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He laughs hysterically when I get cross... what can I do?!?!

7 replies

coveredinsnot · 25/03/2009 21:01

My 1 year old finds it utterly hilarious when I get cross with him. He enjoys biting me, and whilst I know this is sometimes linked to teething, I still want to make it clear it's not a good thing to be doing. So, I look cross (not difficult, because I actually am), and say, 'No' in a stern voice. The problem is, the louder or sterner I become, the funnier he finds it. Why?! I'm really trying to be scary, and he just laughs and chuckles, and then I either give up and laugh (not in view of him, I might add!) or feel utterly useless and despondent and wonder what the future holds if he's already like this now...

Anyone else experienced anything similar, and if so, what did you do? I can't get more scary or loud, since it just makes him laugh. Actually what I have often resorted to is just walking away and ignoring him, but it doesn't seem to be having much of an effect.....

Help!

OP posts:
gibbberish · 25/03/2009 21:05

No advice am afraid but it made me laugh too, sorry!

What if you look sad? Does he find that funny? Am at a loss really...

MrsHappy · 25/03/2009 21:10

I think I would just say 'no', move him away from me and then walk away.
He sounds like a normal one-year old BTW.

bumpybecky · 25/03/2009 21:10

sorry but it made me laugh too!

I've also got a one year old. I've tried pretending to cry, not had any sucess - I'm obviously not good enough at acting!

To be honest at the age my ds is (14 months) I don't think he's really worked out that some things are 'bad'. Firm 'no's just seem to invite repeat behaviour with him, it makes it into a game I find distracting him from whatever it is he's doing tends to work best.

Well done you on not laughing in front of him though! I think that's the hardest bit, not giving into those cheeky little looks....

gigglewitch · 25/03/2009 21:17

my 'best' trick was walking away from them - they totally hate being "ignored" even if you are only two feet away but having developed selective deafness/looking out of the window (whilst trying not to laugh hysterically of course) and blank them completely. It takes around 20 seconds before they stop the whatever-it-was because they are basically getting no attention for it.

coveredinsnot · 25/03/2009 21:21

Don't worry about laughing at my story - I know it's funny! It makes me laugh too, which is partly why I've not done much about it... but I think I need to be a little more consistent with ignoring him, and I'm sure that will do the trick. Obviously I'm not very good at being cross!! Ah well, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

OP posts:
gigglewitch · 25/03/2009 21:24

d'you know the real irony of it though - when they get to about 6 or 7, they throw a mega-strop and it looks soooooo funny you just have to stand there and laugh... and they get massively pissed off then join in laughing as well. Revenge is sweet

hayley2u · 25/03/2009 21:33

my dd is exactly the same, she is 18 months and is going through the phrase of hitting me etc and when you said no etc they just laugh.
iv looked this up on all sorts of websites and was told that this is normal, when they are hurting you they think they are playing and they like the noise we make(charming) so will do it again. they are too young to understand at the min

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