My 1& half year baby boy is very naughty

by Neha
(India)

Question: I have a 1 & half year baby boy, he is very very Naughty.. He irritates all family members... I always scold him, also slap him :-(which i don't want to do... but there is not any other option.. he also slaps all of us.. I don't know what to do.. He always messes-up all things at home... I don't know what should I do. My husband and I both are working, I newly join, and whole days he is with his grandparents. Are there any suggestions?

Answer: Providing a younger child with a structured environment during the day is very important. The more free time a child has the more likely he will be to get into trouble.

If his days are filled with a routine schedule possibly even the use of a picture schedule that includes activities involving one on one attention he will be too occupied to do things he shouldn't. If he can't be closely supervised then he should be put in a high chair or play pen.

I am also wondering what his sleep habits are? Is he getting the recommended amount of sleep for his age. Children that get less than the recommended amount are more likely to be hyperactive, have problems following directions, and throw temper tantrums.

How are his eating habits? Is he eating a lot of processed foods with refined sugars or artificial dyes? This can also affect child behavior.

Proactive strategies are the best bet, but responding with anger or frustration will potentially increase his behavior. Children tend to be highly reinforced by a frustrated adult (it can be very entertaining for a child to see the control he/she can have over the parent's behavior).

Responding in a calm manner with logical consequences consistently will help the most. I highly recommend the Parenting with love and logic books, which you can find below. I would also recommend checking out my free ebook - Child Behavior Guide: What you need to know.

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