I tend to say alot of things like "dont do that" or better is "can you do this or help mummy with this" reversing the situation into them helping works very well we have gone from that to telling him "mummys busy wait a min" etc and now at 2 yrs old he has a good understanding and will do most things without being asked like putting nappy in bin, dirty clothes by washing machine he's even clearing up his dinner plate ill soon be jobless lol, it takes time they wont always comply but now by doing these things voluntarily he gets more praise and enjoys it also giving him less time to get into mischeif ...sneeky huh...lol

I've also found it easier to remove everything that you don't want your child touching and packing it away for the time being... breakables like picture frames and such. Your furniture looks a bit bare, but you don't end up having to tell them to stop every time they touch it. Makes life so much less stressful.

Also try to recognize when he/she is doing things they are allowed to do... like playing quietly with the toys, then say something like "Thank you for playing so quietly with your toys." Praise them for every little thing they do right and they will start craving that attention and avoid doing things that upset you.

Naya

At this age I feel that in all there waking hours they need very close supervision all the time. This way your parenting can be more positive. If they start throwing the food off the plate, they are finished. The plate is removed. If they are going towards something they can't play with they can be easily distracted with something they can play with. And in your own home I think it is important to make your home child proof. For safety anything they shouldn't be playing with should not be accessable. It will save so much more headaches too. Lock every cupboard accept for the plastics if you don't mind them playing in there. Keep it all out of reach. You still may need to say no but not as often.

try to say "I dont like it when you do that or act in that way, I would like it if you could do..." always give a reason as to why you would like something done. or for a child to act in a particular way.

Good luck

AnitaXXX

Was just about to ask this question also so keen to see your answers..Steff xx