13mo smacking me

[celeryeater]

My 13mo has developed a horrible behaviour of smacking me whenever she doesn't get her own way. Say if she wants me to read a book but I am in the middle of getting her dressed she will frown and pout and smack me! I have been saying no in a very serious way and then stopping her from doing it again and then if that doesn't work just moving away from her. Sometimes it seems like genuine anger and other times for attention so in those instances I say no and then offer a cuddle instead. Am I handling this right? I think she might have picked it up from nursery where I have seen other babies smack. I asked about it at her nursery but they said she never smacks there, it's just me! Another thought I had was maybe it's anger at me for leaving her at nursery for two full days a week. She has been going for two months but absolutely bawls her eyes out when I drop her off and tries to cling on to me it's horrible. Any advice would be greatly helpful.

Have you tried reasoning with her. That may sound daft, but out 17.5 month old smacks us and we sit him on the stairs so when we kneel we are at eye level with him, make sure he's far enough away not to reach you and say very firmly " No! [name], no hitting, do not hit (mummy or daddy) it makes me very sad (pulling sad face). Stop it". Then ask for a cuddle. Assuming your daughter cuddles.

It's a slow process, but it works a bit. Thing is, some kids are smackers just as they are head bashers (as our son is).

I will give it a try, thank you for the suggestion. Her language isn't very developed at the moment but maybe she will get the general gist, especially with looking her right in the eyes.