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Posts Tagged ‘boundaries’

I was asking Joaquin to stay in his highchair and he didn’t want to obey. I asked him “Who’s the boss? Mommy or Joaquin?” And he answered, “JOAQUIN BOSS!”

Don’t you just love kids at this age? I do! 2-year olds are so cute and funny! But they can also be challenging. Because of his growing independence, a 2-year old will start asserting himself and insisting on what he wants. This is the stage where he often says “NO” to his parents’ command. And if he doesn’t get what he wants, he normally resorts to yelling and temper tantrums. This is why I guess they call it the terrible two’s.

As terrible as it sounds, the good thing about this stage is that your toddler is very moldable. Your child is very eager and hungry to learn that’s why it is best to start laying the foundation of discipline in his life. Most parents think that their toddler is beyond their control and they cannot do anything but live through this terrible two stage. I’ve heard parents tell me “My child cannot understand anything I say” so they end up just tolerating his behavior. I think that is one big deception. Give your 2-year old an iPad and you will see how much he can understand.

The best thing you can teach your toddler at this stage is the concept of authority and boundaries. He is under your authority and he has to live within the boundaries you set for him. Your child needs an authority who will tell him and teach him how to go about his day. He needs you to tell him he can’t whine when he doesn’t get his way, he has to share his toys, he has to sit during mealtimes, etc. You need to stop his misbehavior. Your child is looking to you for guidance.

Your child will only be 2 once in his life. Let us look at this stage with a positive attitude and make the most out of this opportunity to train them.

“Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.”
Proverbs 23:13 (NIV)

Today our little Joaquin got hold of a marker and started drawing on a small board. After a few minutes, to my shock, I realized that his marker started to wander off the board and onto our floor. Had I not caught him in time, I’m sure his marker would have made it to our walls, and bedsheets, and clothes.

Joaquin drawing on the floor

Good thing he was using a washable marker

I wonder how our house would look like if Paolo and I didn’t have boundaries for our kids. According to my daughter Janina, this place would look like a “dumpster.” Empty bags of chips all over, dirty clothes in the hallway, wet cotton balls stuck on the mirror (yes they’ve done this), drawings on the walls, CD’s on the floor, kids screaming at each other and possibly hurting each other, etc, etc. You get the idea.

We set boundaries for our kids at home for a long-term goal. We want them to be able to know how to live within the boundaries of God’s word. I know a few well-meaning parents who allow their kids to do everything they want and realize that their kids have a hard time adjusting to the rules of their school or behaving in other people’s homes. The worst part is that they will have a hard time living according to the will of God. If kids got used to doing their own way, they will have a hard time being in submission to any kind of authority.

Psalm 119:9
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.