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Avatar universal

My 1 year old will not listen!

Please help.  My 1 year old son will NOT listen to me!  I have tried everything to disipline him and nothing works.  Do I try spanking?  He gets into everything, from opening the dishwasher, to dumping over the trash can and climbing on everything!  He knows he is not suposse to me doing this things.  I know this because he looks at me and laughs when I tell him no.  I am at my wits end.  My husband and I are both sick, I just miscarried - we both need our rest and my child is a wild man.  I need to know how to set boundaries and how to get him to listen to me and obey me when I say no.  I just want a well-behaved child.  One who dosn't throw fits.  Please help!
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Avatar universal
I think my boys know what NO means. 14 month old twin boys. They both used to listen when I would say No No!.. and stop doing whatever it was that I didn't want them doing. Recently though, one of the twins is defiant. It's hard not to laugh, because he is so cute.. but I will say No No! and he looks at me, acknowledges me, smiles, then continues to do  what I am saying No about haha. If I move his leg from off the couch when he tries to climb up, he laughs and throws it back up. If I look at him very close, and firmly say it while frowning a bit.. he usually stops.
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Avatar universal
From my experience with two young ones back to back, 1 year olds understand a lot more than we give them credit for. My 1 year old daughter has been walking since 9 months, and like yours gets into everything. she also understands simple commands like "put that back" and "close the door", so there's no reason she wouldn't understand "no", right? Well that doesn't stop her from ignoring me anyway. She is simply testing limits as any curious 1 year old would do. It can be so insanely frustrating to the point where I myself have wanted to spank my daughter, but we do have to understand that spanking is never the solution, and rarely teaches them anything. It is simply a frustrating stage that will eventually pass. I would suggest baby-proofing as much as possible, and being as firm as you can. I've found that explaining why something is a no-no helps them understand where you're coming from. EX: I don't want you in the toilet because its YUCKY, EW! Explain in their level of understanding. Good luck!
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
  It would really help to know how old she is.
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Avatar universal
I am having a similar problem.. except I have put everything up.. when I leave the room I make sure everything I don't want her in is up out of her reach. i use baby gates.. but my problem is she is hitting when she gets mad. it doesn't matter what it is, the table, the cat, a chair.. if its in her reach she will hit it.. i have never had a problem with biting until today.. my 5 year old son was trying to take a cup away from her that she wasn't supposed to have and she bit him hard.. it actually bled a little.. I have 4 children.. 3 boys and a girl.. my boys were never this bad. I don't know what to do. If I say here name to get her to stop something she ignores me and sometimes will even giggle evilly and run away or do the thing I was trying to get her to stop anyway.. does anyone have any suggestions?
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Avatar universal
My daughter is 12 months old and I spank her and she does listen she doesn't flinch or act scare but she does know what not to do and no parent on here has the right to bash someone else's parenting!! All children are different just like every parent is different I was spanked as a child and I'm not scared of my parents but I did know that if I done something I wasn't supposed to that I woul get punished and my daughter does too!!!! If she does something wrong I tell her no if she does it again I (lightly) smack her hand and say that's a no no and then if she does it again then I (again LIGHTLY) smack her leg and if it gets to the point that it happens again she goes to her crib or pack and play as a time out but usually it doesn't get to that point but like I said everyone is different and it's not your spot to judge or tell someone how to raise their kids! It's your decision on how to discipline your child and it's nobodys business unless it gets out of hand and NOBODY needs to tell people that do spank their kids that they need to go to  consouling idont are if you have a phd or not!!! They aren't your kids and your not God so stop judging!!!
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535822 tn?1443976780
goodness do you see where you scrolled this back from ...may I ask why?
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Avatar universal
You can not 'spank' a one year old....love them and adore them, they are one for christ sake....they are just learning to walk, chuckle and feed themselves..dont spank them- they do not have the mental capacitiy to understand discilpline, you can say no clamly and direct them in the way you want too...please dont spank your one year old
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973741 tn?1342342773
And let me just add, that spanking is an option some choose.  But if you feel yourself losing control with your child, please ask for help in managing that.  Spanking is quite different than beating and sometimes spanking can slide right down that path when given in an angry way rather than a teaching way.  Never spank as your reaction to anger.  Let the anger pass before discplining your one year old physically.
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973741 tn?1342342773
I don't agree with spanking a one year old either.  Even in older children, spanking is often the cop out parenting technique.  Doesn't take much thought to just whop someone.  It is weak parenting to just use your strength (as in brute force) to guide your child.  That is why I think parenting classes should be mandatory in order to have kids.  
Sadly, not everyone would pass the course.

And by the way, the leap from not spanking a one year old to no discipline is a big one.  Think about it.    

  
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535822 tn?1443976780
Wow this got scrolled up from way back ...I dont agree with much the last few posters have said .spanking a 1year old is totally wrong ...tajisdad ...
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973741 tn?1342342773
Kids that are one do know the meaning of no however developmentally do not have the impulse control to follow through.  

I think parenting classes should be mandatory for everyone.  
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13167 tn?1327194124
tahjsdad, you're right.  If you physically hurt a 12 month old,  they will fear you and drop what they're doing when you yell at them.

Check back with me here  in 15 years.

You won't sound like you have all the answers then.  I promise.  ;D
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Avatar universal
my one year old is old enough to kno what hes doing. if he knows how to point and tell me what he wants, throw his diaper in the trash, and feed himself, he is smart enough to kno what no means, just like he knows wat dog means, chair means, cup means, diaper means, and trash means. Kids arent mentally incapable of knowing to stop wen you say stop or no. When i tell him to stop or do something he does what i tell him. He may throw a fit from time to time but when he does he gets popped just like the rest of our family did when we were young. His mom doesnt spank him and he wont listen to her for the hell of it. He knows who and who not to test with. Anyone who says spanking will damage their kid is full of it. i got spanked and im not scarred at all, but believe i have no criminal record and have never gotten in trouble with the law, unlike the majority of children who live in new york raised by parents who were told it was against their state law. no disipline leads to bad kids. not all kids. some kids never need a spanking and they listen pretty good. others do need it. depends on the kid. but with any, as long as you are firm and consistant they know you are serious and will kno that as they grow older. you dont want them growing up thinking you are their nice friend instead of parent, then walking over you.
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Avatar universal
and i agree with you! they do listen
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Avatar universal
i am 21 and have a 13month old, she is exceptionally bright, she can talk and walk already. she knows what NO means, and she to gets into everything. i have realized that when she wants my attention she is particularly naughty, by this i mean she climbs on the couch and climbs up on the computer desk. which is very high. She knows she is not allowed to be up there, usually she says mum, and she is smiling at me, waiting for me to tell her off... all i can say is probably play a lot with him. i know you have a had a very difficult time, but he is only a baby and needs the proper guidance at this stage of his life. and i also have dog collars latching the cupboard doors together. lol . :D i also find that if my daughter throws a big tantrum and hits out, i pick her up and put her in her cot until she has calmed down. Even though she can climb out she knows that she is not allowed to when she has been told off, and waits for me to say its OK to come out. i know i am young and other more "professional" mothers might not agree with me. but my best advice is do what feels natural to you, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, not even me.
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Avatar universal
My daughter is 13 months old and she does the same thing. She is in to EVERYTHING and yes she absolutely knows what she is not supposed to do. She will even look at me and shake her head "no" when she is about to do something she is not supposed to. I tell her "no thank you" and place her somewhere else and distract her with a toy. She will normally cry or throw a fit but I just ignore it and she normally gets over it fairly quickly. I try to keep everything and anything dangerous out of her reach and baby proofed. But you can't keep them away from everything, if it's something that's not hurting them and they are having fun with it (even if it will cause a messw and more cleaning for you) they are learning so  just let them do it. If they want to take the toilet paper roll and make it in to confetti, let them!  :) ...my point is you can't keep them out of everything, as long as they aren't getting hurt just let it go and be happy they are learning and amusing themselves. If they love garbage cans then get them a garbage can that they can play with! They are just going through a stage and they will get over it eventually.
I also rotate the toys between the living room, play room and her bedroom, put some away and take them out later so she is more interested in them and that seems to work for me aswell.
P.s. Another reason babies do this is to get you're attention. They are smarter then they know :) Try just sitting on the floor and playing with them (trust me I know how hard it is when there is a hundred and one things that need to be done around the house) but they could just want the attention on them.
Any ways I hope nothing in here offended anyone, just trying to help :)
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973741 tn?1342342773
I think that disciplining is guiding and teaching.  I never said that one shouldn't do that with a one year old.  But one must be realistic about their cognative ability.  Do as you wish with your child.  If you feel it works-----  then smack away.  The problem that sometimes occurs is that down the road, a child learns to do the same thing.  If you have an aggressive toddler----  physical punishment will cause them to be more aggressive.  It is hard to say----  don't hit with hitting.  It is hard to say stop shouting while shouting.  

I do have friends that swat.  That is a parents choice----   but one year olds are at a developmental stage in which they are only in the here and now.  Impulse control is not well developed at this point.  Many preschoolers are still working on impulse control.  

I'm curious why this thread reappears----  it is sooooo old.


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Avatar universal
I have taken many psych classes and most are bull and I would like to say experience is a better lesson than being taught what to believe. I have a 1 year old (a very smart one at that), who understands the word "NO" and also knows what not to do. My child put me through tests everyday. He will look right at me before he does something he knows not to do. He talks back in his own language and also throw imaginary hits at me. He knows when im angry and all. Every child is different and needs to be disciplined differently. Also and yes I do discipline my child, I smack his hands when he hit people or throw things and I smack his legs when he falls out and kicks and IT WORKS.
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Avatar universal
I wonder how he is doing?
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973741 tn?1342342773
I would suggest you read a book on child development.  You are wrong on many fronts and I think if you educate yourself on children you will be a better parent.  The article is right, a child does have great language ability before they talk and can read tones.  But that does NOT mean they have the brain capacity to do as you say.   You absolutely can stop a child from doing things and should to keep them safe.  But knowing that a child of 1 developmentally based on brain function for that age (look it up if you have doubts) can NOT reason, can not think ahead, and have very little ability to control impulses.  They will learn the word no, yes.  But the other areas I mention will hinder them from always remembering and following all of your rules.  Your child will also learn to fear you-----  just as she would by touching a hot oven-----  she knows she will get burned.  You are the hot oven, my dear.  Discipline is important as a child gets older but a one year old needs more of guidance and supervision to get safe.  It is okay to say "we don't hit" (of course, you'd hit her to prove your point . . . which makes sense----- not!), or "NO street" but the attitude that she knows what she is doing and is EVIL (your words) is uninformed.  By the way, curious is a natural and part of developmental growth.  It should be encouraged under guidance and supervision and not termed evil just because it causes you to do a little more work.  I'm not talking bottles of cleaner under the sink but they make cabinet locks for that.  They make cabinet locks because even though we say NO to our kids (and smack them in your case) they will still go back and try it again (lack of reason, lack of impulse control . . . hm, sound familiar).  By the way, I have my Phd in psychology and understand child development very well.  You don't have to take my word for it though----  you can read up on it yourself or just have an angry and aggressive 4 year old to deal with in a couple of years.  Good luck.

Lastly----------- this is a really OLD post.  Hopefully Adam's mommy is doing better by now.
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Avatar universal
Hello! My daughter is going to be 1 yr old on the 2nd of January and she is going through this same thing! It does not help that my husband is deployed and will be gone for another 6 months, it has already been 2! :( But anyway, children understand more than everyone on here is letting on. My daughter understands the word "no", as I have been using since she was only about 4 months old and learning how to move on her own. She also understands that she is not supposed to do things but she just doesn't care a lot of the time! I sternly tell her no, if that does not work I say it again, after I say no in a very very stern voice 3 times she gets a little smack on the fat of her leg. After that she leaves it alone. (kids are just very curious and evil at times! lol) A lot of times I do not even spank her at all and I just take whatever it is away from her and tell her no...she cries for a second and then walks away! She has started this new hissy-fit loveliness! I just ignore her and walk away! As for the garbage can thing, my daughter loves to dump the dogs water all over the kitchen. I have a gate at each door to our kitchen and I leave one a little higher up so our dog can fit under it during the day. But sometimes she can slide under it and still gets to the water! So irritating! She did it 2 times today! I guess all I am saying is that it is probably just a stage in their lives and we as parents have to teach them discipline now or else they will think they can do whatever they want all the time. Smacking a baby on their leg, not too hard tho, is not any kind of abuse and it is not going to scar the child for life. It is just a shock to them so they will then think about that smack when they go to do it again, hopefully!!! The way a child acts at a young age is more than likely how they will act at an older age. I was reading online articles about 1 year olds and they may not be able to talk, read, run, etc, but they understand what you are saying and your different tones/attitudes. People should give young children more credit! I have always talked to my daughter like she is a person and not a baby, she listens to that. If we are in public and she is starting to whine I look at her and say "we dont do that!" and she stops, they are people - just smaller!! :) Good luck with your son! I hope my post helped you!
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535822 tn?1443976780
Oh my goodness I just spotted this thread.and the date, its .3 years old this child is about 4 now LOL My apologies for my post .Nas i hope he bnever gor spanked ...........
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535822 tn?1443976780
Kalio1 had a valid point in my opinion this is a baby it is not a gooid idea to be thinking of hitting any child never mind one of this age ,ask for counselling if you think you will go there .....
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973741 tn?1342342773
So agree with Rockrose!  Developmentally, one year olds do not know D*** well-----  they do develop quickly but if encounter such harshness early on, they will act that way soon enough themselves.  Check out development and cognative ability sometime of a 12 month old.   They are not ready to rob banks and perform brain surgery by then . . . nor can they think ahead, control impulses or reason.  
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