Discipline Tara

All the while, I've been using Supernanny's "naughty corner" method to discipline Tara. She's getting really impossible nowadays (yeah, I realised I've been repeating that a lot these days), she would off the switch while we watch TV, off the fan again and agin, growl when we gave her food but didn't let her hold the spoon, lie on the floor of the shopping mall when she wasn't allowed to go where she wants to go and etc, etc of endless "stunts" she's pulling. Although I tried to keep to the naughty corner method, I admit I did lax a little and hence, she wasn't really "intimidated" when I said I'm gonna put her there.

So recently, I made sure I will punish her everytime she does something unacceptable. Now, she finally understand what is naughty corner. I've finally instilled into her little head:

naughty --> punish --> naughty corner.

She hates the naughty corner and would try to run or crawl or creep away and would bawled at the top of her voice when she's being punished. Even though it breaks both mine and Bob's(especially Bob) heart to hear her cry like that, I told Bob it's for everyone's best interest. I don't want the little girl to grow up thinking she can get away with anything and everything.

MIL came yesterday and today, for the first time, saw how I punish the little girl. She didn't come cajoled Tara nor tried to take her away from the monster mummy, but kept telling Tara to apologize to me. I'm really grateful for that, cos I don't wish anyone to interfere when I punish my child. But she did tell me not to let her cry too much. When she first break into cries, she couldn't catch her breath on her first sob and turned blue on her lips. That scared the hell out of my MIL.

And I also realised another method that is pretty good. Ignoring her. Just now, I wanted to clean and change her for bed but she refused to follow me into the room and sat on the dining floor, fussing. I ignored her and closed the door to our room. She stood at the door crying till Bob carried her in and quietly lie down while I changed and cleaned her. Yeah, that is effective as well.

Now, I'm thinking for ways to discipline her when we go out. I can't possibly let her stand in the corner nor can I ignore her. Too bad I had to return the Supernanny book before I get to finished it, I wonder if the book says anything about keeping a toddler under control in the public. It's really embarrassing when you alone, trying to pull your screaming kiddo off the floor, while holding to bags of food, and with passer-bys looking on. Yeah, happened to me last week at Jurong Point.

I used to be critical of parents who can't control their child. But now that I'm a parent of one such kid, I realised it's easier said than done. But I never let myself stand and look while Tara misbehave, I will still tell her it's wrong and pull her away or something. Yes, a kid can go out of control, but just don't be the sort of parents who just look on at the commotion and doing nothing. It's the worst type of parents in my opinion.