Stop your Toddler from Hitting

It’s very common for toddlers to hit, but it’s rarely malicious. Today we at Kinder Buddies Oakville Daycare discuss some reasons why toddlers hit and how to prevent your toddler from him.

Why do Toddlers Hit?

Testing the Limits

Toddlers are constantly experimenting with the world around them. From dropping things on the ground constantly or saying no, toddlers are trying to learn things hands-on while gaining a little bit of independence. Sometimes toddlers just want to know what happens when they hit.

Big Feelings

Toddlers are learning feelings and have a lot of difficulties understanding how to express them properly. Even the burst of energy from excitement needs to go somewhere. It’s important for toddlers to learn how to identify their feelings and more so, how to act on those feelings appropriately.

Preventing Hitting

An important first step is to understand that hitting is never acceptable and should never be tolerated. While it may take time to curb the behavior, consistency in your approach is the key. That means discussing the hitting response with all of your child’s caregivers like daycare or grandparents.

It’s also important to stay calm and cool in your approach. Children find it easier to calm down when an adult they care for seems to be in control of the situation. Remember that your children are always trying to emulate you. When your child hits someone, you get upset, and the way you react to being upset should reflect the behaviour you expect from your child.

Help them Identify Emotions

If your toddler is consistent with what triggers hitting, helping them identify that emotion as it comes can help. There are tools like dolls with easy emotions or books that can help kids identify emotions.

Discussing emotions before they come up is important as kids can understand better when they are already calm.

Remove them from the Situation

Physically stop your child from hitting and if possible bring them away from the situation. Help them by talking through emotions:

• Identify the emotion: I know you’re mad,
• Identify the situation: because you want to keep playing with the blocks.
• Bring up the bad behaviour: We do not hit.
• Why: Because it hurts and makes others sad.

While doing this once may not completely stop the behaviour, being consistent will work towards the final goal.

Roleplay Situations

If your child often hits in specific situations like sharing, it would be good at home to roleplay the same situation with the correct reactions. Have them reach out to an adult if they aren’t able to redirect themselves.

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Kinder Buddies Oakville Child Care is a Quality First Daycare and Infant Care facility in Oakville, Ontario. We take care of children from the age of 6 weeks to 5 1/2 providing nutritious meals and fun activities all day long.