discipline for 1+?

rmgandjas

okay, i am just starting to do some research on disciplining these little crazies, but i really just have no idea how to put anything into effect with 3 toddlers!  usually, anything that requires discipline involves one hurting/stealing/etc... the other which means i have to referee, comfort and discipline ALL at the same time.  time outs don't really work, because, come on, they are 1!  they won't sit there.  i hate to use pack and plays because then they will associate those with punishment and make travel or sleepovers with grandparents impossible.  cribs or highchairs, same thing.  i need help, what do you ladies do?

KiloeW

When mine two were around 1 I would remove them from the situation and sit them down and say "we do not ____________".  I didn't make them sit for any length of time.  I didn't start true timeouts until they were like 17/18 months.  Timeouts are hard work, they will not stay sitting of course and they are crying and I need to keeping sitting them back down until they stay.  It's a battle.

ImRonBurgundy?

Girl I don't know how you do it with 3 - I'm exhausted with 2, playing referee all - day - long. I swear, anything that we only have one of - they fight over. It's an all day battle. The only thing that really works for us is redirection. The minute the screaming starts, I have to quickly intervene with a new activity/question/or physically move them both to another location. I haven't tried time out yet, and don't really know how to do that effectively - but maybe I'll try in a few months. Hope you guys are doing well!! I LOVE the posts lately on your blog -the pics from that childrens' museum are adorable, and it's blowing my mind that you have 3 walking kids! Oh my gosh! Katie

ImRonBurgundy?

P.S. Did you get those cute chairs (in your siggy pic) at Pottery barn? I'd love to get something like that for my girls - they are going through a current chair obsession. I'm hoping to divert their attention away from climbing our kitchen chairs!

cands

I'm right there with you.  What we have been doing is just saying no forcefully (or most recently "no biting") and picking up the offender, putting them down a few feet away and then walking away from them (even though if it's only three feet away). It's sort of working, the biting attempts seem to have decreased this week compared to last.  The toy stealing continues.  The craziest thing is that if there are two identical items they will actually drop the one they are holding to grab the one their sister has. 

SWABK

I usually just separate them and say "No! We don't take our sister's toy!" or whatever it is.  If they are somewhere they aren't supposed to be (banging on the fireplace) we say "No!" and I point to the item, and now they actually shake their little finger at it and shake their head no too!  My sister's ped recommended no timeouts yet, but to just overly praise good behavior, so we have been trying that as well, lots of clapping and "yeah!  Good girl!"

SWABK