How Can I Help My Toddler Learn To Obey?

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Parents commonly ask, “How can I help my toddler learn to obey.”

Toddler obedience might be the most common parenting topic for this stage of life. At some point, every toddler will discover disobedience. And the results might not be pretty.

As a parent, you’re likely wondering how you can get your toddler to just, well, behave again. Disciplining a two or three-year old might feel cruel. But through wise and loving care, you can build a healthy foundation of obedience in your home.

Here a few things to think about and try to help:

• Ask yourself some key questions that might uncover hidden reasons for behavior.
  • Is my toddler fed? Did he or she sleep well last night? Has life been chaotic lately for him? Has she experienced a big change recently?
• Try rewarding good behavior while disciplining consistent bad behavior. For example, when your toddler behaves well, let them place a marble in a jar. When they disobey, have them remove one marble from the jar. Once the jar is full, find a way to celebrate his or her obedience.
• Avoid going for perfection. Instead, be realistic about your toddler’s behavior. Keep a close eye on if there’s a pattern of defiance for rules or instructions.

There’s a good chance his or her disobedience is simply a product of being a toddler. Learning to obey will be a key lesson for the upcoming years of your child’s development. For more advice on this topic, “How can I help my toddler learn to obey?’ check out our parenting resources here.