Overcoming Toddler Hitting
Toddlers can be a handful, and one of the most common challenges parents face is when their toddler starts hitting. Hitting is a typical behaviour for toddlers as they are still learning to communicate their feelings and emotions. However, it can be a frustrating experience for parents. In this blog post, I will share some tips on how to overcome toddler hitting from a conscious parenting perspective.
👉🏻 Respond calmly: When a toddler hits, it is important to stay calm and composed. Responding angrily or harshly can escalate the situation and make it worse. Take a deep breath and approach the situation with a clear and rational mind.
👉🏻 Acknowledge their feelings: Toddlers hit when they are feeling frustrated, angry, or overwhelmed. Instead of scolding them for their behaviour, acknowledge their feelings and let them know that you understand how they feel. This can help them feel heard and validated, which can reduce the likelihood of them hitting in the future.
👉🏻 Model positive behaviour: Children learn from their parents’ behaviour. If a parent responds to a frustrating situation by hitting or yelling, a toddler may imitate that behaviour. We need to model positive behaviour by responding calmly and respectfully, even when they are upset.
👉🏻 Teach alternative ways to communicate: Toddlers hit because they don’t know how else to communicate their feelings. Parents can help by teaching their toddler alternative ways to express themselves, such as using words or gestures. As parents who are trying to avoid authoritarian approaches, we need to be patient and consistent in teaching these skills.
👉🏻 Use positive reinforcement: When a youngster uses positive communication instead of hitting, it’s well worth praising and reinforcing that behaviour. This can help the toddler understand that positive communication is the preferred way to express themselves.
So, overcoming toddler hitting requires patience, calmness, and a gentle approach. By acknowledging their feelings, modelling positive behaviour, teaching alternative ways to communicate and using positive reinforcement, parents can help their toddlers overcome hitting behaviour and learn more effective ways to express themselves. Just remember, that this is very normal for little ones and they will grow out of it if they are taught well and modelled the right way too.
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