My ds is a lovely, bright, funny, kind little boy and recently he has decided that if anyone is going to bear the brunt of his anger it will be me. For example, if he's angry about something, he will shout "I am berry (very) angry!" and be quite vocal (grrr noises etc) which we've encouraged him to do so he can at least know how to vent his spleen, but he has also taken to giving me a good wallop if I'm nearby even if I wasn't involved in the incident/ game/ conversation that made him feel so strongly.
This hitting behaviour is something we have certainly not encouraged and he knows that we don't hit, it's unkind and makes people sad. He doesn't do this with his dad or any of our other family/his nursery friends.
Part of me thinks that it might be because he knows he can do/say whatever he likes and express himself however he wants to me and I will absolutely accept it (although I do make it clear to him that I don't like it when he hits me). However I don't want him to be given the idea that although you can't hit it's ok if it's only mummy.
Also, I've just had a short spell in hospital with hyperemesis (dc 2 due in July) which I am sure has unsettled him a bit and so the continuing behaviour could just be because he's "punishing" me for going away for a few days. Although the hitting had started well before then and so hasn't just emerged.
Any ideas on strategies I can try?