Are You Struggling With Toddler Hitting? - By: Will Matthews

Nobody looks forward to the terrible twos. Nevertheless, it is an important developmental phase for kids. Toddler hitting and a lot of the behavior we cope with during this time period are caused by your son or daughter being unable to express new feelings. It is a lot easier to deal with their behavior once you understand this.

In the first few years it isn't very likely that aggression is the trigger for toddler hitting. Kids receive attention from hitting and rapidly learn to utilize it to get more attention. However it all looks, the aggressive actions are not because they're mean. A toddler does not realize that what they do affects how others feel. When they feel powerless or frustrated they will often lash out at others. The children need to see how you handle your feelings and that you can lead them by example.

Hitting turns into attention for your toddler. The initial reaction needs to be quick and to the point while not giving a great deal of attention towards child or the situation. Simply inform the child that, "we don't hit each other." After a few instances of reaffirming that statement to a toddler, they may go ahead and quit the cycle of toddler hitting. If the conduct doesn't cease, different strategies may need to be used to encourage the child to stop hitting.

When your child is mad or annoyed they could try to hit other people to express themselves. Your reaction to the situation ought to be calm and should not include raising your voice or using physical discipline. It's important that you be an example for your children. If you have noticed that merely telling them that, "we do not hit," isn't sufficient to teach them proper behavior you could start to instruct them on different outlets for his or her feelings. Explain to the child they can use words to let you know how they feel: I'm angry. I'm sleepy. I want my toy back. Not only can this strengthen their capability to express themselves, it'll begin giving you verbal clues about what is triggering the outbursts and enable you to focus on educating them how to handle that specific range of feelings.

Knowing why your child is hitting people is often enough that will help modify their behavior into better ways to communicate their emotions. Regrettably this may not get toddler hitting under control for some parents. When this type of behavior is allowed to continue your child might wind up stuck in a routine that's challenging to alter the longer it carries on. If you find that you can't get your toddler to stop hitting, it might be time for you to seek more in-depth help.

About the Author

Will Matthews is an expert at settling your family concerns. Find more about talking to toddlers on the Zero To Family website and get help and advice on the subject of toddler hitting.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Will-Matthews/168311

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