Baby trouble...

I’m going to guess this isn’t a newborn. A newborn baby is easier to handle than a kid that’s 1 or 2.

I’d have to say the main reason he’s being a brat is because you’re letting him be. You don’t want to hurt him, but you want him to be free. You have to pick a direction to go with how you treat a kid.

You can’t be too lax with a child because then he’ll walk all over you and never listen to you. You can’t be too mean, either. A fair amount of discipline is normal. I, however, can get away with mot hitting a child (I don’t believe you should anyway). Spanking can cause a child to stop doing something bad, but it can also cause them to be rebelious in their later years (you think they’re hard to handle in the early years wait until their teens).

You have to use a stern voice. Don’t always demand, sometimes asking or offering something in return can get the job done. For example: telling a child to do the dishes, do the laundry, take a shower, clean their room and then go to bed will only make them harbor ill feelings toward you. Offer them a reward. “Do the dishes and I’ll take you to McDonald’s.” “Clean your room and we’ll go to the movies.” Since your child you’re taking care of is obviously younger that the tweens try another approach. “If you go to bed I’ll read you a story.” “If you don’t eat, you can’t watch TV.”

I find that offering something in return you get better results. You’re not spoiling him, you’re just opening a few doors that will make him open his mind a little.

You can also try doing other things. All young children is attention (and sweets and toys). If he’s doing something that he knows you don’t like he’ll do it over and over because he knows you’ll let him get away with it. You don’t have the will to punish him in any way because you’re afraid to.

Yelling won’t work. Like I said, a stern voice does fine. If he’s doing something wrong, you have to let him know. “No!” Do the finger shake if you have to. “Stop!”

Parenting (your kids or anybody else’s) is a hard job. Not everybody is cut out for it (my ex, for starters) but most everybody thinks they can do it. Most apply parenting their kids by how they were parented themselves. You know, “Monkey see. Monkey do.”

There are also plenty of parenting classes out there. Sign up for one. They’re very helpful and informative. Some have a small fee, some are free. Never hurts to attend one even if you ARE thought of as “#1 Mom!”

I’m not a parent myself, but I’ve been around plenty of kids to know I’ve got a way that works (my ex’s kids want me to be their daddy). You don’t have to take my advice. Nobody does for that matter, but at least it’s a start, yes?

Good luck and happy parenting! 8D