How to Stop a Toddler from Hitting

Are you desperate to find out how to stop a toddler from hitting? As parents, many of us have been where you are now.  That’s the good news.  The not-so-good news is that there isn’t a single solution that’ll work for every child.  But you already know that by now, especially if you’ve got two or more kids.

That said, there are a few ways that work better than others.  But which one you choose depends on why your toddler is hitting in the first place, which itself may take a bit of detective work to find out if it hasn’t happened before in the same sort of context.

Just remember: while you’re doing that detective work, make sure you give more attention to the child who was hit than the one doing the hitting.  Why?  Because seeking your attention (even negative attention) is a very common reason for toddler hitting in the first place.  It needs to be addressed by meeting the child’s core needs in a more positive way.

If the reason is apparent, like one toddler grabbing a toy from another, then you’ve got a golden opportunity to teach verbal diplomacy (funny word for a toddler, but even the clumsy talking of a 2-year-old is better than hitting, right?).

And if that doesn’t work well enough, you’ll need to become more vigilant in fending off fights before they even start.  Just like us, toddlers will often have patterns that lead to outbursts.  You’ve just got to notice them in time and take action to separate the kids before chaos ensues.

Failing that, it’s important that you avoid outward frustration since that’s another form of attention.  Whatever your reaction, if you’ve got an emotional charge to it, that’s exciting in its own way to your toddler.  So do your best to stay level-headed even if you need to vent for an hour to your parent friends on the phone later (when your toddler is sleeping of course!).

Breathe deeply afterwards.  Every one of these episodes you come through brings you closer to their next stage of life and your next stage of parenting.  Sure, you’ll have other problems then, but at least you’ll know that all the hitting was just a phase.  It sure is a relief to know your child really doesn’t have a violent temper or hitting streak.

So take these basic tips and run with them, and your newfound knowledge of how to stop a toddler from hitting may turn the “terrible twos” into something at least slightly less tumultuous.

If you are looking for more great tips on how to stop any toddler behavior problems for good and turn your toddler into a little angel make sure to check out the “Talking to Toddlers” audio program.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Filed under child development, parenting advice, parenting information, parenting problems, parenting toddlers | Tags: babies hitting, Chaos, Detective Work, Diplomacy, discipline for toddlers who hit, disciplining toddlers who hit, Emotional Charge, frustration, Golden Opportunity, Hasn, hitting, how to discipline a toddler who hits, how to stop a baby from hitting, how to stop babies from hitting, how to stop baby from hitting, how to stop toddler hitting, how to teach a toddler not to hit, how to teach toddlers not to hit, Lead, my toddler hits other kids, Negative Attention, Parent Friends, parents, Reason, Single Solution, stop toddler from hitting, stop toddler hitting, teaching toddler not to hit, teaching toddlers not to hit, toddler, toddler hit, toddler hits, toddler hits baby, toddler hitting, toddler hitting behavior, toddler hitting discipline, Toddler Toy, toddler who hits, toddlers, toddlers hitting, toddlers that hit, toddlers who hit, what to do when toddlers hit, what to do when your toddler hits, what to do when your toddler hits you, why babies hit, why toddlers hit | Comment (1)