Discipline

Month 9, week 3

Your child may not yet know how to say no, but he will almost certainly understand when you say it.

They get old enough to have their own ideas and try to do things you don't want them to do.

Here's how to deal with it:

Prevent. If you don't want your child to grab the remote, don't leave it within reach.
Distract and redirect. You didn't put the remote on the top shelf and now the kid is listening to Watchmen? Offer them an old broken remote instead. The mere fact of its separation will be worth the cries of protest.
Praise. If you say, "Give me the remote," and, wonder of wonders, they do, reward them with a chorus of applause and whoops.
Choose your fights. If they put clean underwear on their heads, who will it really hurt? Just take a photo.

For many children at this age, it is not enough to be able to crawl. They see you coming and they want to try too.

So if he hasn't already, expect your child to get up soon and try walking using the furniture as a support system.

To help them prepare:

Show them how to get back to a sitting position from a stand. Otherwise, you'll be waking up at night to a crying baby who can't get back down to sleep!
Do another round of baby proofing. Watch for sharp edges on furniture they might grab onto, and make sure anything they'll use for support isn't apt to tip over.
Don't overreact if they fall. Offer a quick hug and words of encouragement. These are but the first of many tumbles!
They'll probably want to climb stairs just like you. It's okay to let them crawl up a few if you stay within arm's reach and vigilant.
Remember, walkers are a safety hazard and do not actually help babies with walking.

Don't swing babies by the arms. It could dislocate joints. And don't toss baby overhead. Instead, lift their high without letting go.
By now, your baby can sample everything the family eats, except for choking hazards, anything they are allergic to of course, and raw honey because of the danger of botulism.
Make a learning game of your shopping trips. Count the boxes of pasta or cans of cat food as you put them in the cart. Talk about the colors on the signs.
Always belt baby into their high chair, and watch for their fingers before you buckle.
Check high chair safety: Keep it at least 30 cm away from the counter so that they can't push themselves off and topple over.
Never leave your baby alone in the car, even for a minute. Put your purse or briefcase on the back seat next to the car seat so you're not likely to forget her.
You know not to leave baby alone in the tub. but they shouldn't solo anywhere in the bathroom either. Too many hard, slippery surfaces!