Toddler Hitting Solutions

Toddler hitting is a problem faced by many parents of toddlers but it’s not alarming at all. Yet parents have to have the good reaction in order to teach their toddler that it’s wrong and make sure hitting doesn’t become a habit.

In this article about toddler hitting, I’m going to first explain the reasons why your toddler hits and I’ll then give what I believe are the best ways to handle your toddler hitting behavior and why some common reactions parents tend to have in this situation are not recommended and have the opposite effect on toddlers.

Toddler Hitting – The Reasons

It’s important that parents who are hit by their toddler or who witness their toddler hitting an other child understand that their toddler hits as a mean of expression. Keep in a mind that a toddler hitting someone doesn’t want to harm that person!

The problem of a toddler hitting comes from the fact that the toddler doesn’t know how to express his emotions (here frustration or anger) and therefore hits the person who upsets him.

But even if the behavior problem of a toddler hitting is minor and can be handled easily, it’s very important for parents to measure the fact that if this behavior isn’t stopped, it can become difficult to manage.

Toddlers have a hard time managing their own emotions, especially when they’re upset or under stress, so there’s no need to worry or overreact if you catch your toddler hitting once. But you need to react in an appropriate way and the solutions below should help you do that and put an end to your toddler hitting problem.

Toddler Hitting – The Solutions

There are solutions to the toddler hitting behavior problem that are easy to apply and effective. But first let me tell you what NOT to do:

• Don’t spank your toddler. This is the worst you can do. It tells your toddler “It’s ok to hit”. This is the opposite of what you’re trying to teach! Spanking also shows to your child that you can’t manage your own emotions either. Toddlers learn a lot from their parent’s behavior.

• Don’t yell at your toddler. Yelling isn’t effective as what your toddler needs in order to stop hitting is your help in expressing his emotions with words instead.

Here are simple solutions to stop your toddler hitting problem:

• Be vulnerable. When your toddler hits you, show it hurts! Don’t hesitate to exagerrate, make a sad face, say it does hurt when your toddler hits you and it makes you unhappy. Your toddler has to understand the consequence his behavior has on others.

• Explain why it’s not ok to hit. Tell your child that it’s wrong to hit others because it doesn’t say “I love you”. Tell him that you love him and don’t hit him, that it’s very important not to hurt others.

• Be compassionate. Tell your toddler you understand that it’s hard to manage his emotions and that you too sometimes feel angry or upset but that you express these feelings with words and that he has to do the same. If your toddler doesn’t speak well yet, you can teach him baby sign language.

• Don’t hesitate to punish your child if he keeps hitting. Tell him that being punished (time-out) is the consequence of his hitting behavior. But make clear that you love him and that it’s his hitting behavior that is bad, not him.

By implementing these simple techniques consistently, parents should be able to stop their toddler hitting behavior in no time.

What if your toddler hitting problem is very hard to handle?

If a toddler hitting behavior has become a habit, it can be difficult for the parents to stop it not to mention the fact that the toddler might develop other bad behaviors such as terrible tantrums, stubborness, ect.

For parents in this case, it’s important to apply soon enough a different, coherent and consistent parenting method. Some online parenting programs for toddlers exist that help parents and guide them step by step as they apply effective parenting techniques, get back in control and learn to discipline and parent their toddler the right way.

Take the first step towards better parenting and sign up below to receive 2 FREE parenting ebooks (Smart Parenting & Keeping Kids Busy) along with parenting advices and other free resources by Laura Kaine!

Related posts:

By Laura Kaine in Blog, Toddlers on October 31, 2011