think saying 'NO' firmly is the way to go at this age - or taking whatever it is away.
When my DS was around this age he took to blowing raspberries with mouthfuls of food and throwing it about, so I used to say 'NO' once, and if he did it again, remove the food dish and turn my back on him for a few seconds, then go back to feeding him but remove the food if he started spitting it again.
10 months is old enough to start understanding 'NO', for something that happens regularly (ie eating) but if it's something like going for the cable in a strange house, remove or distract.

Agree with madamez. There's not really much else you can do I'm afraid! My ds is 10 months old and I have to say no and distract him most of the day! I am forever taking things off him and making him cry or saying 'no' and having him screech at me

Also agree with Madamez.

Saying no to unacceptable behaviour and removing from potentially dangerous situations is just about all you can do at this age.

My son is only 8 months old but I've started saying "no" firmly and taking things away, for example if he pulls my hair, I say no and take his hand away. I don't really expect him to comply yet, but it's a start.

I think it's case of not having things you don't want him to touch in reach and distraction methods.

You can say no and put him down if he's scratching and pulling hair but shouting and pointing seems unnecessary at ten months.

You can also try showing him behaviour you like - if he scratches, say no, and then take his hand and stroke your face with it, saying "gently" or something like that, and smiling. That way he gets attention and physical contact which works for both of you. This has worked quite well in stopping dd being rough for us.

Thanks everyone! DH was all for shouting at him everytime he does something he shouldn't, but I thought this just gives DS negative attention and encourages him to do it again just to get a reaction.

Will definitely carry on with the firm "no" and remove whatever it is he's not supposed to have. I didn't really want to baby-proof the house (apart from obviously dangerous things of course) as I wanted to teach DS what he can and can't touch so that he is ok when he goes to other people's houses. My sister-in-law totally baby-proofed her house when her daughter was little, removing absolutely everything from reach that wasn't a toy. Subsequently, whenever they came to our house, our neice went wild touching and pulling at everything, as she was allowed to play with anything left in reach at her own house! Her parents' reaction when she broke stuff in our house was "well you should have moved it before we arrived"!!

Yes, I thinking that shouting over the small stuff kind of diminishes the power of shouting too, if you see what I mean. It's a bit like the boy who cried wolf - if they're so used to shouting that it washes over, then it maybe won't have the necessary impact when you're trying to stop them running into the road.

Good point Habbibu . I'll pass that on to DH, so that he only shouts when DS is about to put his hand in the fire (just kidding - we've got a fire guard!)

You can't really discipline at this age as they have no comprehension of right and wrong, and will forgot about 10 seconds after being told anyway.

Just say no in a calm but firm voice (you can say a reason too - ready for when older, so in practise of doing it), and then move him away and distract with something else.

your baby is learning as bad as it seems who is he to know its wrong, babies learn through touch. he can hold things and babies do throw food its a skil the have learnt to do , just pick it back up or take it away he will soon get bored,or distract him,
a friend of mine smacks her 8 month old baby when he does things like this i was horrified he does not understand all he will learn is to be scared of you if you hurt and shout at him this early

Please please don't make an issue of any small things. 10 months is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO young. There's plenty of 'opportunities' in the future for disciplining!!

But seriously, the best tactic is to
a) try and distract
b) say no but don't make a fuss

There is always a danger of it becoming a game, ie the more you say no, the more they do it - I had this problem with my DS1 when he was little, he's now 11.

My DD pinches, pulls hair, scratches, goes for the fire place, wires behind the tv etc. It's normal curiousity and the pinching, pulling, scratching is just their tactile experimentation. They really have no concept at this stage of right and wrong, just go with it and try and see the funny side, they grow up TOO fast believe me!!

HTH

hayley at your friend smacking her little one, that's so so so sad

I try not to say no as otherwise within days they shout it back at you.
I say ah ah and show him how to be gentle and stroke his hand over what he has grabbed and say gentle gentle.
ds2 is 15mths now and it has worked a dream. If he does pull hair he stops himself and says ahhhhhhh
teach them the alternative forbidding something makes it more desireable as your reaction amuses them.
food on the floor
no help really lol I always shake my head and say it goes in the bowl silly boy.
he is better fwiw

I try not to say no as otherwise within days they shout it back at you.
I say ah ah and show him how to be gentle and stroke his hand over what he has grabbed and say gentle gentle.
ds2 is 15mths now and it has worked a dream. If he does pull hair he stops himself and says ahhhhhhh
teach them the alternative forbidding something makes it more desireable as your reaction amuses them.
food on the floor
no help really lol I always shake my head and say it goes in the bowl silly boy.
he is better fwiw

i completely agree with Pif, i remember reading an article that said that one of the first words children learn is NO because we say it to them so often. saying 'gently' or 'last time' or just distracting them is imo better at that age. as it was, dd took ages to learn how to say no, i'm glad to say (although she has well and truly mastered it now... )

Hadn't thought of showing him to be gentle, that's a good idea. IF I can get hold of one of his octopus tentacles-of-steel, that is

yes they will copy

I used to do a joking smiling, no no no, while waving a finger and now ds2 (16 months) does it all the time. Even at the top of the slide when he should be sitting down he waves his finger while grinning to the amusement of everyone else.

Couldn't have put it better myself Piffle

and we do the gentle thing too, he often says, ahhhh, and strokes and then gets a quick swipe back in but he'll get there.

it is sad , my ex p sister smacks her children very badly to and her kids are little shits and iv never smacvked mine and my ds is good as anyother child, basically if ou show too much disapline they wont be any better in fact they get worse.

do unto others
Tis basic common sense
show them how to be a thug and they will fulfil the promise!
show them a better way it works! Ds1 is 14 and kind and not mouthy, violent and just well lovely mostly.
well worth employing a Different Way

Ten months is too young to 'discipline'. Remove the DC from the situation or the thing from the DC and just say 'no' very calmly. Use distraction.