To sit out DS for hitting me

[dribbleface]

My Ds is a lovely energetic little boy (2.5yrs). However when both me and his dad are around he turns into a devil. Hitting, screaming, refusing to eat and general stropping about everything.

Yesterday I took him to see his adored GP's and he was good as gold, dad showed up and in my opinion his behaviour was terrible, he smacked me round the face at one point . At home he sits on the mat for that type of behaviour, so I did this. My parents have since made it very clear they disapprove of him having to sit out at their house (i do not expect them to do it and to be honest they are not likely to need to as he is an angel there and at nursery)and in their opinion his behaviour is not naughty. He is their 1st grandchild and he can do no wrong in their eyes.

So was i wrong to sit him out, should i not do it there? I'm guessing the playing up when both his dad and I are around is excitment/attention etc and where possible i do ignore attention seeking behaviour but I will not be smacked around the face my Ds.

Fed up!

TO is the last resort after distraction/diffusion etc but he is very strong willed. I use " 3 strikes and you're out" ie count to 3 (he usually stops by 2) or if he does it 3 times (eg muck around with his food) then it's taken away- it seems to work more the older he gets (he's only 2.2 but had been testing boundaries for a long time, ie refused to have food fed to him since 10months)

(by strikes I mean the phrase, not 3 hits and you're out iykwim)

Apparently i was a nightmare child (think this is true) and my mum was at wits end with me. Wouldn't mind but i was smacked as a child (appreciate its a different era).

seashells - our Ds's are cut from the same cloth!

I think if you are at someone else's house then you have to respect their wishes up to a point, and if this is making your mum uncomfortable , then you need to find another way of coping with it.Can you be very watchful and the minute it seems like he is going to kick off she takes him off and distracts him?

YANBU My 1st ch was a terrible twoonager! You are setting reasonable rules, being smacked in the face is not acceptable. Your toddler is learning a vital lesson from a Mum who cares and loves him. Keep up the good work. Try explaining this to your parents - you cannot have 1 set of rules for 1 place & 1 set for another, otherwise you will get a confused & frustrated toddler. Well done, Keep going!

YANBU, just for the record my mum was the same when I disaplined DS at my mum and dads, he soon learnt that he could behave how he wanted there without reprimand. One night he stayed there and my mum said he was awful and wouldn't listen. ed, really??! .

Mindyou mum would moan and moan about me using choices and consequences - she said I should just smack him. .

I'll stick to my way thanks.

A smack round the chops is unacceptable, and if it helps I would say to DS the time out is for him to think about better ways of dealing with a situation. Your DS is probably a bit young for that though atm.

Ah thanks millenniumbug - i needed cheering up.