DS1 is 2y4m. DS2 is 4mo so there's obviously been upheavel and lots of adjusting required of him, poor love. He goes to nursery three days a week, and has always enjoyed it. On the other days we take him to the same groups and parks etc he's always been to. DH is with us most of the time which is great for all of us!
He's reacted to DS2's arrival with some playing up, screaming some nights at bedtime etc. He has tantrums, but then he's two, so I expect it. We've had an issue with him hitting the baby, and has also occasionally bitten him. This is the only thing we do "time out" for, we remove him, explain why it's wrong, then get him to apologise. Not sure what else we could do really. Although it's not nice at all, I don't think this is an abnormal reaction to a sibling arriving.
So, about ten days ago I had to sign an incident form when I pucked him up from nursery as he's headbutted a child. After a scuffle over a toy that he was removed from, he went back over to her, held her face and headbutted her
. He has occasionally used his head at home too, but not with this kind of intent.
When I got him today, there were two forms for me to sign. This morning he stamped on a child's hand. At lunch time he was eating then suddenly launched himself across the table and bit a child
.
They can't do time out, so they just remove him, explain why it's wrong and then distract him with another activity. They haven't said what if anything will happen if this carries on. I just apologise, say what we do at home, and that we'll monitor it.
Although I know this behaviour is unaceptable, and if I see him do it I'll absolutely call him on it, I also think that he's only two, his world has recently been shook, so he's reacting to this. We also know he has some hearing loss due to glue ear, and his language is slow to develop. We've got apts with all the relevant professionals booked in to see how we proceed with this. But I think there must also be an element of frustration for him too.
Is there anything else we could do to nip this in the bud? He's always been a very boisterous physical "spirited" child but this is a new dimension to his behaviour so we feel a bit stuck.