Well we are entering that stage of toddlerhood where Mummy is going to end up in a straight jacket Since Cerys was a baby I've always used "NO" when she's near danger or doing something wrong, so that she gets used to it. Now that she is more aware of her actions I'm struggling with the discipline bit She's not a naughty baby at all, she's just very independant and likes a bit of mischief

She's obviously taken a fancy to the xmas tree and will try her utmost to climb onto the ledge that the fish tank is on. I tell her "NO" in a stern voice and look at her blankly, I also say something like "dont do that you will fall/break something/hurt the cat etc etc". Whether she understands or not, Im not sure. Well all she does is laugh and goes and tries it again I dont condone smacking, but i tapped her hand when she tried it for the 5th time and she cried so i felt terrible then.

Please help with some suggestions or tips xx

Well I rarely use the word NO - i think (as you have found) that it gets worn out and then doesnt work.

Instead I use things like 'careful' 'dangerous Isabelle come away' 'put that back/down' 'not having that' - I'm very to the point and dont include words she doesnt need to hear..so try not to say something like 'dont do that or you will hurt yourself' thats too long to understand, so i just say 'careful'

Then she understands what it is she needs to do to avoid doing what it is she is doing wrong.....saying no I think can be confusing, how will they know what you want them to stop doing?

This works 99% of the time, however when she doesnt listen and continues to be wicked after being warned then she gets picked up and placed away from the item facing away from it...that carries on til she stops, normally twice and she gets the idea!

If its an item she isnt allowed I say something like 'mummies' and take it off her - that way she knows why I am taking it. Then put it away and say 'gone'

thanks Lisa. i was thinking that saying NO all the time will mean nothing to her. She is sooooo wicked (in a nice cheeky way lol) . She reminds me of myself as a child, mischievous and tenacious I'm doing the removing her from the item thing but the little bugger laughs and goes back for more, Think I'll try a bit of distraction as well. I think Mario's C has got competition x

Lol def sounds like it. I find C ignores No but is good at responding to why she shouldnt do something. So i use Thats Dangerous, Hot, Dirty or Mummies dont touch. Or Get down dangerous etc. Sometimes its just contant removal before she gets it too ive taken her off the arm of the sofa more times than i care to remember, just persevere hon and if it helps-it gets worse....sorry

Feck, it gets worse??? Thanks for the tip anyway, will just keep on removing her and then engaging her in something else until that wears off pmsl xx

It might not get worse!!!!!!

Izzy is pretty good now (with me)...apart from the fact she is a magnet for dangerous objects - no joke she will find scissors, knives, matches...doesn't matter where they are she finds them and I didn't know they were there, but she knows she shouldn't and brings them to me grinning...as if to say hahaha mummy look what I have - she does put them down though thank goodness, then I put them somewhere safe!

With Dan its not so good, as funnily enough he doesnt do what I do (despite being asked/told to do so) he just sits there and says 'No No No No Isabelle How many times do I have to say no' then ends up shouting at her, but still she doesnt really know!

He doesn't get that he can say no as many times as he likes but until he tells her exactly what she is doing wrong she isn't going to know what he wants her to do

Lol no it may not get worse but ive found C is just more inventive at finding ways to get into trouble these days- but she is way better at listening to me, so worse but better lol, i rarely have to use remove and distract any more and a simple put that down dangerous often works. Im just being honest as cerys reminds me a lot of C

Apparently here, No = you crack on sunshine...

According to my mother "you just have to tell them"

Sorry - no help, but can empathise. I have varying tones / degrees of 'no' or 'come away' etc. but he still tries to touch things he KNOWS he's never ever been allowed near, like the bloody cooker???!!!!!?!?!?

I find C will blatently ignore no too but if i say the reason she cant touch shes more prone to listening, still goes back for more 5 mins later in the case of the recycling box though...

We end up like big cook little cook saying 'hot hot hot' in regards the cooker... tbf he doesn't pursue it as much as other things but the fact that he still thinks the knobs are fair game that drives me potty!

i dont add in the or this will happens or that will happens either. i also have diff tones of voice, these days its a shreek that would burst ur ear drums.... i just get ignored im having major trouble with gettin alasdair to behave. he knows its bad and more than often iv heard him say so himself!! we did the naughty chair, it lasted a week now its fun!! for once, im at a loss on behaviour control.

I don't use the word No either, I try to give reasons as to why they've not to do it - Ie; dangerous, hot, sharp, could fall etc and he does understand fully...like today I was using the sissors and because i'd told him previously about them he said 'ohh - sharp!!'

The one thing I am struggling with is plugs I've tried every possible thing, but usually I just remove him, sit him at the other end of the room and tell his its dangerous..he doesn't touch them again after that, but if I was eg, hoovering again..he has to pull the plug out, so I then repeat it all again

I have found distraction a good method, also actually letting them do/touch under your supervision. Sit with her and let her touch the tree/baubles etc..but only when mummy/daddy is here with you