Toddler Issue

[Angie62]

Hi ,Im looking for advice? My 3 year son likes to hit and smack. It was from when he was little my other 2 kids let him hit them when he was very small  and thought it was fun play. Now I try to tell him stop hitting but he keeps doing it. Any advice? Frusterated at all my kids.

[RKylloe]

I'm going through the same thing with my 3 year old. He has an older brother and they like to wrestle but things can turn ugly really quickly. I also have my nephew who is 3 and in daycare staying with us for the past 6 months and I can totally see a lot of stuff he does that he brings home from the other kids at daycare. His big thing is spitting and it's really p***ing me off, especially right now with this darn swine flu going around. I don't have much advice for you except to try some time outs until he gets the point. It's very hard for me right now with my nephew living here, but I am still trying. Hang in there hon.

[candiyo]

ive worked in a few daycares so i have experienced this and yeah its frustrating. but everytime he hits put him in time out, or do something you know will effect him like take away his favorite toy or treat. if you stick to it and do it every time you catch him hitting, he will eventually get the hang of it and realize "hitting is bad because i have to sit it the corner for 5 min when i do it".

[sheliawheeler]

Well, there is always the old fashioned remedy (Spare the rod and spoil the child).  But I prefer to take things away from my children that they really like and will miss.  With a small child, in your case, it's more difficult because it's harder for him/her to understand.  Be patient with your kids and talk to them as much as possible without them seeing you get frustrated and angry.  They seem to feed off of your anger (and will try to use it to their advantage).  Keep talking and punishing and sooner or later it will "sink-in" to your child that Mommie means business.

[Kymberli0529]

I use positive renforcement(sp?) with my 1 year old daughter.  She doesn't get the word no, she laughs at it.  So, when she hits I take her hand down, forcibly say no, and pet her face and say nice.  It's starting to take effect.

[cah5525]

The P.C. solution...Tell him,"hands are for touching not hitting."
yes, i did everything by the book with my first child now with my youngest, the 4th, Not even reasoning with a child...you give it, you're going to get it right back. I've gone back to the ways that my parents used with me (not all this new psychological rearing of the child BS) and i have to say, my youngest two, behave so much better than my older two ever did.

[coolchickq33]

Super Nanny would put the little guy in a timeout until he realized the behavior will no longer be tolerated.

[bwilliemitch]

make sure you discipline without spanking or that will re-enforce the hitting behavior.  And most importantly, be consistent and fair to all of them.  Kids can sense weakness and favoritism! Hope this helps!

[jmiddleton21]

For the moment, I luckily only have one, but of course, this also means he's the most spoiled. Having a boy is easier in punishment. My son is almost 3 and we went through the biting and pinching stage. I did it back (not real hard) and he stopped. The hitting thing we are working on, but the most effective way I've found is the corner or timeout, and usually timeout more so. He's a little hyper thing and hates to sit still, so when he goes to time out, if he doesn't sit there, I hold him in my lap, turn off him favorite cartoon and make him sit for 5 min. He absolutely hates it, but it gets the point across very quickly.