Need help...my daughter will be 2 years old this August. I notice she may have a hitting problem. When she is angry, restless or just wants something, she strikes. However, allthought she no longer hits me, she still continues to abuse her two cousisn (age 3) and grandmother. I have never yest experienced this with strange children such as kids from Gymboree.
Her cousins do not hit back, but at times have pressed the issue by getting very close to my daugher while yelling. Please someone help me before I loose it myself. I feel I get no support from anyone in my family about just uncomfirmed advise. Please help!!
I have a similar problem with my 2 year old. She mostly hits her brother and cousin, but has hit me in anger also. I cannot see the point in hitting (spanking)as that would only reinforce the power of hitting. I have found that lots of patience and self-control on the part of mom helps! I have removed my child from the room or from those she is hitting and tell her that we don't hit, and then I give her some suggestions for things she can do, like use her words, give hugs, ask nicely. This lets her know what she cannot do, but also gives her direction so she may express her frustration in a positive way. It does take some time for this to work, but I have found that it is the most effective! Good luck!
Hitting is actually developmentally appropriate for this age group. My daughter hits and we put her in time out for the offense. We also talk about more socially suitable ways for her to display her anger and put a lot of emphasis on choosing good behavior over inappropriate behavior and the difference between them. She is almost two and a half and before we go and play with other kids I remind her that only good behavior is acceptable and we won't be able to play with other kids if she hits. She also gets reminders when I see her getting angry, and I attempt to validate her feelings. She also gets a lot of positive feedback when she doesn't hit in situations that sometimes bring hitting... Best of luck to you!
