My Baby wants to beat me up!!

[puddinggal]

My son is 16 months old and is going through this stage where he is quite physical.

For instane, today he wanted to play and I needed to take him and change his nappy. When I picked him up he got really angry and smacked me around the head. He also bites occasionally and has chucks toys at me. He is worse in public if I try and coax him to do something he doesnt want to.

How do I teach him this is wrong? I find it very embarrasing in public and he actually hurts me sometimes! (he is a 16 month old boxer in training!!)

Any help or advice appreciated as this situation is getting worse. It is at the stage where I am even reluctant to go out with him (especially mother/toddler group) because I am 1. sscared he will do this to another child, 2. embarrase me!!
Thanksx

Well, not much advise to give because DS is only 10m so we have not got to that stage, but somebody recommended us Steve Bidulph's book "Raising Boys" and from what I have read it seams like great simple advice. I have mentioned the book in the past in another thread and some others also thought the book was great... may be worth a try... Good luck and lots of patience in the mean time...

Hello Puddinggal, when my dd went through that stage (as most do, I believe), I just used to put her down (on the floor, in her cot, wherever she was safe) and ignored her for a few minutes. That seemed to work. HTH

dd2 does this too. and she really hurts as she is a big girl.

ltely i've started holding her hands firmly so she cant hit me and tell her 'no, that hurts mummy'. when she bites i just put her on the floor, again tell her it hurts and refused to pick her and play till she stops it. i tried ignoring it but she just kept doing it, so i'm trying this way.

Misdee
i've just sent you a "contact me" re Christmas thank yous!

Thanks for the advice, I have ordered that book - sounds good. It sounds silly but this has been really stressing me out. I have been trying to get out more - but find ds such a handful at the moment I dread it (and like you said misdee it hurts!)
Feel bad because it makes ds sound like a terror - he is such a cute little boy - hoping it is just a stage.
I am going to try the advice you have all said and see how we get on. thanks xx

Glad to hear the my 16 month old is not the only naughty one out there. If I pick her up and she doesn't want to, she grabs my hair and pulls it so hard that it has reduced me to tears. I don't know what to do, 'cos if I put her down then she's had her way. Don't want to grab her hands as all I want to do is loosen her grip and ease the pain! Little rascal.

lolasmum - it is so nice to hear that other people endure this too and my ds isnt the only one!! I know what you mean - my ds has had me in tears (he jurked his head back in a strop and hit my face causing one of my teeth to become wobbly!)
I am reading a book called Toddler Taming at the moment- full of good advice, will have to see if it works.x

Puddinggal - Please let me know if its worth purchasing!

Puddinggal, your ds's reaction is pure frustration - he doesn't know it hurts you and won't really understand that at all until he is over two. Don't bother teaching him that it is wrong. The best way to avoid it IMO is to never just pick up a child mid-play but to talk to him and tell him what you are about to do, then tell him again and then encourage him up in to your arms - and distract him maybe by saying something like 'let's see if we can find Teddy upstairs'. Some kids are more easygoing than others. But do be reassured he isn't trying to hurt you - at this stage he has no real understanding that you have feelings or thoughts that are different to his. You could say 'That hurts poor mummy" when he does it. It won't mean much to him yet but will eventually teach him empathy.