When is it time to start disciplining a baby

[Dragonhart]

My dd is 8 months and is begining to show his displeasure about not having things he wants or not being in the situation/position he wants. He will start to arch his back and recently started to try to bite me or pull my hair. Not sure whether this is bad behaviour or not or whether I should be disciplining him or not. Have tried just putting him down and ignoring him when he does it but he just sits there and when I pick him up again he does the same. Seems to be worse with me rather than my mum or his dad. Any suggestions?

[picnikel]

I think it's Ok at this stage to reward "good" behaviour and ignore the behaviour you don't like, but IMHO I don't think at this age a baby can be consciously "naughty" so probably too early for discipline.

My dd started doing this a lot with DH at the same age, we would say "no" and try to distract her and she stopped after a while.

HTH .

[edam]

No, don't try to discipline a baby, he's far too young! Arching his back isn't naughty in any sense of the word. And biting/hair pulling isn't deliberately nasty - he doesn't really understand that other people exist as separate entities yet, let alone that they feel pain. He's just exploring the world about him and being fascinated by 'if I do this, something happens. Wow!'

Just avoid the situation or distract him. I used to say 'no' firmly as well - not that he would understand it, exactly, but on the grounds that if he started hearing it then, it might have sunk in by the time he was a toddler.

[hunkermunker]

Far too young for discipline. Managing, yes - distract, etc - but don't discipline as such till they're much older.

8 months old - still very much a baby.

I blame Supernanny. Fecking naughty step.

[lilianna]

hi ds2 is 8months and the same. Try changing your tone of voice and say no when you mean it. It works for me, he crys for a bit. just leave them to cry though they soon get bored. Don't pick them up after telling them no and cuddle them they think they have got there own way. if i tell ds2 no i only pick him up if he is in an sign of danger otherwise i let him cry on the floor where i no he is safe. he stops within 2mins.

[Dragonhart]

Guess I thought it was too early but not sure when to know when the time is that he will start to do things knowingly. Also get loads of "helpfull" advise from M and MIL about not letting things slide right frim the start. Hard to know when it is your first. Watched too many children on all these behaviour tv programms and prob being paranoid!!

[lilianna]

remember this is also the most rewarding time of having your baby-watching them do new things and become there own little person, its a time you will never get back so enjoy it while it lasts.

[edam]

If only we could go back in time and watch our MILs when they were actually parents of small children ... I bet we'd see them making just as many mistakes as we do. But they don't tend to tell us about their errors, do they? Only hand out gold-plated advice Which Must Be Followed Or Dire Consequences Will Ensue....

[nulnulcat]

i started naughty step at 1 and made her say sorry it worked for a bit then she got to 2! now she just ignores my attempts to discipline or laughs

[picnikel]

Ah yes - "helpful" advice from the older generations....I'd develop selective deafness ! MIL kept telling me how she left her babies in the garden so she wouldn't hear them cry and they "taught themselves to sleep"! Silly woman!

[Dragonhart]

Too right. Apparently my husband and his brothers and sisters were never a problem, never argued and never had to be told off. They were just "good"!! Can't really compete with rose tinted specs !!