Time Out

I'm afraid that Livi is making her way towards the terrible twos. She is only 16 months but she is definitely getting a little spunky and defiant. She has started to "yell" at me when she doesn't get what she wants. She will stand right in front of me, stare me down and then "yell". That is in parentheses because it isn't really yelling but I don't know how else to describe it. All I know is that it's loud. But her face will start to turn red and the veins in her neck pop out. She has also starting hitting. There are two times when she hits, when she thinks you are wrestling and having fun, or when she is mad because you didn't give her what she wanted or you took something away. I am strongly opposed to the logic that if your kid hits, bites, or pulls hair you do the same to them. What kind of message is that sending? So my pediatrician told me when she acts out that way to hold her arms firmly, look her in the eye and say, "we don't hit, or bite etc" That has actually worked miracles for the pulling hair department. I have also started putting her in time out. It only lasts for about 30 seconds but she doesn't like it.

Today I was babysitting my friends daughter Lucy. They are BFFS and play so well together, being only 2 weeks apart. But today Lucy wouldn't let Livi play with the piano she was using so Livi popped her on the head. I grabbed her arms and firmly said, "no, we don't hit." She looked really upset and then proceeded to the corner and sat there for a few seconds. She put herself in timeout! She walked back over to Lucy and gently patted her on the head to show me that she knows how to be soft. It's amazing how much she knows and how quickly she learns. I'm going to have to be really careful about what I say around her!