Don't know what to do.

[VioLetsMum1]

My 10 months old daughter and i are very close. But lately shes started scratching my face everytime she gets close enough. I tell her off and she just laughs and does it again. My boyfriend has a go at me though when i tell her off. Saying shes only a baby and doesn't know what shes doing so i shouldn't 'be horrible' as he puts its. But its hurts and makes me bleed. Especially when she does it on my eyes. So should i just let her do it or keep trying to make her stop?

Definitely do not let her continue to do it...she should not be hurting you or anyone else (should it continue ). Your DP is wrong to think it is ok. I would tell your DD No..firmly but not shout. Use 'ouch' or something to that effect & keep your face firm. If your DD doesn't stop...I would move her away from you...not too far obviously. I would repeat...'no...ouch' whenever she does this to you. She will learn very quickly that it is not acceptable.
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poor you! two things, one is to model the behaviour you want like saying something along the lines of "gently, gently" and using your hand to make her hand gently pat or smooth your face and then doing it to her saying the same thing - they don't understand that they're hurting you at this stage as such but repetition of "ouch, no" and "gently" demonstrating soft touching can help them learn! the other thing is, do you trim her nails regularly? sounds silly, but my 27m old DS's nails grow like billy-o and always have done, if I don't trim them right down once/twice a week he wakes up having scratched his nose or cheek badly in the night just from flailing around in his sleep with longer nails.. best of luck

We had this, and DS (10-and-a-half-months) has only just stopped doing it.

Two things helped:

1. Getting DH to stop laughing as though it's cute, and me to stop reacting at all (I think he just wanted an reaction, whatever it was). So when he did it, I put him down and walked away. (I picked him up again when he fussed, and never let him cry.)

1. Showing him "gentle" - saying "gentle" and taking his hand and stroking it across our faces. He does that now - not really that gently, but I think he can't help it, but it doesn't hurt and he no longer scratches or grabs.

I think it's true that at that age they're not really aware that they're hurting, so it's not really their fault; but they also shouldn't think it's OK to do it - although be patient and consistent.

HTH

"a", not "an reaction".

great thanks for all the advice. I'll give it a go. Shes just started doing it to him too so he can understand where am coming from now and that am not being horrible when i say no to her. x