Toddler Discipline: When One Parent Uses Scare Tactics
What to say when your spouse's scare tactic is working in the moment but leaving your toddler afraid, and how to talk to your spouse about it.
This Week’s Scenario
Your toddler won’t stay in bed or won’t stop touching something they’ve been told to leave alone, and your spouse tells them, “The boogie monster is going to come get you if you don’t listen.” Your toddler freezes, eyes wide, terrified, and stops immediately. Now you’re watching your child shake, trying to comfort them when they’re too scared to even remember what they were doing wrong in the first place. The behavior that started all of it never actually gets addressed. All that’s left in the room is fear.
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