Quote:
Originally Posted by NCyank
Frankly, that's rather lazy parenting. Squirt guns are similarly used in dog training or to keep the cat off the countertop. Kids have more potential to understand and respond than a dog. What are they going to do when the water doesn't bother the kid anymore...switch to a shock collar??
A two year old is old enough to listen and learn when he can and can't be noisy. Consistent consequences (both positive and negative, appropriate to the situation) and a little bit of time should get it under control....I'd say within 2-3 days...and that's if you've got a serious screamer.
Or, you could just squirt him in the face with water. Geesh.
|
I had exactly the same reaction as you, NCyank, to this post.
You see, my cat has been abusive to my dog. The cat picks on the dog. The dog ignores the cat and the cat runs up to the dog and scratches the dog's nose and eyes. The dog is trained not to respond to the cat. The dog ended up with an infected eye b/c of the cat's aggression. I am in the process of training the cat to stay away from the dog by using a plant mister. The mister puts out just enuff moisture to stop the cat in his tracks. That, along with a stern STOP seems to be teaching the cat the word "stop" and keeping the cat away from the dog's face.
But notice - even with my cat - I am using a MISTER, not a stream of water from a water pistol!!! Dang. I would not use a water pistol on a cat, much less a kid!!!!
Folks, find better ways to control your kids!
I did not even allow my son to HAVE or PLAY w/ a "water gun" or "water pistol" b/c I didn't want him to connect the use of a weapon with "attacking" someone else. Think about it. What are we teaching kids when we use a water gun to subdue them? Especially a squirt to the FACE?
I started telling my son b/f he was 2 y/o that loud noises are "outdoor noises." If he yelled, I would quietly say "Shhhhh . . . that is an outdoor voice." You just keep doing this. When you go outside, you tell him - "you are outside now - This is when you can use your outdoor voice." Start there.
When he is in the midst of stomping and yelling, you pick him up (so his feet are not on the floor to stomp) and you tell him, "making loud noises is rude. It is not nice. This is unacceptable behavior. These are outdoor noises." Then you distract him by doing some other activity, such as reading or singing to music.
How successful you will be will have to do with how consistent you are. There is no excuse for children to act out. If he is tired, then you need to make sure he has a nap. If he is hungry, you feed him. Some children stomp and yell when they are either tired or hungry. Some children eat too much food high in sugar/carbos, and get so geared up they get out of control. Review his diet and if you are giving him fruit, fruit juice, ice cream, cookies, pudding, etc as snacks, then you need to change his diet, as he is going bonkers from blood sugar spikes.
Try some different approaches and see what works w/ de-escalating his stomping and yelling episodes.
I think you are very wise to get this under control. You are so right - everyone around you will complain if this continues.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
