18month old hitting other children at childminders - how do we tackle it?

[PanicPants]

Ds has been hitting all the other children and I think it's getting worse. He doesn't seem to be doing it out of malice or anger (although he has hit me when he has been having a tantrum) and always goes and gives the child a hug after.

I think it may be exuberance and a behaviour rather than him reacting in anger iyswim.

But how can I, and the cm help ds to see that this is not acceptable behaviour.

At home I ignore him, which seems to work, but thats hard to do at the cm, and the other children make a big deal out of it (giving ds lots of attention - although negative attention)as they're only 2 and 3 themselves and don't understand to ignore him.

Any ideas?

Children only see the attention they get when they behave like this. They dont really understand that they have hurt the other child. If my 2 yr old son does something horrible to my 1 year old I just pick him up and put him in his travel cot in the kitchen and just tell him that he has to calm down in there on his own.
It really is all about attention rather than your child wanting to hurt anyone.

I agree - he's not hitting to hurt. And we ignore him at home. But not sure how that would work at the cm.

Can you ask the cm to put him in another room, safely obviously, when he is naughty and that way he is being taken away from the fun. Then bring him back in, and if he does it again just take him out again.

Yes, I'll speak to her tomorrow. Really want to tackle it before he gets a reputation (bless him).

How did it go with the cm?

Hi powder28, it went well, she's very good and hopefully we'll get him sorted between us, but I was watching ds at a party yesterday full of toddlers, and he was one of the best behaved so I don't feel too bad now.

I know it's normal and they all do it - but you expect your angel to be the exception!!