Comments on: No Way to Treat a Baby

By: Patsy

Patsy — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 23:23:01 +0000

I tried to “flick” my daughter’s hand if she persisted in touching something that was off limits for a couple of days. Once she caught on to what I was doing, she simply would touch, flick her own hand, and laugh as if it were a game. We figured if she could flick herself, she could learn how to touch those “off limits” things in ways that were safe and acceptable. She did. The really dangerous stuff she could not get to, we kid-proofed, or we locked away.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 15:03:29 +0000

This was very helpful. How would you handle a 12 month old putting everything in their mouth like lint, dog hair…etc.? I try to keep my house as clean as possible but she finds everything!

By: Jeanette Wright

Jeanette Wright — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 12:28:04 +0000

In reply to Chris. What about baby proofing it? Use a cover that isn’t you?? I never understood not baby prodding a house-it saves a LOT of this problem and allows for safe exploring.

By: Olivia

Olivia — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 10:20:27 +0000

Hello!! Can I use the electrical socket situation on my nearly 2 1/2 year old??

By: Ashley

Ashley — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 14:16:22 +0000

This is a great example of how I strive to raise my babies into adults. And you know, after reading this particular one and contemplating a moment, I burst into tears. This is exactly my mother’s principles that she developed on her own after coming out of the sixties combined with a life of heartache and being treated without respect and dignity. She always said that I was her “Mini-Me” and I’m feeling more like that now days than ever. I sit here, crying, missing her and feeling my calling more.

By: Vicki Burgess

Vicki Burgess — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 01:19:54 +0000

Hi Janet, today I was with my preemie granddaughter who is now 14 months old in this world, but her developmental age is 11 months. She is having to take some medicine and her mom asked me to administer it. The baby does not like it and when she saw the dropper with the white liquid, she shook her head back n forth and told me, “No!” That about goes along with entering the toddler phase! 🙂 Well, I just dislike forcing anything on a baby. I carried her downstairs to change her diaper. I remembered your podcasts and blogs as I did and began to talk to her about what I needed to do. I’ve been talking to her since I held her in the NICU so speaking to her is nothing new. But today it was more necessary than ever. Her blue eyes stared into my eyes and she seemed to be listening to me speak. I was telling her that I am going to give you some medicine and I know you do not like it. But I need you to open your mouth and let me give it to you. She didn’t open her mouth right away and I didn’t force it on her either. I waited and waited for her to be still and let me give it to her. She did protest and I allowed her to do so. I just waited until she relaxed and I had to give it to her. I hugged her afterwards. I am thankful for this group and having learned so much about RIE. I love having respect for babies and toddlers. They are smarter than we think. Today, I set up an area for her. I lined up the dinning room chairs with a narrow aisle for her to cruise between them. She is learning to walk and took three steps this past week with her mother. I set toys on the chairs to invite her. She did arrive at it and her reaction tickled me. She said, “Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!” She was overjoyed at being able to stand and cruise along with ease while she engaged with each toy I set out. It was nice for her because I haven’t been able to take her and her big brother (2 1/2 years old) outside. Just 30 miles north of us is a horrific, large fire and so our sky is full of ash. Mother does not want them outside and I don’t blame her. It reminds me of when Mt. St. Helens erupted. The sky is masked over with ash. So I am brain storming what I can do to make inside more interesting for the two. Before I left today, there was a bit of contagion going on–which I am always intrigued by! I love babies and young children and what they will do. The big brother was standing in front of the large cooler and making sound that is magnified by the machine. Well little sister joined him and that’s what was going on as I kissed them goodbye!

By: Madeleine

Madeleine — Sun, 29 Jul 2018 20:25:28 +0000

In reply to kittykat.

You are saying „…they need to learn that hitting and or other violent acts towards others will get them painful consequences in return“….
So what kind of painful consequences are you getting for hitting a helpless person??!

By: Catie

Catie — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 20:19:31 +0000

In reply to Kelsie C.

My mom used Dare to Discipline with me. Like Willow, all I remember now is how much she hurt me.

Hitting children breaks the trust that should be there between parent and child. From the parent’s perspective, nothing seems to have changed. My mom swears up and down that I trusted her just fine, but I’m the only one who remembers being *hit*. She only remembers doing the hitting.

Children are smaller than we are, and more vulnerable. There is no reason to hit them. Science tells us hitting doesn’t work. If you think a lack of spanking has led to the degradation of society, then you can look up the statistics. Something like 81% of the population still spanks their children. They’re actually starting to theorize that *spanking* is the problem, not the lack of spanking.

Please reconsider using Dare to Discipline, which is nothing more than a child abuse manual similar to the Pearls To Train Up a Child. We *know* now that spanking does more harm than good.

By: Zane

Zane — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 12:02:18 +0000

In reply to janet.

My daughter has a yes space and is t crawling yet. She spends most of her non caring times in her space. But i do wonder how to let her explore the rest of the house without intervene every 5 minutes (I feel like because she spends her time in her yes space the rest of the house will be more interesting at some point and I don’t want to have her feel like that her yes space is some type of time out space)
I might be thinking this wrong and I’m not at the point yet but just wondering … thank you!

By: Willow

Willow — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 17:29:12 +0000

In reply to Kelsie C. Wow, that is a lot of spanking. I was spanked like that as a child; I remember very little happiness but remember the fear and pain vividly. I know there were good times because I see pictures and such, but it is the violence that sticks out in my mind and unfortunately, that is all I remember.