Age Groups

[fctjc1979]

Does everybody else have an age group they have a harder time disciplining than other age groups?

For me, I think it's the toddlers. I constantly worry about overestimating their understanding and making them confused. I think part of me knows that they understand more than we think they do, but I'm one of those people who likes to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. I guess it's not necessarily harder for me, I just worry about it more.

Anyway, I just thought this might be a good discussion!

[Childminder]

Definitely the 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 age group. The selective deafness is my main issue and always has been. They are always testing the rules at that age and when they've been doing something for months and suddenly the dumb looks and not hearing, it's enough to hang em by their toes.

[Janet]

Age groups

I think that kids learn much earlier than they are given credit for. If anything, I think that some people underestimate the ability of children to follow directions and such. I pretty much start when they are able to focus on my voice. I'm not saying that I put babies in time out, I just talk to them all of the time. I don't do the "baby talk" thing with my daycare kids. I've got kids that are totally capable of listening and following directions by the time that they are like, 2. I think that the roughest age is between the age where they become mobile and about 15 months old. This is the time where they are learniing about everything and they aren't verbal so much. This is also the age where older kids get the maddest because the new crawler/walker doesn't understand that it's not cool to knock over towers, or to take someones car, etc. It's worked for me to have high expectations for my kids from the get go. I very seldom need to give time outs.

[fctjc1979]

Definitely the 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 age group. The selective deafness is my main issue and always has been. They are always testing the rules at that age and when they've been doing something for months and suddenly the dumb looks and not hearing, it's enough to hang em by their toes.

I'm encountering that now with one of my dcg. She's almost 3. I just didn't realize that it's normal for that age group. She's a good girl for the most part but every once in a while (usually when she thinks something isn't fair) I could swear she's ignoring me.