I don't want my boy being 'that child'

[JakesMum05]

My nearly 2.5 yo is a lovely,kind, loving, polite child but at Tumble tots hits other children, it's not hard and it's usually because they have something he wants or aren't going fast enough for him. But most of the parents have such well behaved, gentile children that they look at us like he's 'Damien', one woman even said 'eh' to him when he tapped her child on the head (which i thought was a bit out of order as i was dealing with my own child, thank you very much). If he hits, i time him out and he is remorseful.
Today though i was with friends and he bit, really hard, one of their children. He has never bitten before and i thank god my friends are so nice and understanding, he pushed the other child too, twice.

But i fear that he will be the child who other people avoid, when we sit down at the end of TT i swear people sit as far away from us as possible and the last few reluctantly sit near in case he goes off on one.

I know he's a boy and 2 and a half and that's what they do, but need i worry, could there be a reason he's the only one at TT and in our group of friends that is aggressive towards to other children? I feel like i'm doing something wrong.

I tell him not to push or hit before we start and he understands that it's not nice and i reprimand him appropriately if he does it. Should i sod what other parents think and go on as am or should i be concerned that there's a bigger issue.

Sorry if it's obvious and 'same old story' but i panic.

Ta

As long as you are doing something about it then I think it is fine to sod what othe rparents think and just get on with manging your own child's behaviour.

Wouldn't be too harsh on the mum who said "eh" to your ds when he hit her child. It is a natural parental reaction to try to defend your child, even when they don't really need defending, and the "eh" may well have come out somewhat unintentionally - like when I say "ooops!" on seeing any child fall over, in the exact same embarrassing way as my mum used to ).

SO many typos! Lazy, lazy, lazy!

I don't think there is a bigger issue. Children of this age (including my own darling 2nd son ) can be aggressive.

How are you dealing with it though? Do you think your reprimands are enough or are you using other strategies (e.g time out). Do you get him to say sorry to the other children?

I think he's old enough to realise that it's not acceptable behaviour, but he needs to learn that there are consequences as well as just telling him it's not nice.

Oh dear my adorable 22 month old is also turning into "that child" last week at playgroup she did a stunning impression of Christopher Lee, This week she has forgone biting for pinching and kicking.
Everyone there is very good about it but I am so mortified.
The stage will pass but it's a bloody pita

I use a dab of vinegar on the tongue with dd3, works wonders

Thanks guys

meemar - He gets a time out which is still effective at the moment because he hates being ignored. I always make him apologise if he doesn't do it himself (which he did to his friend that he bit, after the TO), but the parents rarely say 'it's okay' or anything. He doesn't repeat offend in the say day so i suppose that's something !

Thanks again