Yesterday, I watched a family in a cafe waiting for a plane. The sweet little girl - about two - was sitting quietly and contentedly in a pushchair. (Photo for example only.)Periodically, something minute would cross her and she would scream and kick out at any of the adults with extremely violent intent and every bit of her strength.
Her 'hits' were palpable, unerring and surely painful. Not a member of this group of at least six adults, batted an eyelid, including the father who was the most frequent victim.
Surely, a sharp slap across the leg was called for!
Let us consider what happens when you surrender to a little madam like this: you teach her that she is in control; you have no chance of ever imposing parental will again as she has learned that you are beatable; she has learned that her violence has no consequences; she has been turned into a terror for pre-school and is guaranteed to become a problem for her schoolteachers at a later stage.
I once had my toddler son challenge me in this fashion - he lost!
We ALL won from that, family, society and especially him!
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