7. Emotional Swaddling

Any parent of a newborn knows why you swaddle them: it’s snug, it’s secure, and it keeps them from constantly swatting themselves in the damn face. Instilling boundaries in your toddlers is like kind of like emotional swaddling in that sense. You might recoil at the idea of enforcing too stringent boundaries—some of us came from controlling households, after all—but without any boundaries your child will grow up not feeling developmentally safe.   In this episode, Jamie discusses the positive effects setting boundaries at an early age can have later on, explores how much leeway parents should be able to have with those boundaries, and suggests some tips to keep from going Bad Mom Viral. The Finer Details of This Episode:   Accepting that the early years of your child’s life require stricter boundaries and restrictions—and why that’s not a bad thing! Figuring out the right times to enforce these boundaries and when to ease up a little. Setting up boundaries now is laying the groundwork for being firm with your child when they’re older. What it means to “be the fencepost” to your child. Why trying to get your toddler to understand logic is only going to be a dead end. Determining which boundaries you want to play fast and loose with (not bedtime, though!). Setting expectations with your child so they know exactly what’s going to happen if they do X — mom algebra! Quotes:   “You cannot guide a 0 to 6-year-old. They will flail.”   “If you don’t set your expectations and keep your boundaries firm in that age range, you get screwed later on.”   “Your kid’s gonna eat you like a piranha and spit out the bones if you smell like fear.”   “You need a lot less [discipline] than you think if you simply follow through with your action.”   “If you say it more than once it’s an empty threat! And your child knows that.” Links:   Jamie’s homepage - http://www.jamieglowacki.com/   Oh Crap! Potty Training - https://www.amazon.com/Crap-Potty-Training-Everything-Parenting-ebook/dp/B00V3L8YSU   Oh Crap! I Have A Toddler [Pre-order my new book] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices