No means NO!! Seriously....

At first it was cute, saying no to Dylan and he just smiles back totally clueless. Now its becoming such a nightmare, he does not understand regardless of my tone or serious expression. Its also starting to concern me that when he goes to stick his finger in a socket and I yell no from across the room, my poor child will get electrified.

This morning Dylan was pulling up on the gate that we have set up to block him from the stairs. This is a constant problem. So I said no, Jon walked in he said no, Jon firmly picked him up and put him down about 2 feet from the gate. To which Dylan started to cry and immediately went back to the gate. We did this for 10 straight minutes with absolutely no progress.

I've taken some much needed steps to research how and when to teach your child NO. Thought I'd share.... I found this information from baby websites, mom forums and pediatric websites. You'll be able to tell which ones are the mom's advice... Essentially what I learned is to keep doing what I am doing and tough it out for another 6 mths because he isn't going to get it until then.... Fabulous!

1

Watch for times when your baby is about to do something inappropriate.

2

Stop her before she completes the action by telling her 'no' in a firm, but loving manner.

3

Express your concern and displeasure through your facial expression more than through your voice. Loudness or harshness may scare your infant.

4

Use some type of hand motion, such as a shaking pointer finger or the American Sign Language sign for 'no'. Use this sign each time you say 'no'. This will reinforce what 'no' means and help her to respond even faster.

5

Imitated what might happen if she did the inappropriate action. For example, if she is about to touch a hot mug, pretend to touch it and then burst into tears. This will show her that the action will bring great discomfort and she will most likely avoid that action in the future.

6

Tell her 'no' consistently when she is about to do something inappropriate. Hesitating from doing this because you feel you are being too negative could cause her to get mixed signals and misinterpret what 'no' really means.

7

Avoid creating fake situations. If you set her up in a situation and then scold her for responding to it, she will be confused, frustrated, and unable to respond to 'no' appropriately

8

Consistency is especially important for toddlers. If Mom's computer was off-limits yesterday, it should be off-limits today. And don't worry about repeating yourself. A toddler may need to hear something literally a hundred times before he gets the message.

9

Think of discipline as a form of teaching, not a form of punishment

10

make it as easy as possible for your child to do the right thing. Try to avoid putting him in situations he can't handle. For example, don't take him on long shopping trips when he's tired and hungry. And don't surround him with things he's not allowed to touch. If his world is cluttered with temptations, you'll spend all day saying "no." Try to maximize his opportunities to play and explore but minimize his chances to get into trouble.

11

That is WAY too young to start discipline.
He/she will not understand what is going on.
Wait until he/she is able to talk and communicate.
The only thing you can do is stop them from doing what you don't want them to do by removing them from the situation, and I bet they will go back so you will have to do it over and over...

12

Understand that, at this age, baby is beginning to learn the word no. Only use it when you mean it, and expect baby to challenge you on it every time for a while. For example, be sure to use the word no when she's unsafe. This will help her understand the concept faster.

13

During the earlier months, baby will do things like pull hair and such when she's really just trying to show you affection. When these moments come along, say, "No! No!" in a sweet tone and try to replace the action with something that is positive like a kiss on the hand.

Read more on FamilyEducation:http://life.familyeducation.com/baby/discipline/44249.html#ixzz1JE0AxnJx