Discipline Is Teaching

Babies at this age cannot obey or disobey their parents. Their minds are not developed enough for them to know right from wrong. However, they may do things that are not safe or that you think are wrong.

For the next year or so, you need to help your baby learn how to behave, which is sometimes called discipline. Discipline really means teaching, not punishing.

If you are a warm and loving parent, your baby will learn to trust you. The more your baby trusts you, the more she will accept the limits you put on her. She will want to do the right thing to please you.

Research with older children shows that discipline works best for parents who have a warm relationship with their children.

Here are some good ways to teach your baby:

• Praise your baby when she does things you like with words, hugs, and smiles. The more positive you are when your baby is good, the more she will listen to you when you don’t like what she’s doing.

• Ignore misbehavior, such as spitting food, if it’s not harming anyone. Don’t look at her, smile, or yell. Until she stops, pretend you don’t see her.

• Pick up the baby and move her to safety if she is doing something dangerous. For example, take her away from a stairway and put her in the middle of the room and say, “You can crawl here.” This is redirecting.

• Remember to praise your baby for doing something that is OK after you have ignored her or redirected her.

• Baby-proof your home so your baby has safe places to explore and move around. For example, leave one low kitchen cabinet unlocked and stock it with safe plastic dishes. Have baby toys on low safe shelves that she can reach.

• Prevent problems before they happen. For example, put a safety gate on the stairs to prevent falls. Put a vase away or on a very high shelf out of your baby’s reach.

• Make your baby’s world interesting. If she has fun things to explore, she will be too busy having safe fun to get into trouble. For example, when you visit someone else’s home, take interesting toys to hold her attention. This way she won’t get into dangerous things at the other home.

• Teach your baby to do things right. If she pulls the cat’s hair or yours, show her how to pat the cat or you gently.

Your Baby May Wake at Night

It is common for babies who have been sleeping through the night to begin waking up at night. Reasons for this might be the baby wants to play; he might not feel well, or it may just be the development of a new sleep cycle and behavior.

Unless your baby is in pain, it’s best for your baby to learn to comfort himself to get back to sleep. Leave him alone for a few minutes to see if this happens. If it doesn’t, comfort the baby and tell him it’s time to go to sleep. He may cry a little and that is OK. If the baby cries for more than 15 minutes, go back in to comfort him.