How can I discipline a 2 year old who is unfazed by time outs? Nothing bothers this child.?

Question

I am dealing with a very bright child who is generally happy. However, when she does not get her way, she hits me in the face. I don't think she grasps the concepts of time outs. She seems to think they are a game. She sings during time outs or talks to herself. I have tried taking things (i.e. privileges like DVD’s) away from her. I have tried talking to her. Yelling and getting angry doesn't even make her blink. It just seems like I can't get through to her. And when I ask her if she knows why she got a time out or why I took something away from her, she repeats me WORD for WORD. Never does she answer me. It's hard to tell if she truly does not understand or if she is manipulating me. I feel my blood pressure rise and I want to pull my hair out. Does anyone have any alternative methods of discipline (besides hitting)? Are there any books or DVD’s anyone would recommend? I am dealing with a child who is not average and average discipline gets me nowhere.

Answer 1

well besides a spanking I don't know what to say you do everything else and you say it doesn't work. timeouts and taking away toys is pretty much all you can do to a 2 year old. I'm sorry to say it but a spank on the behind may be what she needs.

Answer 2

Maybe try LONGER time outs?  Or take away ALL of her toys, that should get her attention.  

Sounds like she's really head strong, so I wish you the best!

Answer 3

Your daughter sounds like a younger female version of my son.  We try time outs, yelling, taking things away and it either makes things worse, makes us feel bad and leaves us nowhere.

We've gone on and off with a magnet chart for good behavior over the years, but decided to really stick with it over the past few weeks and it really seems to be working.  He has 5 categories he needs to work on every week and at the end of each day, he puts the magnets up that he earns everyday.  When he puts the magnets up, we let him know which parts we're proud of him for and what he needs to do to improve in the other categories to get magnets the next day.  We've really noticed a change in his behavior.  

We also stopped yelling and raising our voices because we've noticed he feeds off the attention (he doesn't care if it's positive or negative) and he'll start yelling back.  If we approach him more calmly, he reacts the same way back to us.

If he does something REALLY bad (run in street, acts out really bad towards his sis), I'll break out the bar of soap.  If he sees the soap, he knows he did something really serious.

My mother is an elementary school administrator and has recommended a lot of books to my wife, who's an avid reader.  E-mail me if you want ([e-mail]) and I can ask her which books she found most helpful.....

We use the magnet chart for my daughter as well (2 almost 3) and she completely gets it as well.  She loves to put the magnets up and if she did something that she shouldn't of during the day, she doesn't get the magnet.  The next day we remind her of what she needs to do to earn it back.

Answer 4

Spank her!

Answer 5

My daughter was the same way and the only way I got through to her was spanking.  It does not kill the child if you lovingly spank.  Never do this when angry but a swat on the behind or on the hand in this matter is not wrong.  Good Luck and God Bless!

Answer 6

thats what my sister does(the only sad thing is that she's 12)

try the opposite, every week she's good she gets some prize. everytime she's bad take something she'll care about away like a favorite toy.

Answer 7

tell her dont do that in a very deep voice she is only 2. if she wasz 3,4 or 5 i would say when u are finished drinking a pop can like sprite pepsi mountin due etc make her hold up the empty cans in the air for 2 or 3 minuets but she is 2

Answer 8

Coolkid; do you seriously think he is going to ever RESPECT you OR act GOOD if you use that kind of disipline?

  If some person came up to you and started taking off your clothes and teasing you and calling you a baby would you EVER be nice to that person or cooperate with them!? i dont think so!

try somthing like 1st time timeout(2 min. because she is 2)2nd time slap on the hand, then 3rd time she is bad, on the bottom

Answer 9

I don't have a really good answer for you, but I just wanted to let you know that I empathize. I am a single mom of twin boys who are almost 3 and by the time they were 2, they had a vocabulary beyond that of a 4 year old. Most likely, your daughter is manipulating you. I know mine do it to me. Time outs don't phase them. Taking toys away doesn't phase them. Nothing works. It's awful to say, but it's getting to the point where they are basically running the house. I definitely understand how frustrated you are and I'm sorry you're going through it too. I am going to keep watching this post and maybe I'll get some good ideas, too! Good luck!

EDIT:

I tried spanking too, when they do something dangerous, and that doesn't phase them either!