2 Year Old Hits Thinks Its Funny

Figuring out how to finish a toddler from hitting is no easy task! And if you are a first time mom, it'south even more shocking. Correct up in that location with with potty training kids who won't poop on the toilet and getting your toddler to stop whining.

How you help your kid stop hitting volition await different based on their age, but in this post I'm sharing our feel with our three kids around historic period 2.

Each of my kids went through an experimental toddler hitting and biting phase around 20 months. Instead of falling off my chair in stupor that my perfect baby could do something then mean, I said, "It has begun" and got to work.

This is very normal, and I'm going to share how to stop information technology when you commit to addressing it every time. Information technology should be a short lived problem, and over within a couple of months!

Hopefully you'll find some tips to practise right away to end y'all toddler from striking, biting, and pushing that has worked for us with all 3 kids.

This mail contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Your toddler understands yous perfectly and is capable of learning self command

There is a lot of information out at that place about how much your child understands under age 2. As a first time parent I was often confused almost how much my son could understand considering he was a late talker.

I parent with the belief that kids tin can understand WAY more than we think before they can talk, and they can definitely understand tone and body language.

When my first was newly walking, I asked him to put a dirty shirt in the laundry basket. He couldn't talk yet and I was curious to see if he could understand those directions.

He ran to the back of the hallway and did it! I realized I had been operating as though he couldn't empathise me…and letting a lot of behaviors slide.

My point here is that by the fourth dimension your kid starts hitting, they tin can sympathize most of what you lot say and y'all can use tone and facial expression to brand your words more articulate.

Why do toddlers hit?

These poor little guys, trying to communicate and effigy out what they're allowed to have control of.

I've seen my toddlers hit in frustration, because they desire something, defending a toy from someone, to go nutrient, to nurse, or when they didn't go their way.

Unfortunately, sometimes your toddler may besides exist also tired, hungry, or overstimulated to testify whatsoever kind of cocky control. You are not a bad mom if so! Hope.

I've had plenty of moments where we just had distract or simply get some nutrient in a hungry toddler'south belly. Otherwise the earth is crumbling and cannot exist fixed. Outset with the piece of cake checklist of:

are they tired?
hungry?
overstimulated?

And how ironic that for me as a mom, those exact same things are MY own triggers! If I'm super tired or hungry ( "hangry" as my family calls it)….I'grand also pretty prone to losing self control and non responding well.

If you're not getting anywhere with telling your toddler to stop hit you, it may be that you lot need to address those other factors first.

How long does the toddler hitting stage last?

The hitting phase doesn't last too long…only it won't just get away on it'south own. You'll have to work on information technology every time you lot see information technology or information technology might stay and get worse.

My kids have all started hitting somewhere between 18 months – 2 years. So if y'all accept older kids, this verbal method may not be the best for your situation.

The bad news is y'all won't exist off the hook by tomorrow. Or the side by side twenty-four hour period.

The good news is, the hitting only lasted for near a month with each of our 3 kids. The earlier you catch it, the better!

And the more at-home and consistent you are, the faster your toddler should sympathise what's expected and develop self control.

You may also enjoy reading: Our routine with an 18 month old

Worried most your toddler hitting your new baby?

Another thing to note is that these changes can come right around the time parents take a new baby.

For us, our start spat with the toddler striking stage was just later having our kids 18 months apart, and over again with the next child while we were experiencing 3 kids under historic period 4.

No dubiousness there'south some kind of developmental timer. Only I call up it's also hard for toddlers who want more than attention AND independence just aren't really getting as much every bit they'd like due to the new baby.

To assist your toddler have good feelings toward the baby and avoid jealousy, let them snuggle the baby with y'all. Betoken out how much the infant loved it when they…(danced, were gentle, made the baby smiling, etc).

I also tried to make an endeavour to spend a tiny bit of one on i time with my toddler each day. Elementary things like reading with them on my lap or doing Play Doh at the table. The less I continued, the more than I snapped.

How to become your toddler to finish hitting (iii basic steps)

Ok, hither's how nosotros addressed information technology. Experience complimentary to do what y'all call up is all-time considering you know your kid meliorate than anyone!

Step 1. Remove your toddler and tell them hitting is not safe.

If you're a mom, you know that an 18 month or 2 year old has a tiny attending span. Which means yous accept to deal with hitting/biting/shoving that instant.

You tin't wait one minute. Or until you get home. Considering they have already forgotten what you lot are talking about.

Remove them from the situation to talk to them, or concord them if needed.

When our kids have tried hitting or biting (unremarkably sometime betwixt 18 months – ii years) nosotros hold their arm and tell them, "No, you lot can't hit. That's not safe. Show me gentle."

I use this phrase a LOT for nearly 1 month. Or until they see the new purlieus and begin to learn (sometimes for the 1st time) what cocky command is.

Stay at-home when your toddler hits you lot

Wait for their reaction. It might exist tears, a full on tantrum, or they might endeavour to squirm free to do it again.

They might be embarrassed or mad. Or they may merely stare at you to meet what yous're going to do.

Effort to stay at-home (difficult, I know!) and just tell them what you expect in a evidently tone. Don't shame them, or give them a huge lecture.

Just don't let them go along doing information technology.

You lot too need to honestly assess your tone and reaction when your toddler tries to hitting, bite, or dial.

Because if nosotros are honest, toddlers can make our blood eddy at times, and we are not always calm and in command of our own emotions as moms.

There's a volume for you called "Triggers" that volition seriously help y'all identify what sends you over the edge and how to gain control of what triggers your anger!

If yous are out of command, "ragey", or scare them with your threatening phonation…how tin can you expect them to unlike?

Step ii. Show them what to do instead of hit.

Thanks to my smart husband's communication, any time we tell our toddlers not to do something, we endeavour to tell them what they Tin do then at that place is no confusion. Kids actually practise desire to please united states of america, so showing them how they can is really helpful I think.

My goal here is to model a gentle behavior for them, something they tin re-create or at least get-go to register is an ok reaction.

Sometimes this looks like:

Modeling your hand softly rubbing their arm. Since toddlers naturally copy what they encounter (eventually), y'all are teaching them what to practice instead.
Waiting for a plough with the toy they desire. If your toddler pushes or hits to go what he wants, it'south your job to evidence them that's non acceptable. Brand them look till someone puts the toy down. If they continue to try and striking or take, don't let them have the toy.
Teaching them to say please when they want something instead of striking to get it. If your toddler tin can't talk yet, you can easily teach them delight in sign language! It's simply rubbing a apartment paw on their chest. This worked wonders for 2 of my less verbal kids.

What if your toddler hits another child?

I don't have my kids practise "showing me gentle" to another kid if they hit, considering frequently times they only need infinite or to be picked up.

And honestly, I'k afraid they'll just go in for a second slam if I did if the emotions are still high.

I DO tell them the same thing as to a higher place, that nosotros don't hit and that hit hurts. That they can ask for a turn and look (if that seemed like the reason).

And remember, no parent is going to fault yous that your toddler hitting their kid IF you make an effort to deal with it.

What does bother other moms is if you don't do a thing and permit your toddler push or hitting to get what they want.

Stride 3. Praise them similar crazy when they are gentle.

Never underestimate the power of clapping and cheering for a toddler desperate for attending when they show cocky command subsequently trying to push or hit!

Your job in the moment is to go on your kid safe, others safe, and to be house with what you await of them.

So when my toddler calms down and copies me by gently rubbing my arm, I cheer for him and say, "That'southward so overnice! So gentle!"

Or if he just calms downward and stops swinging his fists, I praise that too. "That'south improve, thank you."

Yous're helping them to want to be gentle and kind simply to get all that expert attention.

Stay close by your toddler until they are no longer striking

If there's ever a time to exist a helicopter parent, it'southward when your toddler tries to hit or seize with teeth! It's the fastest way to shut information technology down.

If your toddler just hit for the first fourth dimension, or not, you accept work to do! Expect they'll try it again.

The fastest way to put an end to it is to grab it and correct it every single time. If that's even possible.

As a stay at home mom, information technology's a piddling bit easier because I'm with them all day. Simply I don't see everything.

If you are non with them all mean solar day, you tin nevertheless be consequent with your expectations when you are around.

Why we nap our kids through the toddler years and beyond:

Naps through the preschool years have helped my kids have more than command over their emotions, which helps in the striking phase too.

My friends always ask what magic fairy dust I use to get them to nap at x, y, and z ages. I don't have any. I think naps have just been a pretty non negotiable part of our routine, with many nap strikes in between.

Here'due south how nosotros napped 3 kids at the aforementioned time when they were all actually little.

I can usually tell when they are still needing naps because without 1 they become whiney and unable to control themselves by nigh two or 3pm. With a nap, everyone does better!

Currently the 4 and half-dozen twelvemonth sometime still nap together in the same room. Nosotros practise skip naps upward to well-nigh half the week with their ages, and sub serenity time for the rest.

But if y'all detect your 2 or three year onetime hit or bitter you and unable to accept any self control…it really could be they are just tired.

How to teach your toddler to be more gentle

We accept tried to teach the word "gentle" as soon as possible by showing them what gentle is with a hand on the arm or cheek while maxim gentle.

Starting this, even effectually 1 years old, helps them to know what yous do want from them when the hitting phase starts.

how to stop a toddler from hitting parents and other kids

An example of how I handled my toddler hitting me

My third toddler first hit me (with a huge frown face) when he wanted to nurse after I said, "not now". He didn't go what he wanted and lashed out with emotion.

In this situation I couldn't nurse, even if he did end up existence polite.

That made it even harder considering I couldn't give him what he wanted, even if he was polite.

I held his hand while proverb in a house and serious voice, "Nosotros don't hit. That hurts mama. Show me gentle." And rubbed my breast lightly so he could see what I wanted.

He squirmed and tried to get free to do information technology again, at present fifty-fifty more frustrated. I held him until he could calm downwardly and evidence some self control. I kind of had to keep his artillery in a hug so he wouldn't striking.

At the showtime sign of him calming downward, I said, "That's better!" And I took his hand to lightly stroke my confront saying something similar, "that'southward polite". Or, "skillful male child"…I can't recollect what I said.

He did settle eventually.

No, I wasn't able to nurse him merely because he calmed downwards…he was nevertheless mad. Merely he wasn't hitting me and that was a win.

Reasons toddlers hit

Once your precious affections lashes out and hits your chest or walks upwardly to some other toddler and whacks them, don't panic. Or worry about other moms judging yous.

Because 99.9% of them accept probably had a kid who went through a hitting phase and felt clueless nearly what to practise at get-go.

Hide the smoke that's coming out of your nostrils. And think about why they might try hit in that moment. Hither'due south a few reasons:

They are curious.

What will happen if I…(bite my sibling'due south arm to get the toy or smack mom in the face).

They are upset.

These poor petty things have to be taught how to handle emotions. What'southward appropriate and what's not isn't obvious to them at first.

No self control.

Self control is not natural!

But it's never too early to start pedagogy toddlers self control, even at eighteen months! This is how a baby can exist taught not to touch a light socket, or refrain from hitting y'all.

Need more than attention.

Sometimes toddlers hit because they want you to pay attention to them! Hitting works to get your attending, right?

My experience is that it always goes well for me when I pay more attention to my kids than less…non saying I do information technology well or enough even every bit a stay at home mom.

Endeavour praising them for dumb fiddling things that are expert, rather than saying mostly "no, stop that, don't striking, put that downwards…" Yous become the idea. I've done it both ways and positive attending wins every time!

Over tired.

At some point with each toddler I've seen them hit considering in all reality they NEED their nap.

If this is probable the reason, you only gotta get through it, effort not to arraign them, and it sucks.

They want what someone else has.

Toddlers have to exist taught they can't hitting to get what they want. Perchance it'southward a toy at the park.

If this happens, it'due south really important that they don't get what they were after unless they practice what you lot ask. Like wait till the other toddler is washed playing with information technology. Or say please, etc.

Should you discipline when a toddler hits?

I personally prefer using natural consequences with a toddler in the hitting stage.

If my toddler whacks my chest or hits me when he wants to nurse, I don't let him nurse.
When he hits his sibling to get a toy, he cannot have a turn until he asks kindly (fifty-fifty if that'southward saying please in sign language).
If he pushes a kid out of the manner to get upward the slide starting time, I accept him off the slide and make him get in line or not slide.

But it can't continue because it's not safe. Our chore is to teach them boundaries and self command. Easier said than done, right?!

Only information technology makes them happier and you too. Here'southward a slap-up post on preventing aggressive toddler beliefs.

What non to do, speaking from experience

What hasn't worked at ii years old (give or have half a year) is time out or speaking harshly. It ends up being a harder problem to get them to stay put or stop howling from a pack n play.

And so they are just mad near being stuck, and you can't accost the hitting that happened 3 minutes ago because it'southward been long forgotten.

Try to bargain with toddler striking privately

Another affair that oftentimes doesn't work well for me is to attempt and work through it while other people are watching. The spotlight is NOT expert for mom or toddler.

This has been a challenge for me every bit a mom when grandparents visit and are watching.

Information technology opens upward the door for a toddler to go embarrassed and feel like they accept to perform or exam you in front of people (peradventure in-laws, siblings, friends, or strangers out in public). Plus, it besides puts you lot on the spot to in an already volatile situation.

When possible, I e'er to try to take my child to another repose room (or out of the park for a moment) so at that place is no force per unit area on me or them to have it figured out or "be correct" in front end of others.

Stay consequent

Y'all got this mama! Don't give up, even if it means trying out something new or seems to be taking longer than you lot think.

Stay calm, set your boundaries every time, and reassure them that you love them! In that location are a lot of emotions in that piffling torso.

Toddler parenting book recommendations

If you desire a book to help you understand and improve discipline your toddler, I purchased and loved "No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame"

While I don't follow all her advice, I plant it helpful and like that it utilizes a lot of natural consequences for pedagogy toddlers.

Some other book to effort is called Busy Toddler'southward Guide To Bodily Parenting . I haven't read this ane, but keep my center on Susie's parenting advice on Instagram and love her preschool plan.

She is a GEM that'due south full of great tips for parents of toddlers and tin help you lot through those tough years!

If you're considering homeschooling be sure to check out how we homeschool preschool and come cheque out my YouTube channel!

finneyserthe.blogspot.com

Source: https://blueandhazel.com/how-to-stop-toddler-from-hitting

Finney Serthe