It might be very upsetting if your toddler is ignoring you.
They certainly don’t seem to be listening to anything you have to say, does it?
If you feel that my “Toddler Ignores Me” then you need to lay down some foundational rules.
Children are very smart and can find constructive and sneaky ways to get what they want when they want it.
Ignoring you is the perfect example of taking power back by showing you that they don’t value your rules.
If you think my “toddler ignores me when i come home“, then this is a good example of the power struggle in your house.
The key to effective discipline is to ensure you have a firm structure and that you don’t deviate from it too much.
You must lay a foundation of rules that are strong enough to last the test of time but also have enough flexibility in them to allow for some spillovers.
Children aren’t perfect and even with the best structure in place, they can still have there ‘off’ days.
This learning process directly connected to more healthier and happier children.
If you think your Toddler Ignores Me and they are on the brink of destruction then here are 3 Action strategies to get them back on the straight and narrow fast.
My Toddler Ignores Me – 3 Things I Did To Flip The Script!
1. Patience
You need to have more patience with toddlers than older children.
Your child is going through some of the hardest developmental milestones they will ever go through.
They are old enough to communicate with you but have been learning more then they can express.
This puts them at an expression crossroad.
They understand what they can, but aren’t yet able to communicate that to you.
This is the recipe for aggression, frustration and tantrums and is why the comically named ‘terrible two’s’ come into play.
You must show patience with your child and remember to put yourself in their shoes when you can.
Toddler behavior problems can be severely limited if you are able to show more patience and empathy.
2. Structure & Discipline
With the right structure, most toddlers can flourish.
In this framework, there are rules that you set and consequences for breaking them.
Many parents fall short as they have 101 things to do and can sometimes give in.
Instead, be rigid with your rules but polite in your deliver.
For example:
‘Please put your toys away as it’s dinner time, I’m hungry and I’ve asked you twice already. If I have to ask again you’ll spend 1 minute in time-out’
This provides a clear structure and is to the point.
There is an element of empathy and you are not pushing your child to eat his dinner, but reminding him that you are hungry and he should stop his playtime so you can eat.
It’s subtle yet very effective and when used with repetition can work very well with two year olds behaviour.
Most toddlers respond better to commands that give show them why you want something done.
A lot of toddler behavior management strategies fall to recognise that the simplest way to discipline a toddler is effective communication.
Most “toddler ignores me when i come home” can be resolved with more communication.
3. Repetition is KEY
The last key strategy to affect your two year olds behaviour is Repetition
This is the one tool you have at your disposal.
Although it can, and probably will, drive you crazy it is scientifically proven to work.
At 2 years old your child’s brain is at a highly repetitive stage.
Have you ever notice that they copy exactly what you do, how you do it and can do it with very precise accuracy?
You can use this as your weapon too!
Be clear with your instructions and repeat as many times as necessary.
For example:
‘Please stop opening the fridge door as food may fall out and then you will hurt yourself. You don’t want to hurt yourself do you?’
Again, this is a subtle way to enforce your rules, be repetitive and also helps to show that they can get hurt if they don’t listen to instructions correctly.
Overall, your expectations shouldn’t be too high.
Allow your toddler to explore and learn from you and their surroundings.
Keeping your instructions clear and to the point will help your toddler understand the importance of your commands.
Find constructive ways to interact with your toddler Hopefully you’ll be able to leave your “Toddler Ignores Me” days behind you!
Here’s a quick video on Why Your Kids Ignore You
Mo Mulla is a work from home dad who enjoys reading and listening to music, He loves being a dad and husband to a growing family. He also loves writing about his passions and hopes to change the world, 1 blog post at a time!
