Today I went for lunch with a Doctor friend whose little girl is exactly 1 month older than T. That’s two and a half years old (Gosh! Is my little girl that old now?). Mel since a baby, was the most well behaved baby I ever knew. Her mother being a doctor et al knew exactly how to train her to have good sleeping and eating habits from very early on. But surely, even a doctor would get resistance from the terrible twos? Apparently not.

Mel sat down with legs together on the restaurant chair for the whole time until the food arrived. She did not move, jump around, remove her shoes, bang her cutlery, whine, run around the restaurant, whine nor climb. The girl is two and a half years old!!! I was clearly embarrassed that my own daughter was the source of entertainment for everyone when she turned a deaf ear to my every request.

“What do you feed her?” I asked my friend for her secret.

She shared that she has just been extremely strict and denied Mel any of her favourite things should she disobey and to always follow through with what you threaten the kid with.

For example, if she takes her shoes off, tell her that if she takes it off again, you will take her shoes AWAY and do it. This will leave her walking all the way home without shoes and if you’re heading home from a shopping mall, would leave your kid walking on different surfaces, maybe the fear of toes getting stuck in the escalators, and then show how dirty their feet become when barefoot. Also explain how worms can go through their feet if barefoot.

Do the same thing for food if they refuse to eat. Tell them that if they do not eat, you will remove their food and no snacks till the next meal. They learn fast enough apparently. I don’t know. I haven’t tried but am dying to.

If they do not want to shower, give them the option of them walking right now to the bathroom or you will drag/carry them there and do it.

Do not make empty threats like telling the kid you will leave them when you are clearly never going to leave them.

What do you think? Does anyone have any tips for toddler discipline?

My problem with all her suggestions is that T will happily do whatever it takes to get her own way. She doesn’t mind not eating, she doesn’t mind not wearing her shoes, she will not listen if I tell her to sit and stop climbing. I am at the end of my tether. It’s just too tiring talking to a wall, repeating myself over and over like a recording. Do I have to raise my voice before she will listen? Even THAT doesn’t work!

Later in the day at someone elses home, I told T not to put something into her mouth. After warning her again not to put that blasted thing into her mouth, the girl put the whole fucking thing into her mouth on purpose and I had to jump over and hook my finger into her mouth to prevent her from choking. I went ballistic. I yanked her to the naughty wall and made her stand facing the wall. She threw a fit and ran off. I picked her up and placed her back angrilly telling her that she has to listen to me when I tell her not to do something dangerous. We played back and forth wall for awhile before I finally caved in when she displayed remorse and yell cried, “I’m sorry, Mummy…I’m sorry, I’m SORRY!!!”

Five minutes later, we’re back to square one and she is doing all the things I tell her not to do again.

WHY??????????

**************************************************************************
Who is Mamapumpkin?
Mamapumpkin spent 7 years in London committing crimes to gain her Bartlett degree in Architecture. She then spent 7 years as a Stay At Home Mom raising her children as documented in this blog of over 15 years thereafter returning to the Corporate World stronger than ever as the Country Director of a British Multinational. She sets out to prove to all, that you can have anything and everything that you want; if you have that fire of desire burning within and the drive to work hard. Even better with much love.

Mamapumpkin has not only grown corporate businesses successfully in the past but has grown not one but TWO network marketing businesses in the notorious MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) industry, achieving success in under 2 years. She believes in the MLM business model but realises the DRASTIC PITFALLS and great stigma attached to it, understanding EXACTLY WHY the majority would shy away (or RUN for their lives) from ANY MLM business. But open your eyes and take time to understand it intellectually, remove your hang-ups, confirm your research, and you may just want to seize an opportunity. She did. And no, she never went about chasing people for sales. She had a sophisticated system work for her through technology and a smartphone.

She now impacts lives authentically with proven strategies amassed through the last decade of her own transformation offering online coaching programmes and always supports the underprivileged. She believes that we can all have a life of our own desires to enable real contribution into the world. But first, one needs to understand what this all means.

A beautiful life without limits.

If you wish to learn some tools to propel your life forward guaranteed, be brave enough to make contact as her life's purpose is to build people. She operates through a discovery call after which she will commit to helping you. Or not.

Most lose out on an opportunity because they are afraid they would be sold to, conned or whatever fear resides in their brain without even trying. And that's on them.

Mamapumpkin is a living testimony that women really can have a lot. Being financially and time free has enabled her to travel the world anytime, anywhere, doing anything, and she spends most of her days with her children, having fun, and supporting others wherever she can. Also having fun.