Discipline

At 16 months old, Louis is starting to push our limits. There was a short window of time when he began to understand us and then was excited to follow any directions. He is now a big fan of "no" and running away from us when we are trying to get his attention.When he gets really frustrated, he has started throwing a mini temper tantrum that ends with his butt up in the air and his forehead on the floor like a tepee. It would be adorable if it wasn't paired with an awful screaming.

This week an angry father's YouTube video disciplining his daughter went viral. People have commented on the video in a variety of ways. Some liken him to a parenting hero while others accuse him of child abuse. It is clear to me that his daughter is a frustrated and spoiled fifteen year old who is using strong language in order to ridicule her parents. But it is also clear to me, that in his disciplining, this father is frustrated and spoiled and he is using strong language in order to ridicule his daughter. I understand his frustration, but he is doing exactly what I try to resist when I want to form my own tepee next to my son. Discipline would be a lot easier if we didn't have to worry about reinforcing the very behaviors we are trying to change.

Last night I left Louis to his tepee and walked into the other room. He eventually stopped throwing a fit in order to find me and we grabbed a book and moved on. While the fits will become more difficult and loaded as the years go on, I hope that I continue to respect my child as a person and remember to model the behavior I expect from him.