17/12/2022
Does your toddler start swinging their fists at the first sign of frustration? Here's how to handle a little slugger.
👶🏻When your child lashes out physically, address the behavior right away. Get down on their level, look them in the eye, and say in a calm, firm voice, "It's OK to be mad/frustrated/upset; it's not OK to hit." That's all you need: Validate the emotion (it's OK to feel their feelings) and hold the boundary (but it's not OK to express their feelings through aggressive behavior).
👶🏻 Try to figure out what has upset your toddler enough to make them hit. Give them the words to articulate what they're feeling. If they slap a sippy cup of water off the table because they secretly want milk, help them convey that. You might say, "You want milk! Say, 'milk.'"
👶🏻 Sidestep them with a little pre-planning: Make sure your toddler takes regular naps, keep snacks at the ready, and prepare them for transitions. Get creative when you plan ahead, too: If they lash out because they always want their playmate's favorite toy, for example, ask if they can put the toy in question away before the next playdate.
👶🏻 Some kids believe that any attention beats no attention at all. If you freak out when your child does something wrong, they may be intrigued ("Wow, Mommy/Daddy went crazy!") and feel motivated to act up to get a reaction.
👶🏻 If you're tempted to meet your toddler's aggressive behavior with spanking, consider how confusing it is to be told that hitting isn't OK and then get hit as punishment.
How do you handle situations where your toddler is hitting ? Do comment below 🙂
