How to Keep Your Toddler from Hitting

As in other issues related to the behavior of your child, the best way to keep your toddler from hitting begins with having the right attitude.

Your good attitude as a parent will help you realize that toddlers who hit aren't really meaning to hurt anyone. In fact, the hitting behavior of a toddler is more a sign of excess energy as well as feelings of frustration.

If toddlers can't express feelings the way they'd like to, they end up just hitting the person they believe is the source of their frustration.

Still, even though toddlers who hit don't really mean to hurt, you should keep your toddler from hitting before it turns into a habit.

Precautionary Statement

As you try to keep your toddler from hitting, the last thing you want to do is hit the child as in punishment. Hitting (spanking) or yelling at your child only reinforces the idea that violence serves a purpose.

How, then, do you keep your toddler from hitting?

React in a Personal Way

If your toddler doesn't seem to understand that hitting can cause harm, what better way to keep your toddler from hitting than by reacting to the hitting in a personal way.

This means, for example, that if your toddler hits you, you should make a sad face. You can show it hurts by acting unhappy. This will instill in your toddler's mind that hitting is really more than an expression of excess energy.

Hitting causes harm.

Set a Loving Example

Another way to keep your toddler from hitting is by setting a loving example of how people who love each other should act.

You can say, "If I love you and don't hit you, why do you hit me?" Again, this puts the idea in the child's mind that hitting is not appropriate.

Encourage the Expression of Feelings

A final way to keep your toddler from hitting is by encouraging them to put their feelings into words. This can work to keep your toddler from hitting because they're given a more productive outlet for the frustrations they feel.

Tell your child that you understand the energy and frustration that leads to hitting. But, if you can use words to express feelings, so should they. Quite simply, you can keep your toddler from hitting by reinforcing appropriate behavior through discussion.

In sum, your attitude as a parent will help you realize that toddlers who hit don't mean to hurt anyone. Still, it's important to keep your toddler from hitting before it becomes a habit.