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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

How do you disapline a 6 month old?

37 replies

juicychops · 03/08/2005 20:51

my ds has started kicking his sleeping bag off and kicking the bars of his cot at night when i put him down to bed. I don;t know how to disapline him so i say 'No' in a quiet but serious voice. He just laughs at me and then tries to say no himself. How old do you start disaplining a baby? how do you do it? am i being mean doing it this early?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

hercules · 03/08/2005 20:52

I really dont think a 6 month old is capable of being naughty!

Magscat · 03/08/2005 20:53

Is he definately doing it to get attention/annoy you ? My dd (7 months) does the same but I really don't think she is doing anything other than exploring the feeling of kicking her feet out or discovering how to move about.

Mum2girls · 03/08/2005 20:53

This sounds so sweet - why would you want to discipline him?

emkana · 03/08/2005 20:54

I agree with hercules. He's just playing and exploring what he can do. I don't think you will get anywhere with saying no at this stage.

Hattie05 · 03/08/2005 20:56

A 6mth old does not need disciplining.

At that age they are completely self centred, unaware of anyone else's feelings etc. They are not capable of doing something to manipulate.

He's probably learning what his feet are capable of and having a practice kick.

hercules · 03/08/2005 20:58

How could you possible discipline a child this age anyway? Naughty step? Smacks? Grounding? Shouting? Explaining why wrong? Star charts? stopping pocket money?

tiffini · 03/08/2005 20:58

My DTs are 20 months and still do this, they are not doing any harm.

Without fail everynight they fall asleep and the wring end of rheir cots, with their blankets, pillows, sheets and even their PJs in a heap on the floor

Pinotmum · 03/08/2005 20:59

I think you should just ensure he is safe and can't hurt himself when kicking and let him get on with it. Try ignoring what you don't like at this age.

Blossomhill · 03/08/2005 21:01

Please do not discipline a 6 monht old. They have no concept of right or wrong and would just be upset my hearing a serious voice I should imagine.

Save the disciplining for the toddler stage and enjoy your baby.

Original poster

juicychops · 03/08/2005 21:01

Oh, i feel terrible now!! i think he does it for attention. i put him down and leave the room for him to settle himself. He usually goes to sleep within 5-10 mins but now he wakes himself right up and will be kicking the cot for ages and ages. Il put him back in his sleeping bag about 8 times in a night. He is just being cheeky. The way he laughs at me makes me realise that he doesn't understand a thing im saying when i say no but it makes me feel better so i can tell myself im not encouraging him to carry on.

OP posts:

MrsGordonRamsay · 03/08/2005 21:01

Original poster

juicychops · 03/08/2005 21:03

ok il let him just get on with it from now on. He always gets his legs stuck in between the bars of the cot though and that makes him cry

OP posts:

Mum2girls · 03/08/2005 21:03

Juicychops - course he does it for attention - you're the centre of his world after all

Seona1973 · 04/08/2005 12:40

can you not get a sleeping bag that he cant kick off? My dd never had a problem with grobags as they had a zip up the front and no poppers. Does yours have shoulder poppers and are these coming undone? Might be time to try a different brand of sleeping bag and then at least the kicking would not dislodge his bedding.

biglips · 04/08/2005 12:57

ive tried to do it myself by saying No to my baba who is 10 months old, but i given up as she doesnt know the meaning of the word.. plus grobag are better than sleeping bag and he wont get his leg stuck in the bars

colditz · 04/08/2005 13:13

Just make sure he is dressed warmly, and leave him to it. If he's not cold it's not a problem. There's no law says they have to sleep neatly

robinia · 04/08/2005 14:00

At his age I would say the best form of "discipline" is ignoring the bits you don't like and praising the bits you do so - when he's got the sleeping bag on pile on the praise and when he's kicked it off just say something like "oh, that's a bit silly, you'll get cold", wrap him up again if you want to and then leave him. I'd ignore the kicking the bars - maybe tell him as you leave the room that you're leaving because he's being too noisy but leave it at that.

ScummyMummy · 04/08/2005 14:19

You don't discipline a 6 month old, jc. Let him kick.

Spoo · 04/08/2005 16:25

I have a six month old and have been saying 'no'. He has just started crawling and when he gets to close to something like the fireplace or the video recorder - I say a firm no and move him away. He does not cry as I do not shout. i do not think it is too early to say 'no', but I would hardly call that discipline. You are never sure when they start to understand so I do it more to practice for myself and for him to get used to the tone of my voice when I don't want him to do something. I think you need to pick your battles carefully. I would say if he was kicking the cot bars - as long as it wasn't dangerous to him or others then I would let him get on with it. Gro-bags are great btw!

KiwiKate · 05/08/2005 03:08

When my DS kept hurting himself by getting his legs stuck through the bars of his cot, we put him in a porta cot for a couple of weeks. He still had fun kicking, but was at least safe. When he went back into the normal cot he didn't do it for a few months (if he had we would have just continued to use the porta cot). The next time he started getting stuck with legs between the bars we just put him in a normal bed.

He's just exploring and not trying to make you cross. And of course he wants your attention. You are everything to him (that phase doesn't last long!)

justme27 · 19/02/2008 18:04

Interesting thread!

I was going to ask a simlar question...

My dd - 6 mo - has taken to screeching and screaming very loudly and impatiently when she drops what she has or she wants something, eg we were in a restaraunt - she was in the high chair with a biccy peg and everytime it dropped, she would screech very loudly until she got it

Could this develop into a habit and therefore is there something i could do to nip it in the bud? she thinks its hilarioous if I try to give her a stern look - lol

Notquitegrownup · 19/02/2008 18:09

Could he be too hot? My ds could never cope in a growbag or sleeping bag, so I popped him in two babygrows to sleep in and he snuggled a blanket. He slept much more calmly after that.

Otherwise, I agree with the above. Kicking is fine, and if you do not respond, he will either do it for fun, or stop. He's testing out the world. If he gets his legs stuck and they hurt, he'll let you know, and you can use the travel cot or put up cotbumpas.

Enjoy

marmadukescarlet · 19/02/2008 18:13

Justme, perhaps you could teach your Dd the Makaton sign for please so she is able to communicate with you rather than screech at you.

YouKnowNothingOfTheCrunch · 19/02/2008 18:16

Gaffer tape him to the wall. It's the only way.

Lulumama · 19/02/2008 18:19

justme... at 6 months old, your DD can only screech or point or make a loud noise, she cannot talk

it is not about being naughty, but she is frustrated that she wants to do something and cannot

lots of babies go through a phase of dropping things repeatedly for you to pick up

it is really nothing to worry about or discipline a baby about

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