Do you know there is nothing wrong with your toddler if he has the habit of hitting people? It is normal to expect if your toddler is from around 8 months to 18 months old.
As a first-time parent, I used to panic a lot about this behavior and have always been looking around for the best way to help my toddler completely stop this bad habit.
At about 9 months, I noticed my son hitting his friends when playing with them.
As I said, I was apprehensive about that, so I had to start looking for help, and I can confidently say that the methods I came across helped me a lot.
This article has been put together to help share the knowledge I got to help your toddler to stop hitting people.
First, let us try to understand why most toddlers have the habit of hitting people.
Causes of toddlers hitting.
There are no bad intentions behind toddlers hitting people; most of these hittings happen because they haven't yet learned how to control their emotions yet; that is to say, they act out of instinct.
Since they do not have complete control of their emotions yet at these ages, it will be unfair for parents to scold them.
Below is a list of more reasons why a toddler will hit people.
Imitating someone;
Kids learn by seeing, and since they are also very curious, they may want to try that out to see what it feels.
There could be many sources from which your child could learn this, such as television or watching a sibling hit someone.
He's defending himself;
I believe you've noticed your child mostly hits people when he is playing with his friends. Chances are that he might only be defending himself when he was hit too. Or perhaps a kid has invaded his space and has taken his toy from him after numerous calls by your child asking for his property back.
Stress;
If your child is having a bad day, hitting could be one way he might use to express himself.
This is also common in toddlers with no history of hitting people. Anxiety and frustration may force adults to do unthinkable things, and toddlers are no exception.
Lack of self-control;
Another reason toddlers hit people is that they lack the self-control to stop, which is understandable at that age.
This is to say that due to their tender age, they may lack the ability to have complete control over their bodies; that is why we see them kicking or punching the air when they are left to be on their own.
Trying new things out;
When toddlers grow and develop the ability to move their limbs, they are usually fascinated by these new skills and want to try them out. Trying this newly acquired skill out may eventually end up hitting anything within their reach.
Tips to stop toddlers from hitting people
1. Firmly say "No";
Anytime your toddler hits someone, make it clear to them that what they do is forbidden.
With a firm voice, say "No," "we don't hit," and with time, they will catch up and understand that hitting is wrong.
2. Point out the reason;
Why is it that your child enjoys hitting? You can help identify a solution if you understand some of the reasons why.
If your child, for example, refuses to drink the water provided to him, ask calmly, "Do you want milk instead?" Say milk"; by doing so, you are teaching the child the proper method to change what is provided to him and assisting him in learning the names of things.
3. Distract them;
This can also be one of the best ways to get your toddler to stop hitting people. One way of doing this is by changing their environment. Also, reading to them or putting on the television your child can help distract them.
4. Monitor what he watches;
According to research, toddlers who see violent movies or images on a smartphone or television are likelier to become violent themselves; this is why parents must monitor what their toddler views and ensure that the cartoons he watches do not contain violent scenes.
5. Explain how being hit feels;
You'd want to let your toddler understand that his actions will cause pain to his friend.
Indicate to him that you know he is not happy with his friend's action but hitting him for that isn't the right way to go about it.
Conclusion
Your toddler might not have any bad intentions in hitting someone, and this is because they are still young and do not know what is good or wrong.
For this reason, it is essential for you, the parent, to exercise restraint when dealing with the matter.
I hope this helps you out. Thanks for reading.
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