How To Stop Toddler From Hitting

Is your toddler hitting you or other children? As frustrating and embarrassing as this it you should relax because it is part of toddler development. Of course, it is part of toddler development you would like to avoid. Fortunately, you can show your child how to behave and react to situations without hitting. It will take time and effort, but if you are consistent and loving your child will get the message.

Anticipate

Anticipate when your child will hit and grab his hand before he makes contact. This will quickly get your child’s attention that he is doing something he shouldn’t be. Also, it will prevent him from smacking you or someone else. Most of the time toddlers hit because they are overtired or hungry. If you know this about your toddler then ensure he gets enough to eat and always gets to bed and naps on time. When you have a full toddler and a well rested toddler he is less likely to hit out of frustration or to communicate his needs.

Time Out

When your toddler hits because he is angry or at any other time you should give him a timeout immediately and every single time. Do not let him hit you once and give him a warning. Instead, immediately take him to time out and tell him he has one minute in timeout for hitting. Timeouts should be one minute per year. If your toddler won’t stay in time out then sit with him. Do not talk to him or allow him to watch TV or play with toys during timeout. It should be a time when he sits and thinks about what he has done. Or at least realizes he has been taken out of the action for hitting.

Lose Privilege

When toddlers hit they should lose a privilege. For example, if your toddler hits another child because he wants to play with the toy truck then you should take the toy truck away from him and not let him play with it. Let him know that when he disobeys he loses the privilege to play with the toy he wants. This will take a while to sink in, but eventually he will get it.

No parents wants a toddler that hits, however most toddlers go through a hitting stage when they know what they want yet don’t have the words to communicate what they want to you. If you are going through this with your toddler try to remain calm and don’t hit your toddler when they hit you. Go through the recommendations outlined here and in time your little one will be able to convey his needs to you verbally and the hitting days will be behind you!

Posted in Toddler Time