For a baby of 18-20 months, I think our encouragement of drastic measures like ammonia, lemon juice, etc.,
Please note that I did not _encourage_ the use of lemon juice;
I mentioned that its use was cited in the literature.
What I _did_ encourage was the involvement of a trained professional to properly analyze what appears to be an unusual situation that is beyond the capacity of either a daycare worker OR an online psychologist to deal with responsibly and effectively.
is drastic, unrealistic and cruel. I think any daycare facility that used those measures would probably lose its license. I'm cringing at the thought of that ever being done to my baby. Please, Mark, tell us you didn't encourage your student along those lines. Don't we laugh at washing a kid's mouth out with soap as being "old fashioned"?
I think also that the understanding that we're dealing with a baby puts things in a different perspective. (Although I still can't see drastic things like spraying her with something.
Lemon juice would not be sprayed.
Putting a finger with lemon juice on it in the child's mouth might be unpleasant; I would not characterize it as cruel.
Again, the need to _directly_ analyze the whole situation.
Sometimes controlled temporary unpleasantness is less cruel than the consequences of _not_ dealing with a situation.
Again (and again), it would be a last resort if less intrusive means were not available or effective.
She's not a cat eating plants...) I suspect the biting is a temporary learned response, though of course it must be dealt with for the protection of other children.
If she were my baby,
The problem might not exist in the first place.
It is quite likely that the home environment is also a factor (note the reference to the stepbrother).
I'd get her out of daycare for a couple of weeks,
That may not be an option. Why is she in daycare in the first place?
difficult though that might be, and pay attention to her, distract her, give her new things to learn and think about. A baby of that age isn't really even playing WITH other children much. Why does she have so much access to other children at that age? Perhaps the continued interaction with lots of other children is overwhelming to her.
-- * PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Psychology Dept Minnesota State University * * 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 * * http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html *
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