Your baby is slowly entering the period of proving himself, which we call his ego zone. In this period, which we expect to peak at the age of two, you have to get used to lots of “no” answers. Although he can’t say no yet at the moment, you can expect him to show you with his actions that he objects to you. One of the nice things you can do to get through this period in a healthier way is to offer your baby binary options so that he or she chooses and does not object. For a longer period of time, keeping the number of options at just two is sufficient or even necessary. Indeed, too much can complicate the situation even more. In addition, if you talk with positive directions instead of using negative words as much as possible, you can prevent stubbornness. Sometimes, verbally warning your baby is not enough or even meaningful, especially in a dangerous situation or when there is something you do not want your baby to do. If there is a dangerous situation, our recommendation is to set limits instead of approaching with negative sentences or warning words in such situations, and then listen to your child’s feelings for the feelings that will occur, reflect and direct your baby’s attention to another place after he calms down. If possible, having a material or two that you think might be of interest to you, especially when you go somewhere, can be very useful in such situations!
Do not be intimidated by concepts such as ego formation and the teachers within us. In the upcoming periods, your baby’s resistance to listening to you may be high, as well as his capacity to understand the instructions will increase as his communication skills are progressing. Therefore, making the days you spend with your baby more enjoyable actually depends on your ability to manage these balances in the best way possible.