Child scrabbing

[Sassil]

My daughter is 22 months and for the past couple of months has been scrabbing the faces of other children she sees no matter what age they are!! You can imagine my shock. I'm really surprised that she has started doing this and don't know what to do about it. She knows she is doing something wrong as she keeps saying 'face' but no matter what i do or say she keeps doing it. Anyone any ideas or going through the same thing?????

what's scrabbing?

Sorry, its making a grab with her nails

My son has been doing the same recently ( same age) but only when another child wants to share his toys or he wants to touch their eyes/nose etc. Stopped talking about eyes/nose etc with him and also told him he needs to be really gentle. (he shoved soem food into my mouth so roughly it cut my lip!) Have given him some stern telling offs too. hope it works...He grew out of his biting (me only) phase so fingers crossed he'll stop this too. Think they are jsut learning to assert themselves. Mine has also had the most major 'NO NO NO' tantrums recently too.

scratching you mean? i think it's a phase, my dd does it to dh and me, as well as slapping. there was a child psychologist visiting one of the playgroups we go to so I asked about it and she said just say no, that's not nice or something like that, and keep reinforcing that message, no point getting cross though. Hoping it won't last long as i am sure you are!!

P.s. I hold his arms at his side to stop him and always get him to apologise. Think he's learnt and understood the word 'hurt' pretty well recently!!

Thanks
thats a help, will try it out. I'm definitely hoping she will grow out of it very soon. Can be a nightmare when you are out with friends and all she wants to do is go for their faces!!!! Sometimes you feel they don't understand as their children don't do it. Fingers crossed.